| dy"> | | | | immediately they recommended the Canon LP17. This |
| Screen Printing T-Shirts has been around for many | | | | amazing printer has to be the best investment I've |
| years now but the process hasn't really evolved from | | | | made to help me run my screen printing company. |
| the traditional methods of a screen, film and inks to | | | | It's ink based but compared to the image setter this |
| produce your design. | | | | is a god send, the reg-marks are perfect every time |
| Even these days we use the same tools to screen | | | | and the clarity in the print is amazing with solid blacks |
| print; these are the basics as the man power to | | | | which are great for blocking out the light and |
| produce the print is one major element that has | | | | achieving clean crisp screens. The inks used are a |
| improved over the years with the invention of the | | | | mixture of pigment & dye based this is how the |
| automatic press. We are so used to manually pulling | | | | printer achieves the deep blacks. I use the printer for |
| squeegees across screens, with some printers still | | | | solid spot design but also full colour simulated process |
| using this technique but you can now purchase man | | | | where I'm achieving some amazing half tone detail |
| made machines which makes this job a lot easier. | | | | with photographic images being represented as they |
| M&R, MHM are the two main competitors out there, | | | | appear on paper onto T-Shirts. The bonus about the |
| over the years they have developed some amazing | | | | printer is the fact it still has the CMY meaning when |
| machinery that can print from 8 - 12+ T-Shirts at a | | | | you don't use this for films you can print posters, |
| time (you won't look like Popeye anymore, more like | | | | banners and even you family photos on many types |
| Homer Simpson when screen printing your t-shirts) all | | | | of media. |
| the hard physical work has been taken away and | | | | I though the consumables were going to be |
| replaced by technology. | | | | expensive but I've found that inks are around £40 |
| Things are changing within the industry of screen | | | | each and film is around £80 a roll. The only |
| printing and there is always something new being | | | | expensive part is the print head which is about |
| launched one of these being 'direct to garment' | | | | £350 and lasts around2 years, there's also a |
| printers, one day screens will become extinct and | | | | maintenance tank but this is only £40 and last 3 |
| computers will control the world. | | | | months. |
| This brings me to the point of the article which is the | | | | You can shop around to get better prices on films |
| Canon LP17 and why you should be using this for | | | | but I've found the supplier has reasonable prices. |
| producing films. | | | | The speed of the Printer is faster than I thought, |
| Screens are made by converting you digital artwork | | | | obviously there's ink that needs to go down on the |
| from the computer to a positive film type paper | | | | film but I can produce a A3 solid area in about 3-4 |
| which is then used to expose your screen. There are | | | | minutes whilst my image setter produced this in 40 |
| many methods you can use to produce these, | | | | seconds, I guess this is a negative point but in my |
| before computers a lot of screen printers produced | | | | eyes the quality and no reg-mark problems makes up |
| their films by hand by drawing the designs with a light | | | | for this. |
| resistant pen so that it blocks light passing through | | | | The software used with the printer is called 'Filmgate' |
| the film to expose the screens. You then had the | | | | which is RIP software and is the easiest software |
| method of 'chemical based' systems which worked | | | | I've used with a printer. There are some technical |
| like camera film in a photograph lab but these where | | | | setups to begin with but Jan from revolution |
| very expensive, time consuming and not | | | | transfers handles this and offers phone support. |
| environmentally friendly. A company called 'OYO' then | | | | Filmgate gives you so much control like dot gain, |
| produced a dry based system which was an image | | | | previews of the films and multiple copies without |
| setter, this burned the image onto film and until | | | | re-sending the file. There are many more detailed |
| recently this was the method I used. I found with | | | | features available but I've found you don't need this |
| this method there was shrinkage with the films | | | | for the purpose of the printer. |
| meaning the registration marks didn't align. | | | | I can't stress how good this printer is, I've been |
| With this I decided to trail the net and find out what | | | | running it for 3 years now and changed 1 head but I |
| other printers were using, after many forums and | | | | can say this has saved money compared to the |
| blogs I came across a company called 'Revolution | | | | image setter where a lot of screens had to be |
| Transfers' which specialise in large format printers. As | | | | remade due to reg-mark problems. |
| soon as I mentioned I was a screen printer | | | | |