I am a little behind on blogging, and have not made entries that show all of the work I've done over the past week toward figuring out what I need my final screen art to look like. I'll get on that eventually.
But, the news today is that I finished the artwork up tonight based on all of the research, and submitted it to Westar, who is going to burn the screens.
All told, this will be the largest single outlay of cash for this project. The two screens, plus shipping, are going to run me about a thousand bucks. Yikes. I hope I can get some good use out of them.
Because of the weirdly high costs, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be offering a run of fabric for fellow Superman Returns enthusiasts who want to make a really accurate suit.
Showing posts with label Superman Returns Briefs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Superman Returns Briefs. Show all posts
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Diamond Pattern Decision
After a lot of testing, and a lot of squinting at reference photos, I've decided which patterns to use in the creation of the final screens.
I'll post some pics later of my progress and experimentation, but just wanted to make a note that I've made up my mind.
I need to get the artwork finalized and sent out to Westar asap so that they can start burning them. I would like to get that done by tomorrow night.
I'll post some pics later of my progress and experimentation, but just wanted to make a note that I've made up my mind.
I need to get the artwork finalized and sent out to Westar asap so that they can start burning them. I would like to get that done by tomorrow night.
Diamond Pattern Decision
After a lot of testing, and a lot of squinting at reference photos, I've decided which patterns to use in the creation of the final screens.
I'll post some pics later of my progress and experimentation, but just wanted to make a note that I've made up my mind.
I need to get the artwork finalized and sent out to Westar asap so that they can start burning them. I would like to get that done by tomorrow night.
I'll post some pics later of my progress and experimentation, but just wanted to make a note that I've made up my mind.
I need to get the artwork finalized and sent out to Westar asap so that they can start burning them. I would like to get that done by tomorrow night.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Rolled Hem Experimentation
Recently, I've been putting a lot of thought into how to recreate the hem seen in this picture.
It looks like it's stuffed, and thanks to some advice from some online costumers, I've gotten some ideas. First, I'm going to try to line the briefs with swimwear liner, and I'm also going to use a thread called "wolly nylon". I have ordered both of these online over the past few days, and expect them to arrive shortly.
In the mean time, I wanted to do a little experimentation of my own, with what I had onhand. I have never used a rolled hem foot on my sewing machine before, but as luck would have it, mine came with one. I loaded it in, and got to work.
Though it's a bit sloppy, this is pretty much exactly the effect I was hoping to get. I don't even know if I need the lining, but I suppose it could only help to make it a little more puffy. I guess all I really need to do is practic my technique so I can get a straight hem every time.
Most surprising is the amount of stretch I get out of the straight stitch that I used to sew this hem, even though it was regular cotton thread. I imagine the results will only be better once I fire up the wolly nylon.
In other news, I picked up a few supplies from the fabric store the other day. The seam ripper is something I've needed for a long time, though an exacto blade has been filling in for it in the interim. The no-fray stuff is all for serger chains that I will sew back into themselves using those big-eyed needles. Just building the tool set, I guess.
It looks like it's stuffed, and thanks to some advice from some online costumers, I've gotten some ideas. First, I'm going to try to line the briefs with swimwear liner, and I'm also going to use a thread called "wolly nylon". I have ordered both of these online over the past few days, and expect them to arrive shortly.
In the mean time, I wanted to do a little experimentation of my own, with what I had onhand. I have never used a rolled hem foot on my sewing machine before, but as luck would have it, mine came with one. I loaded it in, and got to work.
Though it's a bit sloppy, this is pretty much exactly the effect I was hoping to get. I don't even know if I need the lining, but I suppose it could only help to make it a little more puffy. I guess all I really need to do is practic my technique so I can get a straight hem every time.
Most surprising is the amount of stretch I get out of the straight stitch that I used to sew this hem, even though it was regular cotton thread. I imagine the results will only be better once I fire up the wolly nylon.
In other news, I picked up a few supplies from the fabric store the other day. The seam ripper is something I've needed for a long time, though an exacto blade has been filling in for it in the interim. The no-fray stuff is all for serger chains that I will sew back into themselves using those big-eyed needles. Just building the tool set, I guess.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tiny Screen Update
For sake of thoroughness, I wanted to inform my dear readers of some last minute progress tonight. I did some measuring of the artwork for both the body suit and the briefs, and wrote an email to Westar to get a quote. Though I have not finalized the measurements, I am close enough to request a quote, so at least I know what I am getting myself into.
