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| Posted on 11/20/07 at 04:09 AM | |
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This is the only thing I find odd about the entire Vastex range. I get asked now and then to print sleeves on T-shirts, it's not too common, but now and then it pops up. At this stage I get by with printing transfers and heatpressing them on. All well and good, though a time consuming process. At a guess, I'd imagine a bit of time went into the thought of sizing these palettes, and there must be valid points and advantages for the sizing etc, I'm just wondering if the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Example: All the images for sleeve prints are 100mm wide (4 inches roughly) This is common practice here where I am, mostly I assume (and drawing on the experience of designing/printing) for legibility of type, placement, sizing - A bunch of different reasons. Obviously not all images are this wide, but its safe to say this is the nearing max width/height of useful T shirt sleeve image size. Vastex sleeve palettes are 100mm wide, therefor cutting short the max image width to say 80-85mm max. Also, the palettes are long, and require the use of a larger screen size than the average? 20X24 inch screen - I say average, because that is the standard where I am, yeah some have larger, but generally, this screen size will cover probably 95% of the work of the average screenprinter? Yes/No? At a guess, this screen size would be suitable for the standard vastex sleeve palettes should I have chosen the optional side-clamp addition to my V-2000 press? I don't have the side clamps. So I believe I have little choice but to stock these larger sized screens to facilitate any need to produce direct sleeve prints. I don't have a problem paying the $120 or near enough to for the palettes themselves, IMO they're worth it for ease of use, compatibility and construction. My concern comes in the need to stock larger frames 'specifically' to print an image which will be at max size 80X100mm. It just seems like a false economy. I can only speak for myself here, but I have been self employed since 2000, and have never, not once been asked to print a full sleeve from wrist cuff to shoulder seam, I have done a couple of prints that run up the forearm, but nothing that would require me to use a 19 inch long palette. I've been in the screenprinting industry for nearly 20 years, and actually seen full sleeve prints only a handful of times, and that was some time in the 90's from memory. I guess what I am asking is: Is the palette size right for regular day to day stuff? I could very well solve the length issue by hacking 5 inches from the length of the stock sleeve palettes (yes, I have given this some thought) Though I am still faced with a smaller width issue. A T shirt sleeve can take a 5 inch width palette, I don't think that size is unreasonable for all including fitted shirts. From memory, an M&R palette is around 120mm wide? though I'm not sure of the length fitment when attaching it to their manual presses. It may very well be that Vastex is following or sticking to an industry standard width/length concerning these palettes. It also could be considered that I could have been using larger frames from the start, though 100% of my textile work fits within a 20X24 inch frame, 100%. The only thing that doesn't fit within the bounds of my 20X24 inch frame, is a sleeve image printed 100X100mm (4"X4"  . That's what I find odd. Yeah, it'll fit on the screen, but the screen won't fit the palette.I'm not bagging Vastex, I always figure if you don't ask the question, you won't get an answer, there may very well be a simple solution for me, there may not. More importantly, I will see what others feel about. Or if there is any feeling at all! lol. I look at them and think to myself: "These damn things are too long and too skinny!" Which is the sole reason I haven't purchased any, when they're almost a necessity. Especially considering the sleeve palette will see a bunch of other uses, cooler bags and other weird objects etc. ____________________ If it aint broke.....fix it till it is! | |
 
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