Vinyl for temp screens?

[Bogie]

Has anyone successfully used vinyl for t-shirt screens? I occasionally get folks who want _maybe_ a dozen shirts... Small companies, husband/wife promoing business, etc...

If so, what kind of vinyl/screen combination worked best for you?

[rcook99]

Bogie, For a dozen shirts one color I use thermoflex plus. It works well, and if you need it for polyester you can use gorilla grip. You can do 2 color also just by stacking it. It wears well also.
By going this direction if they needed another you can cut and press one in no time.

[Bogie]

Yeah, but then I'm getting into the realm of the $25 shirt... and if it has any kind of detail to it, well, I'm my own tweezer monkey. I can think of a LOT of better things to do than weed a dozen cut transfers unless that's the only option.

[Mike Paul]

I don't screen print in house but I've heard it works fine for short runs.
If I remember correctly Intermediate grade vinyl will last & hold a bit longer than HP when applied to the screen. Interesting...:rolleyes:

[VinylCraft]

Bogie. It has been discussed here alot. Run a search. P.S. I do it all the time. Works well for me. 110 screen 651 does the trick for me. Short runs though. if your quick 50 or so.

[cpknut]

Been ok for short runs here in the past, but anything more than about 10 I'd just burn the screen.

xSam

[Bogie]

Well, things may have changed some - About 20 years ago in a graphic design class, we did some screened shirts. Seemed like making the screen took on the far side of forever. Since then, I've basically just ordered transfers... But looking the the price difference... Will also probably turn my guest bathroom into a darkroom - sigh... I thought the chemistry days were over...

[Cadmn]

bogie for burning screens try out the capillary film for emulsion no more chemestry on that. I'm looking at getting back in only to do caps.

[dclet]

$25 shirt.

burn the screen....one part presentized photo-polymer emulsion...no mixing. Last for years in the jar too.

home depot - grow lights. I made my exposure unit...with a timer :) and the press....

coat the screen, let it dry, expose the screen, wash it out.

You'll never go back to any other method.

yes the vinyl thing works, especially for numbering Jerseys...
but your inviting disaster ok a mess anyway.

http://www.davidsdist.com/

screencoater works nice but so does cardboard...

[BeyondPrinting]

If you are doing a quickie job vinyl works ok, but I would use Capilary film for a short run. You dont have to have the dark room as long as you dont have too many floresent lights in your shop. We use emulsion most of the time but if a customer needs a quick job on just a few items then Cap. film is the key. It also drys in about a hour or so, where emulsion takes several hours to fully dry. The only draw back is your screen mesh I the lower the mesh count the thicker your cap. film needs to be. 30 micron works on 155 mesh and above any lower that that use 50 micron. Its can be kinda pricy tho at about 2 bucks for a 11x14 sheet.

[javila]

We've done a couple of times, but the vinyl leaves the adhesive behind sometimes.

We find it easier to wash and coat a couple of extra screens when doing another job. That way there's always a screen for "quick" jobs.

[Illuminated]

I tried it for some quickie decals but no good the ink reacted with the vinyl and it was all not good. But yes plastisol ink will work for the t shirts but the art has to be simple and you have to be concerned with the inside letter shapes like inside a's and what not. I just do the old school coated screens and run the job..... what if the customer wants more.....and thier screen breaks down then its just as much or if not more of a headache to set it up the right way. Your call!! I like the tremoflex too but could get labor intensive with a 25 shirt run also factor cost. Plastisol is way cheap!