Printage

May 26, 2009 6:02 PM

Silk screen printing: I have the blank shirts. I have the design in a PSD file. I need a printer that can print shiny silver foil... Any suggestions?

I need a relatively fast turn around time as well.. I'd like to get the shirts back within two weeks of me shipping the blanks. Please cite whether you've personally used the company or not... Thanks :)

posted by Glendale to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

For what it's worth, if you're just doing a single color print with a relatively simple design, it might be worth your while (in time and money) to look into the DIY method.

Speedball has some fantastic products for the hobbyist and professional alike, and you can find a good assortment of their products at most local art supply stores. The employees should be able to guide you to the proper ink and screen for the type of printing you want to do (make sure you tell them you are doing clothing, not poster board). They do have glossy tactile inks (has a tactile feel on the shirt when dry, instead of being indistinguishable by touch from the t-shirt material).

Hope that helps!
posted by self at 6:18 PM on May 26, 2009

replace "glossy" with "metallic" in my last post.
posted by self at 6:19 PM on May 26, 2009

Just to make sure I understand the question - you're looking for someone who can make your design look like it's metal foil that's been applied to the shirt and not just like you design is painted on with silver paint. Right?
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 7:04 PM on May 26, 2009

My suggestion is to call 10 t-shirt printing houses in your area, and find one who can do it.

If it was LA, I would suggest Family Printing, who print my shirts, but shipping will cost you a lot of money, each direction, and use up most of your two weeks, so you want someone local.
posted by YoungAmerican at 8:24 PM on May 26, 2009

Former screen printing shop owner here. First: the DIY method is not worth your while and Speedball is absolute shit. Screen printing isn't rocket science, but unless you are giving these out to your friends or something you're not going to want the headache or like the end result of your first experiment into garment printing.

Calling around to local shops and getting quotes is the way to go. Also "silver" can mean two things.. either printed silver ink or actual foil stamped onto the shirt (which is a slightly different process from straight up printing and a little less common).
posted by bradbane at 10:11 PM on May 26, 2009

bradbane- I've only had good experiences with Speedball, but then again the entirety of my portfolio consists of about 10 short runs for my own personal use. Can you recommend something better for the hobby silk screener?
posted by self at 11:09 PM on May 26, 2009

Response by poster: Not sure if anyone will read this on day two, but:

I've tried the local route, and no one around here will print silver foil... What I'm not looking for is "silver colored ink" because I don't want it to turn out grey. I want it to be shiny.. I guess I'll just keep looking for print shops in the north-east.

Thanks guys!
posted by Glendale at 5:26 AM on May 27, 2009