How To Screen Print Tee Shirts: Sleeves & Ribbed Tank Tops

[ayoitsmeeeh]

Hey John, Honest question..How do you know exactly where to put each sleeve every time? Im a beginner and when i do shirts i have to measuer the shirt onto the platten which is fine but takes time. What is a fast way to make sure the shit will be in the same spot(hence same spot for design) EVERY time?

[CatspitProductions]

@ayoitsmeeeh I use the sleeve hem or end maybe if it’s a short sleeve. This kind of thing takes a little experience. You also have to know how forward to put the print as the seam on the shoulder sits toward the back when worn. Maybe I’ll have to do a video on this. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! ☠

[ayoitsmeeeh]

@CatspitProductions Yes please do a vid on this shirts and sleeve placement. Im a total noob. Thanks again.

[CatspitProductions]

@ayoitsmeeeh I’ll see what I can do, stay tuned…. . Thanks for the support! ☠

[CatspitProductions]

@SalArtkip That’s just the way it is as with any fashion product. Why do some jeans cost over $150 and some are $50? It’s all about branding. Look at other brands like Affliction or Ed Hardy or others that can sell screen printed shirts for $60 each or more. Marketing, fashion, branding. I think that’s it. Thanks for watching & commenting! ☠

[amguy1983]

it really isn't all that bad honestly. I work for a screen printer I am one of the artists and our guys and gals out back rock out with their Ipods on and print all day. we even have about 6 peeps who only print numbers on jerseys

[CatspitProductions]

@amguy1983 Some people don’t mind repetitive work but when you have a 5,000 piece blanket order and all you do is print the same job for days straight only to stock the shirts and deliver them as needed it can get boring. Especially if you have a very active mind, you start thinking about all sorts of things you shouldn’t after 5 or 6 hours each day. When it’s different jobs it’s not too bad. But it can get hot in the shop! Thanks for watching & commenting! ☠

[amguy1983]

@CatspitProductions we would run that job on our Automatic press.... I guess that is the benefit of being a larger print company. We don't really run anything over a hundred units on the manuals we have out back and there are like 6 of them and we are ready to purchase more.

[CatspitProductions]

@amguy1983 Yes, of course…LOL. I wouldn’t print 5,000 shirts manually. That would take more than a few days. Let me know when you need help purchasing equipment I can connect you with M&R or Ranar. Thanks for the support! ☠

[littlejoe79]

On the tank tops is your logo about four fingers from the edge of the neck line?

Because I did some tanks and when the girls had them on some looked higher than others.

[CatspitProductions]

@littlejoe79 I don’t remember exactly how far down they were in relation to the old finger measurement. But once you figure out your height, you can mark your pallet to keep them all at the same level. I never eyeball that. I always use a mark, makes it easier to move faster. Thanks for watching & commenting! ☠

[xinsanendabrainx]

@splitmuffin it might be hard work, but when you do 50 prints an hour at $5+ profit , its not so bad :)

[CatspitProductions]

@xinsanendabrainx LOL... very ture indeed!

[bramwellaj]

Hi,

Would i be able to transfer ink onto a ribbed tank top if i use the injet heat transfer method?

Thanks

[CatspitProductions]

@bramwellaj I wouldn’t recommend it. Standard inkjet heat transfer paper will work best on a tight knit surface like a tee shirt. The transfer will not be able to adhere to the troughs of the ribbing. You might be able to stretch it during pressing and use high pressure but I think the ribbing will affect the transfer quality a lot. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[splitmuffin]

wow this job sucks imagine 8 to 12 hours of that...screw that

[CatspitProductions]

@splitmuffin LOL, you are right. Sometimes manually screen printing large print runs can be very tedious and maybe boring. That’s when you would set it up on an automatic. But when you print a bunch of different jobs in one day, it is a lot more fun. It’s always nice to set up a cool print and make a fine tee shirt. Thanks for watching & commenting!

[Toche]

@CatspitProductions , I've printed 2x 10 hours this week ... non-stop ... and it's was very cool at every T-shirts :) I'm so proud when It's finished !

Thanks a lot for all your Videos Jon !

[CatspitProductions]

@Toche You are welcome. It is my pleasure to help out. That’s a lot of printing. It can be very gratifying as well as being very hard work. Keep it up and good luck! Thanks for watching & commenting!

[DelbertStinkfester]

I don't understand why you didn't print the tank top wet on wet......just wondering

[CatspitProductions]

@DelbertStinkfester - Good question. I did set it up to print wet but the metallic red glitter ink had a pretty wicked pick up factor on the black screen. Much of the glitter effect was lost from pick up. Also the ribbing of the shirt needed that extra ink coverage to look good as well. So between the loss in coverage and the loss of the effect of the ink due to pick up, I flash cured it. Thanks for watching & commenting!

[holtzman53]

Awesome vid. What type of ink is that on the sleeve print?

[CatspitProductions]

@holtzman53 - Thanks! The ink is a plastisol made by Lancer Group. Its called Excalibur. Thanks for watching & commenting!

[daniellacatton]

Great Video Jon.

The Best On YouTube.

From Daniella, - The UK Fan Club.

[CatspitProductions]

@daniellacatton - Thanks so much! I always appreciate your support!

[enforce007]

i allways wondered - what if you do some art things, like paint a canvase and screenprint/stencils it with multiple layers :-P

[CatspitProductions]

@enforce007 - You could totally do that. You can screen print onto a wide variety of already imprinted textiles. Be sure to check for ink compatibility. Thanks for watching & commenting!

[Bradini267]

This is a great video, I am looking forward to more like this.

Thanks for taking the time to make this.

[CatspitProductions]

@Bradini267 - You are welcome. There are already 3 more videos from this production run that I will upload soon. Including some sticker printing! I have to remember to turn off the auto focus in the future but I think these videos came out well. Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed this video. Stay tuned for more and thanks for watching!

[Dexduzdiz]

could you make a video about yourself and like a daily routine with your print screen, you know just a little background info would be cool :), thanks man!!

[CatspitProductions]

@Dexduzdiz - Ill see what I can do. My routine varies a lot. I wear many hats around the shop and in the office; keeping up with print production while doing YouTube and the website is challenging. Thanks for your support. Feel free to ask questions anytime!

[chrama1]

Could you comment a little on your technique here used on the dark sleeves?? I see the single flood, but when you are stroking, it looks like you are not giving it full pressure as normal. I am assuming when you are doing your stroke, you are taking a little more ink from the forward part of the screen each time.

[CatspitProductions]

@chrama1 - I am using a 110 mesh with a 65 durometer squeegee. The flood & stroking method here is soft with multiple passes. I am working the ink into the texture of the thermal shirt sleeve. Using a softer flood & stroke builds up nice coverage without blurring out the print. Then you can see I leave ink in the mesh and it gets pulled out onto the shirt as I lift the screen. This is how you get coverage without double hitting with a flash when possible. Thanks for watching & commenting!

[bramwellaj]

@CatspitProductions Nice video. What brand of flash dryer you recommend?

thanks.

[CatspitProductions]

@bramwellaj Thank you! I like the Ranar flash cure units because it is a good balance of functionality, quality and price. You can find them on the Equipment Sales page of the Catspit website. Thanks for watching and commenting!