Learn How To Screen Print Tee Shirts At Home

Unfortunately for me, I feel that the Catspit website is quickly approaching the point at which it has reached the limitations of the current website hosting platform. I think I have pushed the current hosting services to the limits.

This means that it is time to move and relocate the website on a different hosting service with more functions and options for features on the website. This will include more interactive message boards and possibly forums.

The problem is that I have no money to pay someone to build a professional l website with all of the features I want. So I have been using free hosting services with browser type site designers. I have total control over the website and that has been addicting. I am not willing to give that control up yet. So the next logical step is to rebuild the site on another hosting platform with more options and services.

Obviously, this is a huge project and will take some time. And in the interim, I will have to continue the upkeep of the current website. I am thinking of various ways of reducing my workload during this time to facilitate and speed up the transition. I may have to take a video and article hiatus to accomplish this. So far all my plans are preliminary and tentative.

You never know, maybe I’ll figure out how to get this done one way or the other. I would love to build better screen printing website with lots of features for visitors and build a community around it. Right now my website is cool and functional with a lot of information but it lacks some of the modern website features that are so common today. And those are the features that make it fun for visitors, the things that will keep the website active and growing.

So far this has been a completely nonprofit endeavor but maybe that will change and I will get to fulfill my dreams of being able to pay for a fantastic website. Stay tuned!

Thanks for visiting the blog!

I have been very busy seeking new screen printing customers due to the slow economy here in the States. As a result, I have been getting behind with my writing for the website. I have finally decided on the topics for the next 2 articles. Now I have to sit down and get to writing.

The next 2 articles will deal with ink. That is about all I can say at the moment because I don’t know where each article will go until I start writing them. It takes me about a week to write 1 article. I write the article in about 2 or 3 days and then the next 2 or 3 days I spend reading the article and refining it where it needs it. I find it very useful to sit with an article for a couple of days because what sounded good the day before may not sound so good today and it gives me an opportunity to really give it a going over.

The next video has been recorded and I am working on the edit currently. This video will be about sleeve prints and how to set them up. I will be working on the edit over the weekend and the video will post as usual on Monday morning. I am also working on the stretch and glue video where we will use an oversize roller frame to stretch 2 smaller wood frames using adhesive to attach the mesh. It will probably be another couple of weeks before I post this one. I am hoping to post it after the sleeve print but you know how it goes. We shall see. Stay tuned for news and updates!

Thanks for reading!

That’s right! Another super fantastic video about screen printing has been uploaded to YouTube. This is a 9 minute video about setting up and printing a left chest print. It also happens to be white ink on a black shirt through a higher mesh count. So it gives you a look at printing white ink on a dark shirt with a flash, hit, flash scenario.

Make sure and check out the video called “How To Screen Print: Left Chest Print Demo – White On Black”. I had fun making this video even though it was raining and the lighting is a little darker than normal. I think it came out really nice and I hope you all enjoy it. Please remember, my videos are only brief overviews of the process. I can never fully cover each subject in a 10 minute video. Therefore different ways or certain steps may be omitted for time considerations.

Until next time. Thanks for watching!

Social networking on the internet has been the topic of many discussions lately. With the explosion of Twitter and other networking sites, businesses have seen the potential power of the internet for marketing and creating opportunities. This is true for big businesses and even small, local, mom and pop operations. Today’s entrepreneurs realize the value of an internet presence.

With all of the buzz about this on the internet, it seems that many small business owners are diving in full throttle and devote a considerable amount of time to it. Many people are finding their niche and using the internet to expand their sales. Others come to question the value of their efforts when compared to the actual dollar return they see. But it is important to remember that it is also about creating a presence that will make you more visible on search engines. Just as in local consumer retail businesses of any kind, visibility is always beneficial.

And ultimately choosing a prime social networking site that works for you is a good idea. Some sites will not work as well for your business as others. That is something you have to research and learn about for yourself. But I can tell you that YouTube will work for anyone who is willing to offer some free information to their viewers. YouTube is like a social networking site on steroids. For Catspit Productions, YouTube is the number one social networking platform. It creates the most amount of traffic to the Catspit website not including Google, (although YouTube videos are often featured in search results). If you play the YouTube game correctly, it can provide your business with a lot of exposure.

