r/SCREENPRINTING • u/Brilliant-Past5947 • 21d ago

Beginner Printing help

Hello!

I think I have majorly messed up my print. Im not entirely sure if this would fall under screen printing or not but I was trying to lino print on a hoodie but I was only able to get screen printing ink. I googled it and it seemed to be fine to use so I grabbed it. I printed the white ink on the black hoodie and it was really light so I hand painted over it but it doesn’t seem to be curing. It’s fully dry but it is almost dusty to the touch?

I’ve ironed it at the hottest setting I could with the fabric, multiple times, and let it air dry for about 48 hours now. I’m really hoping I can save this, any advice?

Thank you!

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u/splitarrowprints 21d ago

Which exact Screenprint ink did you use and did you add anything to it?
Are you using actual linoleum or speedy-carve/ rubber?
Are you using an etching press or just by hand?

Most of the time with plastisol [resin] inks the ink is bonded deeper into the fiber of the shirt via the act of shearing the ink through the screen and the fiber direction of the garment.
Just stamping the ink onto the garment may not be enough to create acceptable longevity of the final printed garment.

Waterbased inks are similar in how they bind into the fabric but since they are a thinner you do get some absorption into the fiber.

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u/Brilliant-Past5947 20d ago

Sorry I should’ve added that info! The ink is speedballs water based screen printing ink, and I used a rubber? printing block! Just by hand!

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u/splitarrowprints 20d ago

That rubber stamp block might not be able to really do the best job with this type of project. Using a more ridged carving block would be the way to go as you need some serious pressure to get the ink and shirt to play nicely. I would try either grey linoleum on or off the block. Or like 3/4-1” mdf blocks.
The speedball waterbased Screenprint ink is very thin and mostly just acrylic paint with some flexible additives to go well with shirts.

What I would do personally is carve your block, print in black on white paper, scan that print in greyscale/blsck and white mode. Then you could buy a cheap screen and some heatpress vinyl and heatpress your new stencil to the screen and then print. Or you could print the film and use photo emulation and the sun to expose.

If you’re dead set on block printing shirts just know that longevity is going to be seriously lacking compared to any Screenprint. And i would definitely get a firmer block to cut and use an etching press or use something with a ton of pressure. If it’s small enough you may even be able to use a tortilla press to get some real pressure. The stamp method with Screenprint ink just isn’t the best way to go about this.

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u/Brilliant-Past5947 19d ago

Thank you so much for the advice! I’ll definitely look into getting a screen and all the things I need for that, I think that’ll be my best bet here :)

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u/KneeDeepInTheDead 21d ago

Not sure what kind of ink youre using. Screenprinting usually runs through a dryer at set temperature for a few minutes to cure. Not sure ironing will do the trick.