Stencil Revolution Welcome Message

[StickerTraders]

So everyone has been asking me how I was able to make my shirts over the last few months. I’ve been holding back because I wanted to let everyone know in my special way. I wanted to produce these video tutorials to show everyone how easy it was to make these. Plus the fact I do not use a traditional silk screen method. You don't need all them chemical stuff or all that heavy equipment. I use this new product called: PhotoEZ.

http://www.ezscreenprint.com/

Over the next few days I will be posting all the videos and do a step by step write up. For now I will post the videos I have made so far. Parts 2 and 3, I want to have a complete series of 4 parts. So please stay tuned for that.

I want to thank Mr.Prvrt for the image used for this video and also Shirley from PhotoEZ for this great product.

If anyone has any questions please post them here.

Thank You. ST

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Part 1: How to create the Negitive
Part 2: Creating the Screen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIpDiVpU2YQ
High Res: (37MB)
http://us.share.geocities.com/maddstickers..._audioIMA41.mov
Part 3: Printing with your Screen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DkJyzEONUk
High Res: (27MB)
http://us.share.geocities.com/maddstickers...31_audIMA41.mov
Part 4: Clean Up & Storage



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Step By Step:

Part 1

Part 2 (How to create the screen)

1. Place your plexi-glass down on the surface. Make sure you don’t scratch the glass. Its really easy to scratch, so make sure you have something to protect it below.

2. Take your negatives and place them "Face Up". This is important if you put them upside down your image will be "Backwards" and you don't want to watch you photoez paper. If you have letters or words you should be able to read them.

3. Peel the protective plastic off of the photoez paper. This will uncover the glossy part of the paper.

4. Place the Photoez paper "Glossy Side Down" over the image. Make sure you are leaving a 1/4" to 1/2" bleed. This will be important later when you use the fabric paint.

5. Place the matte board down. Black felt facing down.

6. Clip the clips to the board. Your will sandwich the Plexiglas, negative, photo paper and matte board together. Make sure this "Sandwich" is very tight. This will make you image very sharp and come out the very best it can

7. Place you "Sandwich" over other piece of board or whatever. This will make sure your paper does not get exposed to the sun before you want it to.

8. Take you "Sandwich" outside. Make sure you have "Direct" sunlight. Take off the cover!

9. Take off the cover, "Expose" the image to the sun for "55-60" seconds. Make sure there is no clouds outside, only "Direct" sunlight.


[due to image per post limit, part 2 is continued in next post]

[pearce77]

very detailed. will check this out. How much money to get started would you estimate?

[biroe]

nice one!

moving this to tuorials

[StickerTraders]

PART 2 continued....

10. Cover "immediately" after the 60 seconds and bring inside. Take off the clips.

11. Take the photoEZ paper.

12. Place photoEZ paper in the water.

13. Let it sit in the water for 15-20 Minutes.

14. Almost instantly you will see a "Ghost Image" of your design.

15. Take it out of the water. Place it on the plastic screen.

16. Put it under cold running water. Take a brush and brush off the light green residue. Do this to you remove ALL of the residue. Make sure you check it in the light, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

17. Take another look to make sure you brushed well. Be careful not to over brush, you might brush away small details.

18. Take photoEZ back outside to "Re-Expose" the paper for 15 minutes. Make sure this is glossy side up.

19. Wait till the paper is dry. Take it inside or the paper will curl.

20. Cut when its dry like paper. Now you have two screens.


[part 3 is continued in next post]

[TREM]

So, no stencil-cutting required? The exposure to sunlight eats away at certain areas?

This seems to be the easiest printing guide I've seen yet, however the PhotoEZ sheets seem a bit costly.

[StickerTraders]

Part 3: Printing with your Screen

1. Materials: Shirt. Cardboard Shirt Holder. Squeegee. Paint. Tape.

2. Once you put the shirt in the cardboard holder. Iron your shirt where you are going to place the image. This will make a flat area to work with. Most brand new shirts come with a center line, if you want you could not iron that part so you have a line to work with so your image is not off center.

3. Place your base color screen down. Tape it on the side so you could lift it easy when you finished covering it with paint.

4. Put some paint on the plastic squeegee. You don't need a whole lot just enough. You could always put some more paint on.

5. Start applying the paint. Make sure you DO NOT get paint on the shirt. You will need nerves of steel. Put a good thin coat on, hold the squeegee at an angle when you are Applying the paint. Lift the screen to make sure you have applied the whole image. I usually need to go over it a few times before its perfect.

6. Remove the tape and the screen. Make sure you DO NOT get paint on the shirt from your fingers.

7. Let dry. It could take from an hour to 3 hours to dry. The warmer the better. You could fast dry with a blow drier but be careful not to burn your shirt.