I also did some tiny changes to the legs artwork shown in my most recent previous post, and transferred it to a flash drive. I will try to get over to Kinko's tomorrow to get it output.
I also did some tiny changes to the legs artwork shown in my most recent previous post, and transferred it to a flash drive. I will try to get over to Kinko's tomorrow to get it output.
Screens and Inks
No pictures today, just a logistical update on the silk screen action I'm working on.
I got an email today from Westar telling me that both of my screens are on their way, along with some white plastisol ink I ordered from them. This is a different blend of Plastisol, and is kind of the "standard" ink for screen printing on fabric. it's a little thinner than the stuff I used previously, and doesn't stack up the way the other stuff does. It will make for an interesting experiment.
The two screens on their way are the sample screens for the different diamond patterns. One for the briefs, one for the body suit.
I also ordered four different colors of speedball inks to help out with the She-Hulk project that Laamberry is doing. I got some black and white, so that I can mix a light grey. I also got some blue and red so that I can mix a good purple for the sides. I'm going to have to move quickly with the testing of the screens so that I can order the final screen. LB needs the screen printed fabric by end of month so that she'll have time to sew together the costume for her event.
So basically, I've got a bunch of stuff coming in the mail.
End of line.
I got an email today from Westar telling me that both of my screens are on their way, along with some white plastisol ink I ordered from them. This is a different blend of Plastisol, and is kind of the "standard" ink for screen printing on fabric. it's a little thinner than the stuff I used previously, and doesn't stack up the way the other stuff does. It will make for an interesting experiment.
The two screens on their way are the sample screens for the different diamond patterns. One for the briefs, one for the body suit.
I also ordered four different colors of speedball inks to help out with the She-Hulk project that Laamberry is doing. I got some black and white, so that I can mix a light grey. I also got some blue and red so that I can mix a good purple for the sides. I'm going to have to move quickly with the testing of the screens so that I can order the final screen. LB needs the screen printed fabric by end of month so that she'll have time to sew together the costume for her event.
So basically, I've got a bunch of stuff coming in the mail.
End of line.
Friday, December 31, 2010
And Now, BLUE Diamonds!
There has been a flurry of activity lately on the silk screening process, and I'm really motivated to continue to push forward based on all of the progress. To that end, today I drew up some artwork for a screen that will let me de-bug the blue diamonds that will go on the main body suit.
I'm taking the same approach that seems to be working with the briefs diamonds. The artwork I just sent over to westar includes ten different samples of diamonds. Here's a peek.
Just like with the trunks diagram, I am following the same formula. The five samples at the top represent my original artwork, with the edges stroked in different amounts, and different colors. This will allow me to allow for seepage and still get a very accurate final product. The bottom 5 have the inner diamond enlarged by 10%, and then the same stroke weights applied.
The artwork for the blue diamonds was created directly from a scan of a fabric swatch, so I am feeling very confident about its accuracy.
For comparison, this image shows the difference between the blue diamonds and the red. The red are smaller, and more tightly packed. Pretty cool.
I sent my artwork off to westar just now, and hope that they will be able to burn the screen and get it out to me pretty quickly. I'm now under the gun to get the blue diamond screen all worked out, as I have committed to helping a friend with her She-Hulk costume that she hopes to have completed by mid February. We came up with the idea of silk screening the micro-diamond pattern onto the fabric she will be using as the body suit. We figured this way it would bring something new to the costume, and give it a little more visual diversity that you wouldn't normally get from straight up white milliskin.
I'm taking the same approach that seems to be working with the briefs diamonds. The artwork I just sent over to westar includes ten different samples of diamonds. Here's a peek.
Just like with the trunks diagram, I am following the same formula. The five samples at the top represent my original artwork, with the edges stroked in different amounts, and different colors. This will allow me to allow for seepage and still get a very accurate final product. The bottom 5 have the inner diamond enlarged by 10%, and then the same stroke weights applied.
The artwork for the blue diamonds was created directly from a scan of a fabric swatch, so I am feeling very confident about its accuracy.
For comparison, this image shows the difference between the blue diamonds and the red. The red are smaller, and more tightly packed. Pretty cool.
