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View Full Version : Making a mask for Silk Screening?



Adrian Canoso
08-08-2008, 10:01 PM
Hi everyone,
Wondering if anyone has figured out a good way to make a silkscreen mask for making screen prints on t-shirts using a laser engraver...

I've tried making stencils but the end result is sloppy looking: I cut out a stencil from thin cardboard and laid it on top of a t-shirt and spray-painted the shirt. Results were runny and with a big loss of detail.

Silkscreening would be the best way to go but I can't figure out a good way to etch a mask without melting the screen (or any other method), any advice would be great!

Attached is a sample design, there is a lot of detail I'd like to try to retain...

Coreldraw X3
Epilog Mini 24 45-watt
Patience

Joe Pelonio
08-08-2008, 10:47 PM
When we did a lot of screen printing I'd apply plotter cut vinyl to clear acetate, then we'd use that with photo emulsion to burn a screen. You might try doing the same with laserlights instead of the vinyl.

Rodne Gold
08-09-2008, 2:23 AM
Joes way is best , however you need exposure boxes etc to do it well and if you never done it before , you have a bit of a learning curve.
You can use sign vinyl and kiss cut it with the laser and apply it directly to the screen mesh , however its PVC and not good for the laser , but just kiss cutting it on the laser shouldnt make your machine dissapear in a cloud of acid.....
If you really worried , use a polyester based vinyl , kiss cut it , weed it , apply application tape to it , and apply it to the screen.
How many of these things are you doing?
Wouldnt it be better and a LOT easier to farm it out to someone that does screenprinting or even sublimation. There are a lot of ppl that have direct to T-shirt printers (we used to have one) and these are ideal for small runs...they print right onto the materal.
As an aside , screen printing is generally a recipe for making no priofit or losing money , we stopped cos we were competing with garage operators with no overheads , poor work and tech practice , but they were so darn cheap we decided to leave it to them and concentrate on stuff that made us money.

Mark Winlund
08-09-2008, 10:26 AM
Use stainless steel screen... widely available from screen printing suppliers. A low power laser won't touch it.

Mark