Of course there are some things you will need to learn in order to take advantage of YouTube and manipulate your video information so your videos show up where you want them too. But in general, YouTube is easy to use and can create a lot of opportunity for businesses. One of the key factors in making any social networking site work for you, is being consistent with your activity on them.

That doesn’t mean you have to obsess with social networking sites, just think of them as fishing lures. Your profiles and activities are the lures, so choose and create them accordingly. Make sure to complete profiles as much as possible and then all you have to do is wiggle the lure with some activity and check the lines now and then, sort to speak. You may find that one site works better for you than others and it may be beneficial to focus on that site some more.

I understand that Google has plans to enhance their search algorithms in such a way that social network bookmarking will play a bigger role is search engine results. Evidently this is being done to combat the continuing abuse of paid incoming linking. It seems that companies can pay other services to create incoming links for them, rather than the links being generated due to genuine interest from the internet community. Google traditionally liked to see incoming links because this shows that people think your site is important enough to link to. After all Google was originally designed to be content driven.

But in general if you can’t really define your niche, then being active with some social networking sites will at the very least create an online presence which will create opportunity in the long run. And in my eyes, opportunity is always good.

Thanks for reading!

In the screen printing industry it is often the key to success to know where to look for information needed to solve production problems in the shop on a daily basis. Simply knowing where to look for answers is often enough. Sometimes the power of knowing where to find information is overlooked in our fast paced lifestyles. We want instant answers with immediate satisfaction. However, asking the right people and being patient has its rewards as well.

Now you may say that there isn’t any time for patience in the printing industry with deadlines and demanding customers but the key to that problem is trying not to take jobs that you are not prepared to do. In the event you do just that and find yourself with an on press problem needing an immediate solution, you may first turn to your quickest sources or answers. But don’t forget about one of the best sources for information about the products you are using in your production: the vendor.

Sometimes the easiest and best place to find answers for on press problems is the manufacturer of the products being used for production. For instance; if you are using a low bleed, high density white ink for dark garments and you are getting unsatisfactory results, it may be beneficial to call the ink manufacturer and ask for advice. They may suggest a number of possible fixes depending on your situation. Sometimes using the correct mesh for the ink and/or artwork can make or break you.

The point is that your vendor of supplies used in production has a large amount of technical information and tips regarding their products. And if they don’t, you may want to switch to a more reputable manufacturer. Remember, it is always wise to ask your vendor how to use their product when first purchasing it even though you may think you know how to use it.

Learn how to screen print with Catspit Productions, LLC!

Make sure to visit YouTube and check out the latest screen printing video by Catspit Productions, LLC. This morning a video featuring exposure tips for home printers was uploaded to the Catspit YouTube channel. This is a quick 5 minute video with tips on getting better exposure results at home.

The next screenprinting video will be uploaded next Monday. I will be focusing on some new website content this week. Stay tuned to The Catspit Blog and How2screenprint on Twitter for video updates & more.

Learn how to screen print with Catspit Productions, LLC!  

The following is a question with response submitted through the Contact Us form on the Catspit website. I thought it would be interesting to share with you some of the more well put together questions and their respective answers. Names have been removed for anonymity.

I am a "Garage Boy" who started screen printing for fun for my art and for stuff for family and friends. I am getting better each time I do it, and I am getting not only quicker, but better… again, I owe a lot to you and others that post so much information for us beginners.Two areas that I still have an issue with from time to time; I was wondering if you could provide some guidance (or even videos).

1. After exposing the screen, I have had issues washing out the stencil before I print. I have a good time down for my exposing, and when I wet the screen, I see the image. But to wash out the emulsion without destroying detail has been a problem. Either I do not use enough pressure and it takes forever for the emulsion to wash out, or I use too much pressure and the edges get damaged. So that one is huge.

2. Not sure if you have much to say on the water based inks, but I use those a lot for the art. Where I have issues with those are after printing, cleaning the screen without damaging the emulsion (in case I want to print the same image the following day). I find that water based inks are hard to clean when you get them wet, but using just chemicals and rags do not seem to clean the screens well enough.

