The Ink Kitchen is an online resource of real-world screen printing knowledge packaged into posts, interviews, videos and more. This is concise, candid, no-nonsense information share by textile decorators for textile decorators. What's more, the Ink Kitchen does not exist solely in the digital realm. We exhibit at major industry shows and are available for consulting and seminars. When we say "give a shout", we mean it. We're here for you and we want to hear from you. Rick and Pam
I think this is great info. I want people to know that I put down HUNDREDS and maybe thousands of transfers with a 15x15 fancierstudio press from Amazon for $189. I did exactly like they said and ordered a couple hundred 15 cent transfers and some multicolor transfers from FM and used a bunch of old shirts to dial it in. 15 cent transfers are dope for field trip prints but vintage is great for longer lasting prints. Don't get me wrong, that fancierstudio feels like a toy but it is way better than a cricut easy press. I also had to stop every now and then to let the press catch up. I now use a hpn signature series pro 16x20 but my fancier studio still works great. Dye migration is a pita. I like Gildan dry blend but sometimes one shirt migrates and another does not. One color shirt will migrate and another will not. Bella canvas has worked really well but Gildan blends are inconsistent. I try to stay with 100% cotton but I don't know how I am going to move forward with jerseys. Good luck in your endeavors.
Great comment on the trend to natural heavy higher quality clothes. I believe the incorporation of that and tighter fits could be the new variation of tomorrow's garments. The $100+ hoodie that LAA sells may be pricey but the fit is comparable/better to luxury houses at a fraction of the price.
There is definitely a place for Fairweather Johnson in this industry. not sure how much market share regenerative garments will have, but the more the better.
Truth! Some heads make a product in 2 hours and sell it for $40 yet spent $10 on materials. They end up making less than minimum wage and are totally ok with it ... Until they wake up.
The best idea is to consult with your emulsion company's recommendations. However, a rough guide is use a high quality scoop coater and using the round (not the sharp!) edge, apply one or two coats to the substrate side of the screen, followed by one or two coats on the squeegee side.
Most issues with ink curing can be identified with an immediate wash test after printing. However, maximum cure for plastisol allegedly takes 24 to 48 hours. If you use a catalysed plastisol ink, full cure takes up to four days.
i guess the heat press method at 320F is best to make sure it is fully cured without doing a wash test. i would just flash dry it and place it on the heat press to cure and a lot of customers like the smooth feeling vs just conveyor drying imo. they sell dual pneumatic heat presses that allow you to just move the top heat platen from left to right and it automatically presses down which is cool af! i think this is a perfect addition for someone printing at home with only a 120v option since most of the good conveyor dryers are all 240v and way longer than 5ft.
I really enjoyed this Shop Talk. The guest all offer different perspectives. I was especially impressed with LaTonna Roberson. She really has opened up doors & educated women on how to walk through those doors. It's so great to see a panel of all women!!! #Ladyprintboss
This was so good. It's horrifying the discrimination that women in business face on the day to day. The men wanting the women to symbolically bow to the man, want to speak to another man because they assume women don't know technical aspects of the job, and that all too true story of a man repackaging the same thing a woman did, and being called a genius when she was originally brushed off. Also that guy asked a good question about lack of plus sized options for women. I feel like 90% of the time the women sizes only come in traditionally small sizes, and then they assume larger women then will purchase men's sizes if they dont fit the women's ones. So they dont need to stock a women's XXXL if they could just buy the men's XL. So many strong and powerful women in this panel, and I think a lot of them have spoken previously for Ink Kitchen. They really know their stuff 37:37 edit: Where is Rick? oh there he is *mic drop*
Excellent Job Pam! Thanks so much! I really enjoyed this event and hope this motivates more women in the industry to Boss Up! #ladyprintboss #bossmeup #bossteam
So much valuable knowledge in this interview. Shout out to Dov! Full of energy and ambition, no filter, no attempts to save emotions, just a straight discussion about business
Thanks for sharing your experience in this video. I’ve been thinking about how to incorporate AI generated art for T-shirts. My thought was to use ai for ideas and perhaps composition. I like what you’ve presented here though my use of software is much less sophisticated what you are doing. Looking forward to the rest of the series!
"Fantastic episode! I'm particularly intrigued by the diverse applications of AI you've showcased, especially in fields like fashion, business automation, and creative arts. The integration of AI in everyday tasks like mushroom harvesting is fascinating. 'Krita' sounds like an exciting platform for artists. The free AI-built apparel embellishment calculator seems particularly useful. Your exploration of these topics provides valuable insights into how AI is reshaping our world. Looking forward to more such informative content!"