I sent my artwork off to westar just now, and hope that they will be able to burn the screen and get it out to me pretty quickly. I'm now under the gun to get the blue diamond screen all worked out, as I have committed to helping a friend with her She-Hulk costume that she hopes to have completed by mid February. We came up with the idea of silk screening the micro-diamond pattern onto the fabric she will be using as the body suit. We figured this way it would bring something new to the costume, and give it a little more visual diversity that you wouldn't normally get from straight up white milliskin.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The Biggest Black Undies EVER.
I have been working on my pattern for the briefs for the Superman Returns costume. I finished my first draft of the pattern just the other day, and today decided to sew up a test pair. Here is the fabric after it was cut from my pattern. I decided to use black simply because I had a ton of it sitting around.
And here they are with the main seams sewn up.
So far, NOT looking very stylish. There's a ton of extra fabric around the waist, because by design, this gets folded over a few times to house the elastic. I'll need to sew up the leg openings too. Overall, aside from being WAY too big, the shape is decent. I'll definitely need to do some modification of the pattern, but I'm definitely on the right track. As you can tell, I've been able to replicate the locations of the seams perfectly, so as far as the overall design asthetic goes, I'm on the right track. The seam that comes up the front of the crotch is a little too high, but that's easily corrected.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the progress, despite the fact that they look REALLY creepy.
And here they are with the main seams sewn up.
So far, NOT looking very stylish. There's a ton of extra fabric around the waist, because by design, this gets folded over a few times to house the elastic. I'll need to sew up the leg openings too. Overall, aside from being WAY too big, the shape is decent. I'll definitely need to do some modification of the pattern, but I'm definitely on the right track. As you can tell, I've been able to replicate the locations of the seams perfectly, so as far as the overall design asthetic goes, I'm on the right track. The seam that comes up the front of the crotch is a little too high, but that's easily corrected.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the progress, despite the fact that they look REALLY creepy.
Ink Wash Test
I was a little dismayed by my recent test with the fabric that I had screened with the speedball inks, so I wanted to do a little bit more. The thing about these inks is that they need to be set with heat. However, I purchased some fixative that was supposed to negate this need. However, when I washed a sample of the fabric, some of the ink faded. It wasn't like it washed clean out, but it was non-trivial.
Today, I took another sample of the fabric, and REALLY took the iron to it in an attempt to heat seal the inks. I was on the hottest setting just south of steam. No damage was done to the fabric. I then threw it in the washing machine.
The picture above shows the swatch after watching. It's actually NOT apparent from the photo, but there was only a TINY TINY TINY bit of color fading. Just a tiny bit. I'm very pleased with this, as it means the suit will be able to survive some cleanings. Great stuff.
Updated Diamond Pattern Screen Artwork.
I was posting over on the RPF tonight about my progress with the diamond fabric, and I happened to post these three pictures from my blog in succession:
When seen together like this, these pictures really reveal a lot about the diamonds, and how mine compare. I think overall, even if you set aside the seepage problems I am having with my fabric, I have the inner diamonds too small. This is especially true when compared to that extreme close up.
Since I've got a screen being burned by Westar right now, I updated my artwork for the screen to include five new samples that have a larger inner diamond. Here's a thumbnail of the new artwork I submitted. The new patches on the bottom are the revised artwork.
When seen together like this, these pictures really reveal a lot about the diamonds, and how mine compare. I think overall, even if you set aside the seepage problems I am having with my fabric, I have the inner diamonds too small. This is especially true when compared to that extreme close up.
Since I've got a screen being burned by Westar right now, I updated my artwork for the screen to include five new samples that have a larger inner diamond. Here's a thumbnail of the new artwork I submitted. The new patches on the bottom are the revised artwork.
A Few Screen Printing Tests
I ran a number of tests today on some screen printed fabrics, just to answer a few questions I had.
First of all, one thing I need to determine is if the fabric I'm using can withstand the heat needed in order to cure plastisol inks. Westar tells me that they need to be blasted for 90 seconds at 300 degrees. I took some fabric swatches from both my plastisol test run and my speedball test, and threw it in the oven for 90 seconds. While I'm not sure if this accurately reproduces a curing environment, it's the best I have right now.
Based on a conversation I had with Westar, one of my concerns was that the temperatures would either melt the milliskin, or ruin it's stretch abilities. As far as I could tell, neither of those things happened.
Here are the two swatches after they had some time to cool down. Essentially, the fabric was unchanged. Also note from this photo that you can see how the diamonds print differently based on the inks. it's subtle, but the Plastisol inks tend to spread a little more than the speedball. Plastisol is on the right.