8. Place you screen in water as soon as possible. You DO NOT want paint to dry in your screen. I usually make one screen print then put it in water. I have made up to 6 prints before I put it in water but that was pushing it.

9. Line up your second color screen with the bottom base color. Since we are using white you could easily spot it through the screen which makes it easy to line up.

10. Tape it down. Take you paint and apply a thin layer, lift the screen to make sure you didn't get any dead spots. If you did; just lay the screen back down and make another pass where the dead spot was.

11. Lift and remove tape and screen. Make sure not to get paint on the shirt. Put screen in water.

12. Close up on the 2 color shirt we just made.

13. Let dry. Once dry you could iron the image to "Cure" the image to the shirt so you could wash it without the paint washing out. Make sure you don't wash the shirt for one week. More info on Curing in Part 4.

So, no stencil-cutting required? The exposure to sunlight eats away at certain areas?

This seems to be the easiest printing guide I've seen yet, however the PhotoEZ sheets seem a bit costly.

The photo paper is a silk mesh screen with a light sensitive coating that melts away. They might seem pricey but the time and less mess you deal with makes up for it.

[TREM]

I see, that makes a lot more sense. I was about to ask about islands, but since it's mesh that should be no problem.

[form]

noice, havent seen that stuff before. been keen to do some more screening but i'm so over burning the images into the screen.

i fail to understand why you didn't do a invert of the detail so that you only need to print one white screen instead of black detail on white base. that way it's quicker, cleaner and far more efficient imo.

[StickerTraders]

noice, havent seen that stuff before. been keen to do some more screening but i'm so over burning the images into the screen.

i fail to understand why you didn't do a invert of the detail so that you only need to print one white screen instead of black detail on white base. that way it's quicker, cleaner and far more efficient imo.

I did it two color so I could put it on other color mediums not just black:

[lneogeol]

nice tutorial, thanks for the effort.
never saw this stuff in europe, but will look for it..

[StickerTraders]

If anyone has any questions also check out this:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/photoez/

Lots of people that use this stuff for all kinds of purposes.

[varelse]

Those EZ papers use the same photo-emulsion that is used to burn images into silk screens. In fact, you are not avoiding any chemicals, and you would save a lot of money to buy your own photo-emulsion to burn screens. That's what makes burning screens so easy. You just print your picture and burn it...not stenciling required. I like to cut stencils, but for really busy designs I will burn a screen.

[deadcat]

Those EZ papers use the same photo-emulsion that is used to burn images into silk screens. In fact, you are not avoiding any chemicals, and you would save a lot of money to buy your own photo-emulsion to burn screens. That's what makes burning screens so easy. You just print your picture and burn it...not stenciling required. I like to cut stencils, but for really busy designs I will burn a screen.

Can you elaborate on this for me? Im clueless when it comes to screenprinting and i'm getting tired of cutting stencils for T's so need to find a new way.....

[Cabe]

I'm definatly buying some.

Soon... :twisted:

[TREM]

I was just looking through office-depot today for inkjet transparencies, and looking back on this it doesn't seem so pricey anymore.

With inkjet transparencies going for about $30-40 for a box of 40-50 sheets.. this actually seems worth the money

[deeno]

Truly fucking amazing. Thank you so much!


Great job and thanks again.


EDIT: One question though, I don't exactly understand how its material (mesh) could prevent the "island problem"

[sgt.pepper]

also check out my tutorial on screen printing, it's in advice and tips

[spraystencil]

So, shouldn't this paper just be silkscreen and photosensitive paper sandwiched together? If so, couldn't you just buy the two seperate and then make stencils at whatever size you want instead of their size of papers?

The thing I'm wondering about is what kind of adhesive they use to get the paper to stick to the screen without clogging the screen pores. Maybe something like spray tack would work...

[ilikewomen]

do i need to print out transperencies to do this?

[cine]

I've actually just started using these. Make sure you never leave them on the glossy side down..I just ruined 30.00 worth of shit doing that


So far, I have been having a problem with alot of paints and inks I have been trying to use. Nothing really comes out sharp and clean with the paint. I'm not sure if this is cause since the photoez/stencilpro isnt on a screen if its not tight enough or what.

[-Ares-]

Sounds Interesting. Ill give it a try in the near future.

[Haggariah]

Really good tut. i might try this.

[ajo]

Im in the UK and interested in this product.

Can anyone tell me, do I have to clean the screen before placing it on a new t-shirt, or can I go from one to the next with no mess?

Also, what does the finished product feel like, is the ink thick/heavy etc?

Finally is the a way to print in a faded style with this, how detailed can you be?

Thanks

ajo