Screen printing gifts
July 3, 2010 1:03 PM
Any small gifts I could give to a friend to encourage her new screen printing hobby? Bonus: looking for Chicago shops that might help with this.
My friend has just recently begun printing her own t-shirts with some equipment that another friend gave to her (a frame and some inks). I think she's a fantastic designer and I would like to encourage this hobby.
Are there any other screen printing accessories or pieces of equipment that she might enjoy? I'd like to keep it under $20 if possible.
Also, if any Chicagoans know where I might go searching for a gift like this, that would be immensely helpful.
My friend has just recently begun printing her own t-shirts with some equipment that another friend gave to her (a frame and some inks). I think she's a fantastic designer and I would like to encourage this hobby.
Are there any other screen printing accessories or pieces of equipment that she might enjoy? I'd like to keep it under $20 if possible.
Also, if any Chicagoans know where I might go searching for a gift like this, that would be immensely helpful.
Former screen printing shop owner here.
Do not buy anything Speedball besides ink. Actually 90% of the stuff that art stores sell (including Blick) is garbage and a waste of money. Usually when art stores do happen to sell decent supplies, they are ordering the same stuff you could get and marking it up 100%. Art stores are just not a great place to buy printmaking supplies in general.
I'm sure there's probably a supply house near Chicago but I'm not aware of any, you might want to try Midwest Screen Supply or Victory Factory whom I've ordered from a lot and always had a good experience.
Suggestions:
-A decent screen. Get an aluminum frame that's been professionally stretched, and it will last her years. I see Victory Factory has 23x31 with 110 mesh for $23 which is a good deal. That's a pretty big size, and 110 is what she wants for t-shirts.
-"jiffy" clamps - useful for building your own presses (there are numerous vacuum table/shirt press/etc. plans floating around the internet)
-a scoop coater to fit the inside dimension of whatever size screens she's using. This will make a huge difference if she's trying to squeegee emulsion on now. Usually about $1-2 per inch.
-a good emulsion if she's using something awful (ie. Speedball or any two-part diazo emulsion which is what most art stores sell). I like Ulano QTX and it's about $35 for a quart. Exposes fast, holds good detail, and works with solvent or water based inks.
-blockout pens for filling in screen pinholes are always useful, usually <>
-ink, you can never have enough. Or extender base (which is sort of like unpigmented ink - it extends your ink and saves you a ton of money - a gallon is not that expensive)
posted by bradbane at 2:37 PM on July 3, 2010
Do not buy anything Speedball besides ink. Actually 90% of the stuff that art stores sell (including Blick) is garbage and a waste of money. Usually when art stores do happen to sell decent supplies, they are ordering the same stuff you could get and marking it up 100%. Art stores are just not a great place to buy printmaking supplies in general.
I'm sure there's probably a supply house near Chicago but I'm not aware of any, you might want to try Midwest Screen Supply or Victory Factory whom I've ordered from a lot and always had a good experience.
Suggestions:
-A decent screen. Get an aluminum frame that's been professionally stretched, and it will last her years. I see Victory Factory has 23x31 with 110 mesh for $23 which is a good deal. That's a pretty big size, and 110 is what she wants for t-shirts.
-"jiffy" clamps - useful for building your own presses (there are numerous vacuum table/shirt press/etc. plans floating around the internet)
-a scoop coater to fit the inside dimension of whatever size screens she's using. This will make a huge difference if she's trying to squeegee emulsion on now. Usually about $1-2 per inch.
-a good emulsion if she's using something awful (ie. Speedball or any two-part diazo emulsion which is what most art stores sell). I like Ulano QTX and it's about $35 for a quart. Exposes fast, holds good detail, and works with solvent or water based inks.
-blockout pens for filling in screen pinholes are always useful, usually <>
-ink, you can never have enough. Or extender base (which is sort of like unpigmented ink - it extends your ink and saves you a ton of money - a gallon is not that expensive)
posted by bradbane at 2:37 PM on July 3, 2010
I would suggest getting your friend some interesting ink colors. Use the excellent advice above on getting quality ink. When I was screenprinting in school, my biggest limitation was the generic colors the school had available, and would have bought my own if I weren't a broke college student.
posted by malapropist at 4:05 PM on July 3, 2010
posted by malapropist at 4:05 PM on July 3, 2010
Screenprinter here.
Don't get Speedball. Poor quality ingredients lead to frustration and wasted Tshirts. Quality ink is the difference between printing your resume on a dot matrix printer vs laser printer. Possible, but you'll notice the difference.
I would appreciate: a set of clamps, a scoop coater, extender base. These are all under $20. You can screenprint without them but it's much easier.
It's a thoughtful gesture, too. It's always great to be supported when starting a new art hobby/practice.
posted by sambiamb at 10:48 PM on July 3, 2010
Don't get Speedball. Poor quality ingredients lead to frustration and wasted Tshirts. Quality ink is the difference between printing your resume on a dot matrix printer vs laser printer. Possible, but you'll notice the difference.
I would appreciate: a set of clamps, a scoop coater, extender base. These are all under $20. You can screenprint without them but it's much easier.
It's a thoughtful gesture, too. It's always great to be supported when starting a new art hobby/practice.
posted by sambiamb at 10:48 PM on July 3, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Go to the Blick Artists Materials website and enter silkscreen, and all of their accoutrements will present themselves. You can order online or visit a local Blick outlet.
posted by effluvia at 2:01 PM on July 3, 2010