Here's a close up of a chunk of the Plastisol treated fabric. What's interesting about it is the way the fabric buckles. This happens after the printing is done. Initially, this dismayed me a lot, but now that I think about it, I don't think this will stop me from using the plastisol inks. The fabric only requires a tiny bit of stretch in order for it to lay flat, and I'm pretty sure I will be providing that once I put the suit on.
Interestingly, in the special features of the Superman Returns DVD, they talk about how each suit could only be worn for a short while before it was ruined. I think I understand why now. The plastisol inks tear when stretched too far, and they crack. I might end up making a couple different suits. One for display, one for wear, etc, each using different inks.
Another test I ran was in the washing machine. I wanted to see how well the Speedball inks held up in a delicate wash cycle. Here's the results.
I probably should have put a comparison picture together, but the punch-line is that the ink faded a bit. More than I would have liked. I'm not super happy with that.
Another test I ran was to see how hot I could iron the fabric without it melting. On my iron, I set it to the highest setting before steam, and it did not ruin the fabric. Speedball inks need the heat of an iron to cure them, so perhaps next time I will run a wash test on post-ironed fabric.
There were many interesting tidbits picked up from this round of testings. Overall, I'm a little disappointed that I didn't nail it on my first try, but that's OK. I've learned a lot, and will make a lot of changes on my next round of screen work.
First of all, one thing I need to determine is if the fabric I'm using can withstand the heat needed in order to cure plastisol inks. Westar tells me that they need to be blasted for 90 seconds at 300 degrees. I took some fabric swatches from both my plastisol test run and my speedball test, and threw it in the oven for 90 seconds. While I'm not sure if this accurately reproduces a curing environment, it's the best I have right now.
Based on a conversation I had with Westar, one of my concerns was that the temperatures would either melt the milliskin, or ruin it's stretch abilities. As far as I could tell, neither of those things happened.
Here are the two swatches after they had some time to cool down. Essentially, the fabric was unchanged. Also note from this photo that you can see how the diamonds print differently based on the inks. it's subtle, but the Plastisol inks tend to spread a little more than the speedball. Plastisol is on the right.
Here's a close up of a chunk of the Plastisol treated fabric. What's interesting about it is the way the fabric buckles. This happens after the printing is done. Initially, this dismayed me a lot, but now that I think about it, I don't think this will stop me from using the plastisol inks. The fabric only requires a tiny bit of stretch in order for it to lay flat, and I'm pretty sure I will be providing that once I put the suit on.
Interestingly, in the special features of the Superman Returns DVD, they talk about how each suit could only be worn for a short while before it was ruined. I think I understand why now. The plastisol inks tear when stretched too far, and they crack. I might end up making a couple different suits. One for display, one for wear, etc, each using different inks.
Another test I ran was in the washing machine. I wanted to see how well the Speedball inks held up in a delicate wash cycle. Here's the results.
I probably should have put a comparison picture together, but the punch-line is that the ink faded a bit. More than I would have liked. I'm not super happy with that.
Another test I ran was to see how hot I could iron the fabric without it melting. On my iron, I set it to the highest setting before steam, and it did not ruin the fabric. Speedball inks need the heat of an iron to cure them, so perhaps next time I will run a wash test on post-ironed fabric.
There were many interesting tidbits picked up from this round of testings. Overall, I'm a little disappointed that I didn't nail it on my first try, but that's OK. I've learned a lot, and will make a lot of changes on my next round of screen work.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Briefs Pattern Progress
For the briefs, I am attacking them from two angles. I plan on making one pattern from scratch, and another is going to be a modified version of the Kwik Sew pattern. I will see which one turns out the best.
Here is the start of my scratch built pattern. I took a pair of off the shelf briefs, cut them up and laid them flat. I traced around one side.
I only drew out one side, then folded it along the center line and duplicated the one side over to the other side. That way, it will be a relatively perfect mirror. Here's the final piece after it has been cut out. The next step is to actually cut fabric and sew a pair up. Do not cross fingers in hopes of progress pics. ;)
Here's the start of the kwik sew pattern. At this point, all I have done is roughly cut them out from the larger sheets.
And here I have ironed the pattern pieces out.
