After seeing the xTools screen printer, I started going down the rabbit hole of using my existing GF to create screens. I’ve read the other threads here and here but its safe to say I still have questions…
I kind of like the xTools concept, but I’ve already got a screen printing press. I did think about buying the xTools frame and some screens just to have the consumables, but don’t know if their frame can be put into the vise on a standard press (mine is a Riley Hopkins 6-color press)… So if anyone has tried that, it seems like a lower cost of entry–$40 for the frame and $7.50 a screen.
I am also curious about trying to create my own reusable screens. I read an article here about using stainless steel mesh and just spraying it with acrylic spray paint to fill int the holes. 304 stainless steel mesh seems pretty cheap (see here), even though it would be nicer if the rolls were wider. Anyone think there are safety issues with lasering mesh that has been sprayed with acrylic paint? I do sort of worry about the paint flaking off, so curious if anyone has tried this?
I know nothing about screen printing, but lasering acrylic paint isn’t an issue.
Steel can get hot and warp, so either go fast or don’t do a large area at a single time.
There are SO MANY ways to decorate shirts and other fabrics… If you are doing one-offs or small runs, a different method may be better than screen printing.
Heat transfer vinyl, cut with a vinyl cutter or laser. Many colors/textures available. Some material feels stiff and gross, some is fine, and stretchy material is available for really nice hand feel.
You need to know your materials and create appropriate designs. Any design with a giant patch of solid color will feel not awesome in this process. Bigger solid patches age in teh wash faster, too.
Rhinestones, with templates cut via vinyl cutter or laser.
Sublimation, where you use an inkjet printer and special inks to make a sharp, full color transfer – but it only works on polyester/poly blends. You can decorate STUFF not just garments this way, search “sublimation blanks.”
Plastisol and Direct To Fabric transfers – send your art out to a shop, get back a stack of commercial-quality transfers. Plastisol/GTF? The difference is the process at the shop, you iron on the end result and it looks and feels great. (You can order a stack of the same transfers or full sheets of whatever art you create, so you can cut out smaller transfers, look into “gang printing.”)
If I needed 20+ of the exact same multi-color design I would do this.
Direct To Garment printer – special printers that print color right on garments, but these start at laser cutter prices.
If you used a hand iron and not a heat press I am not surprised the Proofgrade transfer material was not awesome. All of these kinds of transfers need specific heat, time, and pressure to come out right. A heat press makes that easy, a hand iron makes that frustrating.
Glad you found it helpful! Here is a little more info.
Lots of places sell transfers and there are probably other technologies being used now that I don’t know about. JiffyShirts just started advertising their transfer service and I think they’ll sell you just one if that’s all you need.
This place sells transfers as well as the hardware.
But look around, there should be a ton of options for buying transfers, maybe even local places.
There are a lot of brand name and no-name heat presses, unfortunately the very cheapest ones don’t have a great reputation. If you get into it, keep your eyes open for a used press from Hix, Hotronix, or Geo Knight. I got a used Hix 15x15 years and years ago and it’s a total trooper.
I did not follow up properly however there was a wax like sheet that could be (ironed?) on to a silk frame. Commecerially you put it under a uv light with a pattern that would block it. The uv would harden the material so it would not dissolve and the rest would dissolve easily making silk screening easy. (of course, the sun is a good UV light )
What was exceptionally cool was the design was screened on paper with ceramic color and the paper getting the design on curved ceramic which is then fired. Using a Glowforge to create the first design to end up with fired ceramic results would be quite exceptional.
What you are describing is s process using thick film emulsions like those produced by Ulano here. But that is a more commercial process than the standard small shop practice of just using a scoop coater to put a thin layer of photosensitive emulsion on the screen. I like the idea of going directly from laser to ink, however, and wonder if it capable of finer resolution prints.
I see it’s already been mentioned, but I want to repeat… DTF transfers again. Someone else with better, more complicated equipment than anyone wants to run at home does the printing for just a few bucks, ships it to you on film same day, and then you just press it onto the shirt or other object at home. You only need to buy a heat press which is relatively cheap and maintenance free compared to a DTF, UV or sublimation printing setup. You could build a more profitable t-shirt selling business on this than using a print-on-demand company that prints and ships the whole shirt.
A bit more complicated than that. the trick would involve cutting something like ply or cardboard into the complex design and then use the cardboard to block the UV and then you would have a screen of what you cut on the Glowforge. If you then screened ceramic color on to paper you could wrap the paper around a clay vase and you would have the image you cut with the laser around a ceramic vase.
Like so…
Long ago I could have described the shape of that vase in several mathematical equations (geometry, algebra and a little calculus), then design an outer skin from one sheet of plain paper (with kiss-fit seams), and create a repeatable customized design that could be scaled up or down.
There’s probably an easier way to do it, but this is what I came up with.
I wish I had a neighbor with an extra room I could use. Like an elderly person who doesn’t use all of their space, I could pay a reasonable rent amount and help them out, and have some space. That would be cool!
iron on and was not completely pleased and would love to hear other methods.
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