Cut orange film with X-acto knife?

[kingflynn]

In high school I took a printing class in which we screened shirts. I remember starting with some transparent orange film and placing it over the image we wanted to screen. Then you'd take the xacto knife and trace the image, peeling back the orange part and leaving the clear layer. Then you'd put the film on the screen and moisten it from the other side to "bleed" it into the screen. Then squeegee the ink on, and then dry it under a lamp.

Ok! That was 10 years ago. Now I'd like to print a few shirts for my carpentry business. One color, just my business name. What is that orange film called? Also, can I just dry the shirts in the oven? Can you do it with a heat gun?

I think my shopping list is: orange film, screen, ink, squeegee, screen cleaner?

Am I close?

[DTGPrinting]

What you are looking for is Rubylith or Amberlith. The new way to do it is to print on transparency film or waterfast inkjet film. You can use a laser printer to print black or an inkjet to print on an inkjet receptive film. There are many films out there and many ways to get the image on the film. All of which are much faster than the old school method, (Rubylith).

I wouldn't cure it with a heat gun, you won't be able to get heat consistent over the entire image. You can place it in the oven and cure it, the temperature has to reach 320 degrees on the ink. One way to tell is when the shirt starts to smoke, then you have reached the temperature you need it too.

Good Luck.

[kingflynn]

Thanks for the info DTG!

[DTGPrinting]

No problem.

One other thing, I had a job in which I was printing 3'x5' nylon flags, 2 color. I don't have a laser printer that big, and I didn't want to piece film together. So I bought a roll of rubylith from my sign supplier and cut the image on my vinyl plotter then weeded away what I didn't need.

[X_Autotype_#1]

The product you are seeking is a water adhered hand cut stencil film. Amberlith, RubyLith, Automask, etc are all hand cut masking films used as positives or negatives in pre-press applications.

I'll bet the product you used in school was actually Autocut Amber, manfactured by Autotype. It is a hand cut, water adhered stencil film that is used for printing with solvent base inks. If you are printing with water base inks, you need a solvent adhering stencil film.

Ulano also makes a product called Ulanocut Amba and Ulanocut Green.

Good Luck

[DTGPrinting]

Wow, I don't know how I missed the last sentence of his first paragraph. Thanks for the correction, the product I was talking about would have made a great film positive but not a stencil for a screen!

[kingflynn]

Yeah, I just want to keep it as simple as possible. White ink on green shirts.
Good to know about getting the right ink to go with the type of Amberlith. Thanks.

[X_Autotype_#1]

OK, but you need to be clear in that amberlith is NOT the product you want to use. You want to use Autocut Amber (autotype) or Ulanocut Amber (Ulano) for solvent inks, or Solvent Green (autotype) or Sta-Sharp Green (Ulano) for water based inks. The "lith" products are masking films, and can only be used in stencil making for the photosensitive stencil products.

You can test these products before you buy. Call autotype 1-800-323-0632 or Ulano and request a sample of their products. If you use the water adhering product, obviously you need water to put the stencil on the mesh. The solvent adhering products require a solvent based "adhering fluid" or "mounting fluid" to attach the stencil to the mesh. You might be able to get a small sample of the solvent fluid as well, but they may not provide it in sample format, due to the hazardous shipping classification. If that's the case, ask them which generic solvent they would recommend to adhere the stencil to the mesh (MEK, acetone, etc.), and get it locally. If the solvent is too "hot', it may burn the stencil.

Good Luck

[jklaflin]

OK, so here's something else to consider from your shopping list...

Buying items one at a time from an online dealer, and these are prices of the top of my head...

Price for screen: $15-$20
Squeege (10 inch): $12
White Ink: $15-$20 per quart (higher opacity ink is needed for a darker shirt and cost more)
Cleaner: $5 for a small bottle

Total (not counting "orange film" or time spent cutting)
$47-57
Then add in the cost of the shirts.

My advice is that is you only need 10 shirts, find a local printer to do it for $100 or less.