Next step is to cut the pieces out and draw up a full, one piece pattern on my drafting paper. Remember, only two seams on these briefs. One that follows the butt-crack, and the other that runs perpendicular along the bottom of the crotch.
Here is the start of my scratch built pattern. I took a pair of off the shelf briefs, cut them up and laid them flat. I traced around one side.
I only drew out one side, then folded it along the center line and duplicated the one side over to the other side. That way, it will be a relatively perfect mirror. Here's the final piece after it has been cut out. The next step is to actually cut fabric and sew a pair up. Do not cross fingers in hopes of progress pics. ;)
Here's the start of the kwik sew pattern. At this point, all I have done is roughly cut them out from the larger sheets.
And here I have ironed the pattern pieces out.
Next step is to cut the pieces out and draw up a full, one piece pattern on my drafting paper. Remember, only two seams on these briefs. One that follows the butt-crack, and the other that runs perpendicular along the bottom of the crotch.
Plastisol Tests
With all the talk lately about diamonds and briefs, I thought it only fair to finally get around to posting the pictures I took a few days ago of the test screen printing I did using Plastisol inks. I actually think the jersey print ink that I selected is TOO thick, and will probably scale it back on the next round.
Here's a pic of the overall effort. All of those convolutions were introduced after the printing was done, and they did not go away once the ink cured.
Here's a close up of the diamonds. While the actual printing went really well, and I got really uniform coverage without any streaking, it's the size of the diamonds that bothers me.
For reference, I will post this picture again. This is from a suit that was on tour and on display at the NYC TRU.
Ignore the colors. The main thing to notice is that the thickness of the diamonds is all wrong. Well, not ALL wrong, but you get the point.
Here's a pic of the overall effort. All of those convolutions were introduced after the printing was done, and they did not go away once the ink cured.
Here's a close up of the diamonds. While the actual printing went really well, and I got really uniform coverage without any streaking, it's the size of the diamonds that bothers me.
For reference, I will post this picture again. This is from a suit that was on tour and on display at the NYC TRU.
Ignore the colors. The main thing to notice is that the thickness of the diamonds is all wrong. Well, not ALL wrong, but you get the point.
Brief(s) Musings
In tooling around with my artwork tonight, I got to thinking about the overall diamond pattern. For a BRIEF moment, I thought I had made a mistake in my artwork. I took a moment to re-walk myself through the design process, and fortunately was able to convince myself that I had gotten it right after all.
But for the sake of historical reference, I will document it here.
My pattern is based largely on two things. This photo:
And a scan I made of a belt loop that I had on hand.
The photo above is from the suit that was on display at Toys R Us in New York.
First of all, I am working under the assumption that there were MANY different suits out there, both on tour, screen used, and made for production. I beleive also that there are differences between them. I'm not sure if they are significant, but it's an assumption I have to make based on the variances I have found from one suit to the next.
In the picture above, I photoshopped one of the belt loops so that it aligned with the diamonds on the briefs. What this reveals to me is that the diamonds on the belt loop are different than the diamonds on the briefs.
I'm not sure if this was on purpose and by design, or if the belt they put on THIS suit was made from a different run of fabric where the diamonds were different. There's a million and one reasons that these are different, and I'm not sure which one is correct. What I am sure of is that they are different.
In Adobe Illustrator, I imported my scan of the belt loop that I had on hand, and sized the above drawing so that the diamonds on the belt loop matched. This meant that the diamonds on the briefs were now scaled 1:1 in illustrator, and it was based on that scaled photo that I did my diamond pattern.
For my suit, the diamonds on the belt loops will be the same pattern as the diamonds on the briefs. Even though that is not accurate to the suit pictured above, it's far too much trouble for me to be bothered matching such a minute detail that will simply never be noticed or appreciated by the casual viewer. And seeing as how I'm not even sure that it's screen accurate, it makes sense not to try to duplicate it.
But for the sake of historical reference, I will document it here.
My pattern is based largely on two things. This photo:
And a scan I made of a belt loop that I had on hand.
The photo above is from the suit that was on display at Toys R Us in New York.
First of all, I am working under the assumption that there were MANY different suits out there, both on tour, screen used, and made for production. I beleive also that there are differences between them. I'm not sure if they are significant, but it's an assumption I have to make based on the variances I have found from one suit to the next.
In the picture above, I photoshopped one of the belt loops so that it aligned with the diamonds on the briefs. What this reveals to me is that the diamonds on the belt loop are different than the diamonds on the briefs.
