screenprinting on drum head

[matthgee]

I have been asked to figure out how to screen print on the plastic front head of a kick drum. I have only printed on paper and cloth, and wonder if anyone has any advice on this. will it work? is there a good ink for this?

[whiteyhouston]

I have done this... I blocked up the head so the print surface was solidly flat and printed with inktech multi porpoise ink.. solvent based, I wouldn't try printing with water based on a plastic drum head..

[DenisMutter]

good answer.

I've been asked about this - now I'll have an answer.

[sicknimich]

what whitey said you gotta support the underside cause its suspended but the hoop. there are some waterbased inks that will work prolly like a nazdar 2700 but a a solvent you will get a better adhesion.

[whiteyhouston]

I'm through with water based... the inktech MP stuff I've been using lately is 100 times better.. no drying in the screen, thick opaque single passes..
bah..

[bilbur]

some one just asked me to do this too. With a like 5 color design they stole off here. I said I wouldn't touch it, but tried to figure out how to print multiple colors with a tight reg. on it. How would you do that?

[whiteyhouston]

custom micro registration implement:

[Andymac]

to register on a circle, you need to have two guides at about 4 and 8 o'clock, the material rests there.

Place a mark on the edge of the circle - a piece of tape with a pen dash is ok.

this mark lines up with a corresponding mark on one of the tabs.

Line them up and you can place the circular object in the same place each time.

when I'm doing multicolour CDs, I print a very small dash on the edge with the first colour- this can then be lined up with a register tab for the other colours

circular items that are direct printed in mass quantities (like corona bottles, or makeup containers, hairspray containers etc) have alignment guides/indexing tabs or indents on the bottom that lock in.

[ColinG]

I have done this... I blocked up the head so the print surface was solidly flat and printed with inktech multi porpoise ink.. solvent based, I wouldn't try printing with water based on a plastic drum head..

you get different types of skins - one is smooth plastic, the other has a roughened kindof 'tooth' to it. I've painted acrylics on the rough stuff before no problem, so wouldn't wb inks work ok on that too?

[matthgee]

what you are describing is the difference between a plastic head and what is called fiber-skin. I need to print on the plastic kind.

at first I was leary, but then it was described. the set itself is one of those clear lucite vistalites, add a clear head with a cool design and presto, instant awesome.

I totally don't want to mess with solvent based inks. the last time I did, it was a disaster. of course, it was a surprise to me when it happened. I had turpentine under my nails for days.

thanks for the input everyone.