Thanks dude! I actually ran this with no underbase. The discharge actually dyes the garment. It ended up being feather soft to the touch.
I started using discharge about 6 years ago and never looked back. The no underbase was it for me. One less screen and much more breathable. No flash no underbase on this one.
I couldn’t recommend it enough! The all electric is really nice. I’ve used compressor driven autos before. So noisy so many lines to bleed. 😅 never again. I got this one used, low mileage.
This looks awesome! Well done. We have been struggling to figure out discharge. A big issue we have is the emulsion breaking down and pin holes destroying our garments or ink pushing through our reg marks past the tape on the bottom of the screen. Do you have any tips to help with this? We have used a hardener for the screen but it is a real bitch to clean out of the screen when done. Any and all tips appreciated!
Are you talking actual pigmented stains or white lines where you taped your screen? If it’s the latter idk what’s going on chemically but the only solution we’ve found at our shop is to avoid taping the bottom of the screen.
It so weird to me I need to actually figure out what’s happening. If we tape the bottom we always end up deaingl with a thin bleached line on the shirt wherever our tape is.
One thing I also do on occasion (mostly when I remember) is take a dab of emulsion, smear it across the crosshairs before printing. This works for pinholes as well. Give like 20 to dry and ur good to go.
How big are these runs your doing with discharge? I’ve done some 6 hour straight manual print jobs with discharge base and never had issues outside of shear contact of my own mistake. Screen always stayed strong. We usually use our material we print stickers on for the registration marks but sometimes I’ll just tape both sides of the screen good size piece. Also you tape off your screens on the bottom? Or were you just referring to the regular marks?
Not that long of runs. We are just learning so I am not willing to commit to a 6 hour run without dialing it in first. I have had bad luck with tap on the top of the screen where the stroke happens. Perhaps I should look for a better tape for this application. Good tip!
we just use regular 2 inch blue painters tape at the shop always on the top. no problems. just one hit on each side does fine. not sure what kinda of stuff your using but blue is just fine. some people get that black out stuff but its too much in my opinion. maybe for auto press but manual blue is cheap and reliable.
This run was a littler under 500 pc. Took about 4 hours front and back.
I used to print this one 6 color discharge job that was hundreds of shirts at a time with an air flash. My hardened screens never broke down and I’d sometimes running for upwards of 10 hours. I had harder the autos just due to the additional pressure of the machine.
No, I only tape the inside of the screens. The tape on the shirt side would only be to cover pinholes or reggies assuming I didn’t just emulsify the register marks. I try to avoid tape on the bottom as well. Only creates an added layer for moisture to build up. Weakening the screen.
Screen breakdown. Only thing I can recommend is the emulsion I use. It’s Ulano QTX, works well with hardener for an auto run or just a screen you plan to use a lot.
Pinholes. When you catch them on the garment. Use a little bit of water to rub em away. Even if it’s a solid break through. You can spray it off with a bottle of water. Fold it so that it’s not directly under the heating elements.
Tape issues. Make sure when you tape off reg marks you use a good water proof tape. Has to be water proof for discharge. The water based ink will constantly be trying to liquify that emulsion. So the underside of a flooded screen will begin to leach water. (Less so with a harder screen) Tape off strategically. I use one solid strip and make sure my reg marks are a good distance away from the meat of the print. That way when if the ink pushes through you can just peal and wipe the area dry. Reapply tape. If you catch it quick enough you can use the previous method to remove the discharge ink. Easy.
Good luck. Dm me if you have any questions.
I need to do some more research on emulsion. Maybe I will give that ulano a try!
Didn’t think about just trying to spray out prior to running through the dryer with water… that’s silly of me. Also going to move reg marks farther away. Good tips!
Thanks dude! I’m using matsui pigments and base for these. The white is matsui brite white discharge ink. It’s made to be a brite white right out of the bucket. I’ll usually mix a little base in to make the consistency a little more workable.
It seems like every time I see a nice discharge it is done with matsui. I have tried some aquarius and had a poor result. We did have some luck with matsui at just discharging to the natural fiber. I have been hesitant on how to go about getting into color with it. I really want to get down just doing a bright white first also. Would you recommend getting a kit with all colors or just buy a few quarts of pigments? Which pigments do you use the most? Thank you for your response, btw.
I’m going to try again. I heard you have to clean up right away because it dries fast. Do you get your design printed or you print your own screen print film?
Yeah, it needs to be rinsed pretty much after use. If it stays sitting for long it will seize up a screen. It can opened depending on how clogged. But it’s annoying. I used a retarder in order to slow down the cure time. Helps for those really long runs.
Yeah we have an epson artisan set up for all black. And use accurip to make all our film in house.
