I am an amateur screen printer. I don't even own a professional set up (although...I do look through sites and sigh...and then quickly navigate away before my husband catches me) and I'm self taught. I DID, however, watch my more artsy friends self learn at the high school for the arts I attended...so I knew it was possible. If a sixteen year old could learn how, I'm sure I could take a stab at it.
So, I thought I had it all figured out. Churning out nice, clean images. But you know, there is always room for improvement. I wanted better product. Lasting product. So I decided to change inks and go with Jaquard Professional Ink. What it should be called is Jaquard professional sludgy tar. It's great when you get it on.....and a hint to all you out there - best to not do this over a weekend in the middle of a deadline on a ton of ordered shirts. If you decide to do so, make back ups for when the tarry substance sticks to itself...other shirts...you.....
Hey, but did I mention...when it's on it looks great???
In an effort to become a better screen printer I turned to the master. You tube. I tell ya, I'm sure you can learn to be a heart surgeon on that thing. So I watch. I study. I return to my screen printer with new ideas. I actually use the adhesive on my platten. I move my squeegee fast and at an 80 degree angle. I get crisp. I get succint. I get a shirt so stuck to the platten I cannot get it off with ink drying in my screen. According to "the experts" I have three minutes or I'm compromising the integrity of my next print. Sound a whole lot like heart surgery doesn't it?
So, I blow dry. I dry and dry trying to dry the screen so I can wrestle the shirt off the platten without remarking itself (again, why don't I do these things with shirts that haven't already been sold! Duh!!). I enlist my husband's support....aka listening to me swear. I get it dry enough that I can move it. I am tugging, I am pulling. I get the bottom of the shirt off the platten. I use my foot for leverage , placing it at the bottom of the platten. I heave, I get two more inches of shirt removed. I try to reposition my foot. I can't. I'm stuck. I get my other foot stuck trying to get my other foot free. Husband is incredibly useful, even though he is moving very slowly and my time is ticking away. Finally I get the shirt free. Only four more to go.
What have I learned? A. place shirt upside down on platten. B. NEVER use the adhesive made for this purpose. Use environmentally unfriendly spray kind that can be minutely applied until other option becomes clear.
The learning process in action. At least I can say I am fighting off Alzheimers right?
