This is the 3rd in a series of "printerviews" where I interview someone to find out how they get their shirts printed. The last one was with SoothedByRainfall. Another fellow derbyist that goes by Skaght on Woot runs PsychoReindeer.com where he screenprints his derby losers as well as other unique designs. Here's more about him, his shop, and screenprinting.
How did you get into t-shirt designing?
I wanted to be a rock star but I'm not a musician. When I was in art school, I was really into concert posters -- work by Derek Hess, Frank Kozik, Coop and Mark Arminski, to name a few. Those posters are screen printed so I taught myself to screenprint. When people heard that I was screenprinting they started asking for t-shirts. And paying me for them. Money is good. I like money.
How long have you had your shop?
I bought my first entry-level t-shirt press from this guy in 1999. When I got a little more serious, I bought some used equipment from a woman who printed out of her basement. That was 2002.
Could you give me a ball-park number of how many shirts you sell?
Not too many right now. I'm selling about 10 shirts a week on the website. We also set up at local fairs and festivals where I can usually sell about 30-90 shirts in a weekend.
How long did it take for things to start to take off after you started the shop?
I'm still waiting... Most of my work (income) still comes from printing shirts for schools, local bands and what not. But it's always more fun to print and sell my own designs.
Tell me about your setup and equipment.
I've got a 4-color 4-station press that I found on craigslist and a conveyor dryer set up in a little shed in my back yard.
Give me the high-level description of the process to create screenprinted t-shirts.
I create vector art and separate it using Adobe Illustrator. I then print black film on an Epson Stylus Photo printer. Liquid emulsion is applied to a screen and allowed to dry. The film is placed on the screen and the image is burned using a halogen light and rinsed out with water. The emulsion creates a stencil, the black areas become holes that the ink passes through.
After all the screens are made, the are lined up on the press, which is essentially a big lazy susan. The screens come down onto the shirt and a squeegee is used to push the ink through the stencil.
I use plastisol ink so it has to be cured rather than dried. I place the printed shirt on a conveyor dryer which is like a pizza oven. When the shirt reaches about 320 degrees, it's done.
Once you have a design, how long does it take from the beginning of the process to the ready-to-ship t-shirt?
Screens usually take about 2 days to make because they have to dry. Set-up is usually around an hour for a multi-color shirt; after that, I can print 50 4-color shirts in about an hour and a half. Less time for less colors.
How did you learn how to do your own screenprinting?
I was given a little Speedball kit from a craft store. After goofing around with that, I bought a beginner press package for around $600, the book "How to Print T-shirts for Fun and Profit" and scoured the forums at ScreenPrinters.net for any other information that I needed. And then I printed shirts for clients, made lots and lots of mistakes and learned from those as well.
What is your approximate cost per shirt?
I buy blank heavyweight Gildan shirts for $2-3 each. A $90 bucket of emulsion usually lasts me a year. A piece of 13" x 19" film is about a $1. Screens can be reused. Then there are intangibles like how much ink and electricity I'm using. When all is said and done, probably about $4-5 a shirt.
What advice do you have for people trying to do their own screenprinting?
Read as much as you can before purchasing any equipment. The book and screenprinters.net forums are invaluable resources. There are a ton of instructional videos on Youtube. I've also seen classes that teach the basics. Screenprinting is a lot of fun, and easy to get into because the equipment is relatively inexpensive, but takes a lot of patience to learn.
Any comments on the print quality of your prints vs. other screenprinters?
I don't like to boast, because there are a ton of other screenprinters out there that are more experienced than me. I normally print a run of 50 shirts by hand whereas Woot uses huge automated presses to print thousands of shirts. I do the best that I can and try to be consistent. If I wouldn't wear it, I won't sell it.