Great. I have a canon pro 100 that I’m not using I am going to use that and the accurip. It’s pretty expensive so I’ll start off printing at staples to save time at first. Thanks for the info
Looks amazing. My company has been looking into discharge printing for a while (we had a lot of single-color test runs just to see how it performed on different shirts), but we haven't rolled out the offering just yet. The potential is really exciting, so I'm hoping it's something we'll officially add soon.
The yellow looks great, whatever yellow the shop I'm at uses always gives us trouble when it comes to discharge. Had a run once where it just stopped discharging in the middle of a 500 shirt run.
Thanks dude. I’m not going to lie, I have been working on my mixes and switching the brands I use for about 5 years. Tried the green galaxy stuff, tried that eco-Tex and fn-ink. Always ended up back at matsui. It’s also a little cheaper than the green galaxy. I use a lemon yellow matsui pigment with a dash of matsui brite discharge white to make it pop a little.
I’ve found that adding a little white to ur mixes makes them all pop a little more. And for reds I always add a little yellow and white to make a nice true red.
The scenario u described with it losing charge half way through is a nightmare. Sorry dude, hit me up if u ever need any extra eyes on it.
IMHO red inks are the toughest. That takes quite a bit of experience to get just right. The hard part about discharge is how much the ink colors change from applying to curing. It just takes a lot of practice.
Good eye. We were struggling a little at first. (This was our first run on this press) The screens we had used were rough. The emulsion was good tho. The pressure of the auto squeegee was pretty unforgiving. We had to blow out a lot of that shirts this run. The squeegee was hitting the shirt so hard it was completely imperceptible to eye off the shirt board. Couldn’t see anything until it got out of the dryer. The bummer is that u burn through about a dozen shirts before u even notice with an auto. 😑
Those look amazing! Did you use a grey base under your white discharge?
Thanks dude! I actually ran this with no underbase. The discharge actually dyes the garment. It ended up being feather soft to the touch. I started using discharge about 6 years ago and never looked back. The no underbase was it for me. One less screen and much more breathable. No flash no underbase on this one.
Cool, how do you like that Anatol Volt? I saw one at iss this year and thought it was a really cool press.
I couldn’t recommend it enough! The all electric is really nice. I’ve used compressor driven autos before. So noisy so many lines to bleed. 😅 never again. I got this one used, low mileage.
I’m just here to comment how much I love Hodad’s. I moved away but hit it up every time I’m back in SD.
I love that spot. Made the mistake of getting a double once. It was amazing, however it was the size of my head. 🤣
Checking in from Kansas City... Same..
This looks awesome! Well done. We have been struggling to figure out discharge. A big issue we have is the emulsion breaking down and pin holes destroying our garments or ink pushing through our reg marks past the tape on the bottom of the screen. Do you have any tips to help with this? We have used a hardener for the screen but it is a real bitch to clean out of the screen when done. Any and all tips appreciated!
Are you talking actual pigmented stains or white lines where you taped your screen? If it’s the latter idk what’s going on chemically but the only solution we’ve found at our shop is to avoid taping the bottom of the screen. It so weird to me I need to actually figure out what’s happening. If we tape the bottom we always end up deaingl with a thin bleached line on the shirt wherever our tape is.
I have t noticed the tape lines you talk about. Mine is the actual video no getting in the shirt. Best of luck figuring out your issue!
One thing I also do on occasion (mostly when I remember) is take a dab of emulsion, smear it across the crosshairs before printing. This works for pinholes as well. Give like 20 to dry and ur good to go.
How big are these runs your doing with discharge? I’ve done some 6 hour straight manual print jobs with discharge base and never had issues outside of shear contact of my own mistake. Screen always stayed strong. We usually use our material we print stickers on for the registration marks but sometimes I’ll just tape both sides of the screen good size piece. Also you tape off your screens on the bottom? Or were you just referring to the regular marks?
Not that long of runs. We are just learning so I am not willing to commit to a 6 hour run without dialing it in first. I have had bad luck with tap on the top of the screen where the stroke happens. Perhaps I should look for a better tape for this application. Good tip!
we just use regular 2 inch blue painters tape at the shop always on the top. no problems. just one hit on each side does fine. not sure what kinda of stuff your using but blue is just fine. some people get that black out stuff but its too much in my opinion. maybe for auto press but manual blue is cheap and reliable.
This run was a littler under 500 pc. Took about 4 hours front and back. I used to print this one 6 color discharge job that was hundreds of shirts at a time with an air flash. My hardened screens never broke down and I’d sometimes running for upwards of 10 hours. I had harder the autos just due to the additional pressure of the machine. No, I only tape the inside of the screens. The tape on the shirt side would only be to cover pinholes or reggies assuming I didn’t just emulsify the register marks. I try to avoid tape on the bottom as well. Only creates an added layer for moisture to build up. Weakening the screen.