I'm not sure if this was on purpose and by design, or if the belt they put on THIS suit was made from a different run of fabric where the diamonds were different. There's a million and one reasons that these are different, and I'm not sure which one is correct. What I am sure of is that they are different.
In Adobe Illustrator, I imported my scan of the belt loop that I had on hand, and sized the above drawing so that the diamonds on the belt loop matched. This meant that the diamonds on the briefs were now scaled 1:1 in illustrator, and it was based on that scaled photo that I did my diamond pattern.
For my suit, the diamonds on the belt loops will be the same pattern as the diamonds on the briefs. Even though that is not accurate to the suit pictured above, it's far too much trouble for me to be bothered matching such a minute detail that will simply never be noticed or appreciated by the casual viewer. And seeing as how I'm not even sure that it's screen accurate, it makes sense not to try to duplicate it.
More Briefs Artwork
I only have a tiny update right now, but any progress is good progress.
On the heels of submitting my test patterns for screen burning, I went ahead and finalized the full artwork for the briefs. Though my pattern for the briefs is not yet complete, I was able to figure out what the total area will be that I need to screen print in order to do it right. Based on those measurements, I expanded my artwork to cover that full area.
The only remaining task is to figure out the stroke weight of the diamonds. This is what I will learn from my sample screen. Once determined, it will be a simple matter to update the adobe illustrator file with the proper stroke weight. I will then submit the artwork for screen burning, and I will be ready to produce the fabric.
On the heels of submitting my test patterns for screen burning, I went ahead and finalized the full artwork for the briefs. Though my pattern for the briefs is not yet complete, I was able to figure out what the total area will be that I need to screen print in order to do it right. Based on those measurements, I expanded my artwork to cover that full area.
The only remaining task is to figure out the stroke weight of the diamonds. This is what I will learn from my sample screen. Once determined, it will be a simple matter to update the adobe illustrator file with the proper stroke weight. I will then submit the artwork for screen burning, and I will be ready to produce the fabric.
New Diamond Artwork For Silk Screen
I'm happy to report that I've been getting a lot of attention lately from the pics I posted the other day on the red silk screened trunks material. A few folks have even written in requesting some printed fabric of their own, which is both very flattering and gratifying.
With that in mind, I've sort of notched up the effort to get the diamond pattern all squared away, as I not only need to get it done for my Superman suit, but now see ALL kinds of applications for it should I get it right.
To that end, I put together some new artwork to send off to my friends at Westar Solutions for burning onto a silk screen. I like to have the professionals do it as I know they will do a great job, and there is no margin for error. While I could probably do it cheaper myself, I'm confident that the results would not be as crisp and perfect.
From my previous attempts at silk screening, I learned that the results you get are based on a great many factors. The thing that I really noticed a difference on was the way the ink passed through the screen. For example, when I use speedball inks on my existing screen, the final results tend to look exactly like the shapes in the screen. However, when I use the plastisol inks, it tends to seep out a bit more, making the diamonds on the briefs thicker than the diamonds on the screen. It's as if someone stroked the edges with a little bit of ink, making the shapes a bit thicker. Hard to explain if you're not a user of Adobe Illustrator.
Here's the artwork that I'm getting burned:
This is my basic diamond pattern, but with a number of different stroke widths on each diamond. With this, I'll be able to experiment with different inks and find the one that best suits my needs. After that, it will be a simple matter to modify my final artwork, get a new screen burned, and then go to town.
With that in mind, I've sort of notched up the effort to get the diamond pattern all squared away, as I not only need to get it done for my Superman suit, but now see ALL kinds of applications for it should I get it right.
To that end, I put together some new artwork to send off to my friends at Westar Solutions for burning onto a silk screen. I like to have the professionals do it as I know they will do a great job, and there is no margin for error. While I could probably do it cheaper myself, I'm confident that the results would not be as crisp and perfect.
From my previous attempts at silk screening, I learned that the results you get are based on a great many factors. The thing that I really noticed a difference on was the way the ink passed through the screen. For example, when I use speedball inks on my existing screen, the final results tend to look exactly like the shapes in the screen. However, when I use the plastisol inks, it tends to seep out a bit more, making the diamonds on the briefs thicker than the diamonds on the screen. It's as if someone stroked the edges with a little bit of ink, making the shapes a bit thicker. Hard to explain if you're not a user of Adobe Illustrator.
