I've seen everything-in-a-box silkscreening kits in art supply stores. Some of 'em are specifically for use on fabrics, even.



Speedball is a brand name you can search on.

Speedball is the name in silk screen printing, I hear thier inks are the best.



I just got into Dye Sublimation printing and I love it. A bit expensive to start though around 2500.00



I have the Epson 4000 pro, ink price to fill it is $1068.00



Search bestblanks.com

once your running though your image cost per shirt is around 56 cents

SPEEDBALL SILKSCREENING KITS ARE SHIT

their screens fall apart after several uses (because they're pieces of wood) and their squeegees will easily crack.

if you're serious about getting into printing you might as well invest a bit (like i just have) because you will probably get addicted to screen printing (like i have)



though i love speedball's acrylic inks, their fabric ones are quite shit. they will often fade out and crinkle. try to find some Permaset. I haven't used it but i've been quite cautioned about the lameness of speedball fabric ink (and seen it) and been told that permaset is so good you can print it on a bathing suit, stretch the shit out of it and it's still perfectly amazing (and it's only like 1-2 dollars more a jar)



ps. as for stencilling, printing on acetate is best though you can use just printed out copies (not inkjet but laser print) of your drawings and oil them up with vegetable oil so they are semi-transparent and they work as well (most of the time as long as you don't over-expose or over-rinse)

aluminum framed screens is what you should be looking for. they last forever unless you somehow get a gash in your screen (and if that happens you can bring them in to a printing store and get it re-screened for like twenty bucks or something).

there are different types of meshes, some have bigger holes (to let glitter ink through) and tinier holes (for extra fine details). if i remember correctly my screenprinting teacher told us 110 was best for t-shirts, though going a bit higher won't ruin the design.



http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/site/799934/product/AL2024110

^price example

nice!



its seems each day i get more and more into t-shirt design and i keep thinking how nice it would be to have the capability to make my own.



anywho...thanks for the detailed information and direction! much appreciated ;p

^^^ yay hooray for ginette!



It's always good to have advice from the experts. My experience with silkscreen technology is limited to working with Gestetner duplicators.

haha i just exploded at the thought of me being an expert. i've only been silkscreening for a month now, so i was mostly reiterating things other experts have told me (and a little of my own newly gathered knowledge.)



afi, i just looked up the gestetner duplicator and it looks freaking amazing. i wish i had one

I've only screenprinted at school etc before, but I also want to setup a d.i.y. screen printing lab.

wait is that the same as silk screen...

crap

silkscreening/screen printing, same thing. i've only been doing it in the school studio also so far and i'm debating whether i should start buying bigger supplies so i can do it at home or if i should just pay a membership in a printing studio outside of school. fjdlaajklda

either way it's more money out of my poor little pockets

i wish i had one



Keep that thought warm. I've got a few spare machines (seriously!!) but I need time to make them behave.

i haven't read everything here but i agree with the speedball ink being crappy. i can't remember what brand was good though. speedball's stripper/screen reclaimer is good though.



and yes to using vegetable oil. best thing ever!



ginette, can't you just keep using the school printing studio during whenever there's no class there? i'm pretty sure you can...or so i've heard.



making your own screens is also waaaaaaay cheaper than buying pre-made ones and they're better bc you can adjust them to whatever size you want. you just use canvas frames and then instead of stretching canvas over them you stretch the mesh.