Do I need a squeegee or can I just rub the paint around with my hands?

[boatdreams]

You're killing it, dude! The drying racks look awesome.

I've got a couple of Neal's prints. They look just as nice in person.

[epicproblems]

Thanks guys! I never could have imagined a more friendly and helpful place to discuss this stuff. I've been lurking on these boards for so long that I almost feel like I know many of you. Over and over again I'm like "Whoa! So-and-so posted on my thread!".

[alexfugazi]

If you own your place, and are getting really serious about this- I'd pull the carpet in that room RIGHT OUT. There is no way it will last. Also- if you're getting smudges on the edges of the prints (kinda unavoidable sometimes) you might want to print on paper larger than the finished print, and cut it down later- that way you can bash the hell outta yr corners or smudge 'em all up, and you've got nothing to worry about.

[epicproblems]

Thanks for the tip Tim. Unfortunately I don't own the place and this is the only room I can print in. I've laid down many large pieces of cardboard and I also put down a big drop-cloth when I print or coat screens. Hopefully that will do for now. I can definitely be a klutz so it might just be a matter of time before a disaster spill...

I'd like to try printing on larger paper and then cutting down, though my printing process is getting less messy and my last run I didn't smudge any edges. Sometimes I get paper from mac papers in Atlanta and they'll cut down paper I buy for $15 a sheet/stack (unlimited cuts), but the paper isn't cut in-house, so I'm guessing if I needed paper cut post-printing they'd have to send it out and it would take a day or two to get back. If anyone knows any good paper-cutting options in Atlanta I'd love to hear...

[pobiak]

most real print shops (the ones where you get flyers, buisness cards what ever printed, not Kinkos) have good proper paper cutters.
And i imageine they would do it for WAY less that 15 bucks and they usualy do mine while i wait. Depending who is working at the one near me when i turn up it is usually between £5 and free.
Also alot of the guys that work in those places tend to find our archaic hobby interesting to say the least, and dont mind a good chat about screen printing.

So anyway i'd just say find a printers near you and give them a call. They'll probably do it.

[boatdreams]

$15/stack is what Lewis paper charges in Chicago, but they won't cut stock that's already been printed. There are a few shops here that have their own cutters, too. As for me, I cheat by driving out to the suburbs and using the huge hydraulic paper cutter at the printing company where my dad works. I also usually cut before printing, so having to reject inky thumb prints from editions has made me a very clean printer.
Like Adam said, Kinko's is a no go, as their cutters are tiny and for postcards, business cards, etc.

Find a phone book or get online and look for paper suppliers or large print shops in your area. It never hurts to call them up and ask. I used to go to this place in Montreal where they'd cut down posters (or paper you bought from them) for free, but there was a tacit rule that you would give the cutter a cash tip every time.

[alexfugazi]

I pay $5 a stack at 6th st. printing here in Austin. You can find someone to do it for you- just talk to a print shop that's NOT kinko's or something, and they should be able to help you. Heck, if you are buddies w/ a kinko's employee, they MIGHT have a cutter large enough for you, provided you're keeping it close to 18x24. I like having reg marks throughout the run of prints so I can detect if my reg slips a bit if it's not totally evident immediately in the design.

[epicproblems]

Tried out some house paint this week on my first screen of a two-color poster. It was actually way easier to print with then I thought it would be based on GP threads I've read. I used a glug of floetrol and a little Speedball ink to alter the color since it was a $5 mis-tint gallon from Sherwin Williams. The biggest problem was the fact that it curled the paper a bit when dry and I had trouble keeping the paper flat when I printed the second color. Compounding this difficulty was the fact that I use an old drafting table to print on that was covered in this laminate shit. Well, the spray adhesive I use has been dissolving the laminate into a gooey mess and the adhesive doesn't last long and sticks to the back of posters. I've been scraping this laminate off with a razor blade as it loosens and it looks like I'm down to the particle board of the table, so hopefully this won't be as much of a problem in the future.

Yeah, I know, vacuum table...

Loser of the week was Kinko's for charging me double on my printouts that weren't dark enough and ruined a stencil. The next one I went to charged me correctly and the printout was nice and dark. It's too bad the local indie printer by my house doesn't have a large format printer.

[boatdreams]

Looking good, sir.
Vacuum tables are amazing, but in the meantime, just get better spray mount. Get the fancy shit that t shirt printers use on shirt platens. I love this stuff: Sprayway SW82 82 Mist Type Pallet Adhesive - ScreenPrintingSupplies.com

[epicproblems]

Thanks Justin! Ordering some right now...

Also, found a local printshop that will cut stacks of 100 posters for $1 per cut, so that seems reasonable.