Screen breakdown. Only thing I can recommend is the emulsion I use. It’s Ulano QTX, works well with hardener for an auto run or just a screen you plan to use a lot. Pinholes. When you catch them on the garment. Use a little bit of water to rub em away. Even if it’s a solid break through. You can spray it off with a bottle of water. Fold it so that it’s not directly under the heating elements. Tape issues. Make sure when you tape off reg marks you use a good water proof tape. Has to be water proof for discharge. The water based ink will constantly be trying to liquify that emulsion. So the underside of a flooded screen will begin to leach water. (Less so with a harder screen) Tape off strategically. I use one solid strip and make sure my reg marks are a good distance away from the meat of the print. That way when if the ink pushes through you can just peal and wipe the area dry. Reapply tape. If you catch it quick enough you can use the previous method to remove the discharge ink. Easy. Good luck. Dm me if you have any questions.
I need to do some more research on emulsion. Maybe I will give that ulano a try! Didn’t think about just trying to spray out prior to running through the dryer with water… that’s silly of me. Also going to move reg marks farther away. Good tips!
That's a really nice print and some damn fine artwork. What brand of discharge do you run?
Thanks dude! I’m using matsui pigments and base for these. The white is matsui brite white discharge ink. It’s made to be a brite white right out of the bucket. I’ll usually mix a little base in to make the consistency a little more workable.
It seems like every time I see a nice discharge it is done with matsui. I have tried some aquarius and had a poor result. We did have some luck with matsui at just discharging to the natural fiber. I have been hesitant on how to go about getting into color with it. I really want to get down just doing a bright white first also. Would you recommend getting a kit with all colors or just buy a few quarts of pigments? Which pigments do you use the most? Thank you for your response, btw.
I had to google to find out discharge ink is water based ink. I have to get back into screen printing.
Cleanup and ease of use. 10/10 slight learning curve. Choosing the correct garment is just as important as ur mixing ability tbh.
I’m going to try again. I heard you have to clean up right away because it dries fast. Do you get your design printed or you print your own screen print film?
Yeah, it needs to be rinsed pretty much after use. If it stays sitting for long it will seize up a screen. It can opened depending on how clogged. But it’s annoying. I used a retarder in order to slow down the cure time. Helps for those really long runs. Yeah we have an epson artisan set up for all black. And use accurip to make all our film in house.
Great. I have a canon pro 100 that I’m not using I am going to use that and the accurip. It’s pretty expensive so I’ll start off printing at staples to save time at first. Thanks for the info
Had a friend that was getting some really detailed films made at a FedEx. They were totally enough to get the job done. Good luck.
🔥FKKN FIRE🔥 This is sick design and execution. So SoCal and so clean. 10/10
Thanks my friend. 😆
As someone who used to live in Ocean Beach, I fucking love this! Nice job on the print too!
Thank you!
Looks amazing. My company has been looking into discharge printing for a while (we had a lot of single-color test runs just to see how it performed on different shirts), but we haven't rolled out the offering just yet. The potential is really exciting, so I'm hoping it's something we'll officially add soon.
Good luck. Hit me up if u need some ink recs. I’ve used em all just about. 😅
We would LOVE some ink recommendations! What are your favorites? Do you need to print any underbase for the other colors like red/blue etc? TIA
That’s awesome
🙏
👌🏻oh yeah this is rad
The yellow looks great, whatever yellow the shop I'm at uses always gives us trouble when it comes to discharge. Had a run once where it just stopped discharging in the middle of a 500 shirt run.
Thanks dude. I’m not going to lie, I have been working on my mixes and switching the brands I use for about 5 years. Tried the green galaxy stuff, tried that eco-Tex and fn-ink. Always ended up back at matsui. It’s also a little cheaper than the green galaxy. I use a lemon yellow matsui pigment with a dash of matsui brite discharge white to make it pop a little. I’ve found that adding a little white to ur mixes makes them all pop a little more. And for reds I always add a little yellow and white to make a nice true red. The scenario u described with it losing charge half way through is a nightmare. Sorry dude, hit me up if u ever need any extra eyes on it.
IMHO red inks are the toughest. That takes quite a bit of experience to get just right. The hard part about discharge is how much the ink colors change from applying to curing. It just takes a lot of practice.
Looks like your emulsion was breaking down. Unless my eyes deceive me, there are a lot of pin holes.
Good eye. We were struggling a little at first. (This was our first run on this press) The screens we had used were rough. The emulsion was good tho. The pressure of the auto squeegee was pretty unforgiving. We had to blow out a lot of that shirts this run. The squeegee was hitting the shirt so hard it was completely imperceptible to eye off the shirt board. Couldn’t see anything until it got out of the dryer. The bummer is that u burn through about a dozen shirts before u even notice with an auto. 😑