Here's the artwork that I'm getting burned:
This is my basic diamond pattern, but with a number of different stroke widths on each diamond. With this, I'll be able to experiment with different inks and find the one that best suits my needs. After that, it will be a simple matter to modify my final artwork, get a new screen burned, and then go to town.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
New Superman Returns Costume Details Discovered
A recent e-mail dialog with online buddy and fellow superman enthusiast Brian M. revealed a number of really startling discoveries about the Returns suit. Well, they were startling for me. Brian obviously already knew all about them.
It still surprises me how after studying this suit for a few years now, there are still surprises to be had.
Brian made a trip out to the Madame Toussaude's Wax Museum in NYC a while back, where they were proudly displaying a Superman Returns replica. Being the good samaritan he is, he took a number of good pictures, including of parts that were not readily visible. Below is a selection of those pictures, and some comments on why they are so interesting.
Let's start with a big one. What this picture shows is the seam on the trunks. There is only ONE seam on the trunks, and it goes right down the back side, through the crotch, and up into the front. I had always wondered why there was that little seam visible in front, on the lower part of the crotch. Now I know. There are no side seams. I originally thought the trunks were constructed like traditional speedo type things. One seam on either side, and another at the bottom of the crotch. I was wrong.
This is a closeup picture of the trunks that Brian took of the suit on display at Comicon in 2010. Wish I had been there. I like this picture because it shows the seamwork on the trunks, and also shows how thick the ink is. You can also tell that the diamonds are lighter colored than the fabric they sit on.
This picture shows something I had long suspected, but could not tell with absolutel certainty. The collar uses the same diamond pattern as the briefs, NOT the body suit. It's also on its side, which is interesting.
This picture is just pure gold, and I'm SOO happy that Brian shared it with me. It shows a couple of really interesting things. First, there are NO side seams on the torso. I always figured they just shifted the seams from the side toward the back, but here you can see they eliminated them altogether. This means that the torso is just one big piece of fabric, with the only seam being at the back, on the zipper. That makes construction a lot easier, but makes silk screening the diamond pattern a little more difficult. It means the screen will have to be big enough to cover the area for the entire torso.
But what's even better is that you can see the racing stripes on the back. That's amazing. Heck, I didn't even know there WERE stripes on the back until I saw this picture.
This is a great shot of the back of the arm, which shows how the strip snakes its way around the arm.
This picture is swiped from that french website that I linked to in a previous post. It is interesting not only because it shows the seam on the shoulder again, but also shows the placement of the velcro that was used to keep the cape in place.
Second photo from the french site, clearly showing the seam on the shoulder. I did not know there was a seam there.
It still surprises me how after studying this suit for a few years now, there are still surprises to be had.
Brian made a trip out to the Madame Toussaude's Wax Museum in NYC a while back, where they were proudly displaying a Superman Returns replica. Being the good samaritan he is, he took a number of good pictures, including of parts that were not readily visible. Below is a selection of those pictures, and some comments on why they are so interesting.
Let's start with a big one. What this picture shows is the seam on the trunks. There is only ONE seam on the trunks, and it goes right down the back side, through the crotch, and up into the front. I had always wondered why there was that little seam visible in front, on the lower part of the crotch. Now I know. There are no side seams. I originally thought the trunks were constructed like traditional speedo type things. One seam on either side, and another at the bottom of the crotch. I was wrong.
This is a closeup picture of the trunks that Brian took of the suit on display at Comicon in 2010. Wish I had been there. I like this picture because it shows the seamwork on the trunks, and also shows how thick the ink is. You can also tell that the diamonds are lighter colored than the fabric they sit on.
This picture shows something I had long suspected, but could not tell with absolutel certainty. The collar uses the same diamond pattern as the briefs, NOT the body suit. It's also on its side, which is interesting.
This picture is just pure gold, and I'm SOO happy that Brian shared it with me. It shows a couple of really interesting things. First, there are NO side seams on the torso. I always figured they just shifted the seams from the side toward the back, but here you can see they eliminated them altogether. This means that the torso is just one big piece of fabric, with the only seam being at the back, on the zipper. That makes construction a lot easier, but makes silk screening the diamond pattern a little more difficult. It means the screen will have to be big enough to cover the area for the entire torso.
