Screen Printing: A Package to Start

Posted by Chelsea Chafin - webmaster

Purchasing a startup package can be very intimidating, but we want to make it easier on you. You may have inherited screen printing equipment (or an excess of ink) or have always had the desire to start your own business and finally have the means to do so. Fortunately, the packages are designed to give you a sense of what screen printing requires before you upgrade your equipment to better suit your needs.

When it comes to machinery, Texsource offers two brands of startup packages: Genesis Equipment and Vastex Equipment. In regards to your first package, it helps understanding on where you are both skill-level and knowledge-level as to which would be best.  

If you are completely new to screen printing, the Genesis beginning startup packages are the way to go. They give you a sample of everything you may need. Take for instance Package 01 which includes: (1) Genesis 1 Color / 1 Station Manual Screen Printing Press, (1) Heat Gun, (1) 500 Watt Halogen Exposure Unit, (1) Wood Frame 20 x 24 110 mesh, (1) TexMist can adhesive, (1) pint of Easiway Easi-strip, (1) pint of Easiway 701 screen wash, (1) pint of 842 press wipe, (1) pint of Tex-Blue emulsion, (1) pint of White Dream ink, (1) pint of Black Dream ink, (1) pint of red #10 ink, (1) roll of 2" blockout tape, (1) scoop 15", (1) ink spreader, (1) quart of Chem 901 blockout liquid, (1) scrub pad handle, white scrub pad, and red scrub pad, (5) stir sticks, (5) white pellons 14 x 16, and (5) black pellons 14 x 16.

Genesis Package 01

Before you get intimidated by all the products available, please note that it’s a good thing. The package is designed to give you a little taste of everything so you can decide what products you like and see where you may want to improve. Anxious about how to use some (or all) of the supplies? Texsource offers free admission to one of our Screen Printing 101 Classes (NC, GA, IN) with purchase of a Genesis package to eliminate some of the stress associated with starting a new business.

Understanding these products becomes useful for future purchases as well because you are going to need to upgrade your equipment sooner with the less expensive the package is. This is mainly aimed at you, Heat Gun. Ask any of Texsource crew which piece should be upgraded first and they agree that you will need a more secure dryer. You may be able to get away with using a flash unit to dry, but if you’ve purchased the first Genesis package you will not have that option. A dryer allows you to work on more shirts without having to stop your creative process to hand-cure (possibly unevenly) each shirt.

The higher Genesis packages come with a decent flash unit, so when it comes to upgrading further you will want to choose between a new press and exposure unit based on what works best for you (both will arguably be needed at some point). You will learn how to decide this in any classes you take along with any and all trial-and-error.

Now, if you have inherited equipment and are pretty familiar with it, Vastex with its sturdier equipment may be the perfect fit for you. These packages do not come with any of the extras that a Genesis package does, but their focus is to grant you the best equipment possible to immediately produce out of your shop. They offer entry shop choices along with Tabletop if you have the skill but not the room for your business.

If you choose to go with a Vastex but would like more options in regards to inks or chemicals, please note that Texsource offers different packaging for screen cleaning chemicals and different brands/styles of inks.