My first screen printed t-shirt!

[yoonbokim]

Hey guys

I just printed my first t-shirt manually (it was 2 colors)
Was fun but the shirt did not come out the way I planned it to at all... haha
The hardest part for me; is getting the 2 colors to align perfectly.

What was the most difficult part of the screen printing process for you??

And any tips on getting multiple color designs to align perfectly?

[Frog]

Hey guys

I just printed my first t-shirt manually (it was 2 colors)
Was fun but the shirt did not come out the way I planned it to at all... haha
The hardest part for me; is getting the 2 colors to align perfectly.

What was the most difficult part of the screen printing process for you??

And any tips on getting multiple color designs to align perfectly?

First make sure that your two films indeed line up perfectly. That's what the registration marks are for, Three or four crosses or rifle sights on each film.
Then, burn the screens in close to the same position for each color. (eventually, you may come up with a system that automatically gets you close or almost perfect in this step)
Now, before ever actually printing a real shirt, put a scrap shirt on the press.
Print your key color (black if it's in the design) cover it with tape (or mylar sheet taped down or something similar.)
Now, line up the next screen so that the marks align. Tighten the screen in the head. Look again at the marks.
Print one off. Check it out, if not perfect, wipe off the ink, and adjust the 2nd screen. Repeat as necessary.
Note that this all assumes tight screens and a press that does not have play in  it.
If you don't have that, you will never line up butt registered jobs, and will need to rely on an overlapping trap which then also requires flashing between colors which works but will slow you down.

btw how about a pic?

[screenxpress]

Hey guys

I just printed my first t-shirt manually (it was 2 colors)
Was fun but the shirt did not come out the way I planned it to at all... haha
The hardest part for me; is getting the 2 colors to align perfectly.

What was the most difficult part of the screen printing process for you??

And any tips on getting multiple color designs to align perfectly?

First make sure that your two films indeed line up perfectly. That's what the registration marks are for, Three or four crosses or rifle sights on each film.
Then, burn the screens in close to the same position for each color. (eventually, you may come up with a system that automatically gets you close or almost perfect in this step)
Now, before ever actually printing a real shirt, put a scrap shirt on the press.
Print your key color (black if it's in the design) cover it with tape (or mylar sheet taped down or something similar.)
Now, line up the next screen so that the marks align. Tighten the screen in the head. Look again at the marks.
Print one off. Check it out, if not perfect, wipe off the ink, and adjust the 2nd screen. Repeat as necessary.
Note that this all assumes tight screens and a press that does not have play in  it.
If you don't have that, you will never line up butt registered jobs, and will need to rely on an overlapping trap which then also requires flashing between colors which works but will slow you down.

btw how about a pic?

I have a better idea.  How about a picture of the press so we know your limitations.

I only ask this as my first press (a real POS) had no micros and would never allow me to do multi-color even though was 'supposedly' a 4 color press.

[Frog]

...How about a picture of the press so we know your limitations.
I only ask this as my first press (a real POS) had no micros and would never allow me to do multi-color even though was 'supposedly' a 4 color press.

You may be on the right track, but remember also that this two color design was also his first attempt at any print, an idea I strongly disagree with. However, in and of itself, the absence of micros does not preclude doing good precision work, as many of us with the original Hopkins presses, along with a hammer , mallet, or other "fine adjustment tool", can attest.  It's the solidity of the press and lack of slop that more comes into play.
Here's an example of what I was printing on that press.

[Sbrem]

Yes, pictures needed. The first press I used was a Vastex four color, way back in '75, it had no micros, but did allow you to lock in each frame when it came down to maintain register. Not a very good system, but we printed a lot of shirts with that press. We had a board we put together for setting up screens with films to come close, a 3 point setup. If you search here, you should be able to find some samples of other folks setup for manual screens.

Steve

[screenxpress]

My first 4 color press (hahaha) was sooooooo bad, the only remaining parts serve as a rolling platform for a HIX Heat press.

It was so hard to attempt to register screens, even a hammer or mallet would not work.  Someone local sold me that home-built POS, even though they were making them out of a fab shop.  It was long before joining any board and ignorance was NOT a bliss. 



Based on his post today for a dryer, hes got a workhorse sabre 8/6 auto.  Seems to be a significant investment for a 'newbie'.  For that he may need a registration 'system' instead of a hammer or mallet.

http://www.theshirtboard.com/index.php/topic,22973.0/topicseen.html

[Frog]

Yoonbokim, still waiting on that pic of your first print! This help thing is a two-way street.