Any way, if you have any advice I would love to hear it.
Thanks again,
XXXX

XXXX,

The first problem you are experiencing may be related to your film. If your film is not 100% opaque, then it will semi cure the areas you want to wash out. This can cause the symptoms you are explaining. Also be sure that your light source is not heating the emulsion during exposure. If you “bake” the emulsion during the exposure with heat, it will cure or semi cure it. You should be using no more than garden hose pressure to wash out your stencil. Anything more is not good for stencil quality and may cause super saturation of the cured emulsion.

For your second question: first make sure you are using an emulsion designed for water based inks. Otherwise you can have problems with the incorrect emulsion. From what I understand water based ink printing is a little harsher on the screen in general because the ink is always trying to dry to it and bond. It seems that you can use a screen made for water based inks only so much before it has to be replaced due to wearing out. You have to be sure to use the correct ink solvent as well and thoroughly clean the screen after each use to prolong life. But eventually, dried water based ink should collect on the emulsion and in the mesh over time which causes the screen to become more difficult to print with. And just because an ink says it is water based does not necessarily mean that it is water soluble so check on that too. Sometimes solvents are added to quicken the drying time. Ask the vendor of the ink for the proper solvent to use for clean up.

Make sure to check out the website for all kinds of tips and info about screen printing and screen making. Use the Search Site function to help find what you are looking for.
http://catspitproductionsllc.com

Check out these videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Qa0Cwng3M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM9uxI2bkPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBdNVbjszmI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XThWihlibY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEvWd6D7qCQ

Good luck and thanks for watching!

This is typical of the questions I receive on a daily basis either through the website or through YouTube. I receive about 10 questions everyday and being that I answer them in my spare time; it takes about a day to get a response. But, I answer all questions. The more specific you are and the better you phrase it, the better I can attempt to answer your queries. Feel free to ask away!

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The new ISS video about screen printing has been uploaded to YouTube. This video takes a look at the Vastex booth. Check out Vastex numbering equipment including a shirt press and exposure unit. Watch as a sales representative does some printing demos for us.

In this video you will see a numbering system designed to easily attach to the print head of an ordinary shirt press. You could actually have the numbering unit set up in one head and then print with regular screens is other print heads. This looked like a pretty cool set up. Make sure to check out the video.

Learn how to screen print with Catspit Productions, LLC!

Another video about screen printing has been uploaded to YouTube today. I was looking at my collection of videos the other day and much to my dismay, I realized that I had never really talked about the flash cure unit.

This video covers the basics of a flash cure unit and goes off the beaten path a bit to talk about options or ideas for flash curing plastisol inks at home with alternative devices. Many of these options I have seen on YouTube. The video is called “How To Screen Print: The Flash Cure Unit & Options For Home”.

Make sure to check this video out and stay tuned for more ISS videos! Follow How2screenprint on Twitter for daily video release updates and more.

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When first starting out in screen printing, people often wonder how to go about making the screen. Sometimes purchasing costs can make it look like it is cheaper to build them yourself. But it is important to note that the quality of your screen greatly affects the quality of your print and the ease of which you can print it. Using a tightly stretched screen on a rigid and strong frame has many benefits including saving ink in certain applications.

Roller frames are the best for high tension screens in screen printing. They have the perfect characteristics to give a solid frame and ensure high tensions. This is the best for high resolution printing like four color process. Roller frames are most often used in demanding print applications like on automatic presses. These can be easily stretched by the user with a little learning and experience.

Static metal frames are great for simple spot colors and some duo tone or one color halftone work. They have good rigidity and can hold enough tension for many simple manually printed spot color applications. They wear out over time due mostly to loss of tension. But today these types of frames are readily available at reasonable prices pre-stretched with mesh. Most of the time the profit margin in the job should be able to pay for screens like this unless it is on a very small quantity. But static metal frames need to be stretched with a stretching device. In many cases that is a pneumatic stretcher where adhesives are used to attach the mesh to the frame after the mesh is stretched over the frame using air pressure.

Wood frames are the easiest and cheapest to stretch by hand for beginners but they are also the most unstable and problematic. Two of their biggest problems is the wood absorb liquids and the wood frame cannot hold high mesh tensions. Using wood frames, especially if they are in poor condition, may make screen printing more difficult for beginners. Doing your first four color print with old wood screens just might not be the best idea.

The bottom line is, yes, you can make your own screens for screen printing. However, it may be beneficial to make a small investment into an aluminum metal frame. For simple 1 to 3 color home applications, I think it would be the best choice.

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