[kingflynn]

OK, so here's something else to consider from your shopping list...

Buying items one at a time from an online dealer, and these are prices of the top of my head...

Price for screen: $15-$20
Squeege (10 inch): $12
White Ink: $15-$20 per quart (higher opacity ink is needed for a darker shirt and cost more)
Cleaner: $5 for a small bottle

Total (not counting "orange film" or time spent cutting)
$47-57
Then add in the cost of the shirts.

My advice is that is you only need 10 shirts, find a local printer to do it for $100 or less.

I considered that, but I want to be able to make new shirts whenever I need them. Long sleeves and sweatshirts in winter and tees for summer. In my line of work, shirts dirty quickly. Plus as a do-everything-yourselfer, I want to be able to say I made my own shirts.

Could you recommend an online dealer?

[jklaflin]

I have been very happy with www.silkscreeningsupplies.com
And I remembered... they have something you might be interested in. If you send them your art they will make a screen for you. They charge $40 for the screen set-up, plus the cost of the screen (about $20).
So, for $60 you could have the screen done and save yourself time and effort of doing it yourself. The $$ might be more than doing it yourself, but definitely worth it. And, if you make sure to clean it well and get all the ink off after printing, it will last for as long as you will need it.
Then, you would just need ink, squeegee, and screen/ink cleaner -- and a heat source to cure, but you can use your oven.
They sell all of the items you would need. They carry a special "Ryonet White" ink made by International Coatings that works very well on both dark and light colors. I think it on sale for $12 or so a quart.
I would recommend calling them as they are very helpful.
Here's the link that tells about having the screen made http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/si ... oduct/4010

Also, I am not affiliated with them in any way just so everyone knows. I'm just passing on info that is hopefully helpful.

[kingflynn]

Nice. I think I might have them make the screen. Sounds like a good tradeoff for me. I can still say I made my own shirts, and not have to fuss with cutting out a bunch of little letters. Will probably do that.

[Majordog]

and after you cook your shirts in the oven you will always know you did it yourself, because your next cooked meal(s) w/have a nice plastisol ink taste and smell. oh yummy..whats for din din? ..oh not ink again!
go find a printer..he might even have some carpentry work for you where you can actually make money!

[kingflynn]

and after you cook your shirts in the oven you will always know you did it yourself, because your next cooked meal(s) w/have a nice plastisol ink taste and smell. oh yummy..whats for din din? ..oh not ink again!
go find a printer..he might even have some carpentry work for you where you can actually make money!

Ever fixed your own car? Change your oil? Put a deck on your house? Fix a leaky sink? Do your own landscaping? If not, then you wouldn't understand. If so, then you realize there is satisfaction you get beyond the money you save. It's an accomplishment, however big or small.

[DTGPrinting]

and after you cook your shirts in the oven you will always know you did it yourself, because your next cooked meal(s) w/have a nice plastisol ink taste and smell. oh yummy..whats for din din? ..oh not ink again!
go find a printer..he might even have some carpentry work for you where you can actually make money!

That's kind of rude, don't you think? Do you want to be helpful or not? I have a very good friend who printed shirts by placing a shirt on his pool table and the screen on top of that. He printed and baked them in his oven. That was over 10 years ago and today he owns all the screen printing equipment he needs.

You have to start somewhere and that was where he started.

I've always been the type of person that if I can't be helpful then I keep my mouth shut. With comments like this, it only makes you look like anything you say has no value.

[Conan]

Anyone has quick tips on how to make a drag knife to cut vinyl for signmaking? I intend to use hobby knife (pen-like) mounted through normal bearings and slightly spring loaded. Must the knife tip be in exact center of rotation?

Any special software required to ensure proper cut direction?

[mfmapwad]

Anyone has quick tips on how to make a drag knife to cut vinyl for signmaking? I intend to use hobby knife (pen-like) mounted through normal bearings and slightly spring loaded. Must the knife tip be in exact center of rotation?

Any special software required to ensure proper cut direction?

Yeah I too would like to know about doing this?