But what's even better is that you can see the racing stripes on the back. That's amazing. Heck, I didn't even know there WERE stripes on the back until I saw this picture.
This is a great shot of the back of the arm, which shows how the strip snakes its way around the arm.
This picture is swiped from that french website that I linked to in a previous post. It is interesting not only because it shows the seam on the shoulder again, but also shows the placement of the velcro that was used to keep the cape in place.
Second photo from the french site, clearly showing the seam on the shoulder. I did not know there was a seam there.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
On A Roll With The Screen Printing
After my success with my most recent attempts to screen print on a tiny swatch of fabric, I decided it was time to spread my wings and try for something a little bigger. The goal of tonight's outing was to use the area of the entire screen, and see if I could get a good qualilty print onto my fabric.
As before, it started with me cutting out a length of fabric, ironing it, and taping it down to some butcher paper that was attached to a chunk of MDF.
I must confess at this point I once again owe a debt of gratitude to my online buddy Laamberry for her expertise in screen printing. I had asked her for some tips on getting the ink to flow properly through the screen, without any streaks or blank areas. The advice she gave me was basically to do multiple passes with the squeegee, from multiple directions. I always figured that you wanted to get it done with one pass, but hey, what do I know. I figured I would give her advice a try, and see how it went.
To skip ahead to the punchline, it worked amazingly well.
Here's a pic of the full sized piece of material. You can see where the edges are for the diamond pattern. That's the size of the pattern on the screen.
And here's a closeup of the diamonds. You can see that the ink went on evenly, and really well. I'm really quite stunned and impressed by the results.
So once again, another REALLY great test of the screen printing techniques and materials. As of now, I am feeling very confident about my ability to print the pattern properly on the material.
The verdict is still out on whether or not that fixer stuff is going to make the ink stay on the fabric. I'll need to wait a few days for it to fully cure before I can make that assessment. I think it might also be worth experimenting with the traditional ironing technique, on the off chance that I can find a temperature that is hot enough to fix the ink, but not so hot that it melts the milliskin.
As before, it started with me cutting out a length of fabric, ironing it, and taping it down to some butcher paper that was attached to a chunk of MDF.
I must confess at this point I once again owe a debt of gratitude to my online buddy Laamberry for her expertise in screen printing. I had asked her for some tips on getting the ink to flow properly through the screen, without any streaks or blank areas. The advice she gave me was basically to do multiple passes with the squeegee, from multiple directions. I always figured that you wanted to get it done with one pass, but hey, what do I know. I figured I would give her advice a try, and see how it went.
To skip ahead to the punchline, it worked amazingly well.
Here's a pic of the full sized piece of material. You can see where the edges are for the diamond pattern. That's the size of the pattern on the screen.
And here's a closeup of the diamonds. You can see that the ink went on evenly, and really well. I'm really quite stunned and impressed by the results.
So once again, another REALLY great test of the screen printing techniques and materials. As of now, I am feeling very confident about my ability to print the pattern properly on the material.
The verdict is still out on whether or not that fixer stuff is going to make the ink stay on the fabric. I'll need to wait a few days for it to fully cure before I can make that assessment. I think it might also be worth experimenting with the traditional ironing technique, on the off chance that I can find a temperature that is hot enough to fix the ink, but not so hot that it melts the milliskin.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Successful Screen Print Test
I am a very sick man. No, I mean, I actually have the flu right now. It's no fun. No fun at all. I'm a total mess. BUT, I somehow managed to find the energy and motivation to do a test today using my new speedball ink and fixer. Last time I did some printing, I did it in my kitchen. While this granted me some freedom as far as mess-making goes, it was extremely limiting in the move-around-room arena. This time, I decided to do it in my dining room, where I fortunately have no table. Yes, the bachelor lifestyle has its advantages.
I threw down a bunch of butcher paper to prevent mess, and also put some butcher paper over a big sheet of MDF, to ensure it would not get trashed by the process.
I cut out a small sample of the milliskin fabric I have targeted as the briefs fabric, ironed it, and taped it to the paper.
I then mixed up a little batch of ink with the fixer. I globbed the ink onto the screen and did three things. The red ink you see in the center of the board is the first stroke I did with the squeegee. I believe this is called the "Flood" stroke. Or pass. As you can see, not a lot of ink passed through it, but a bunch of it got stuck up in the screen.
I then moved the screen over, and did another pass on the paper, just to see if the ink was flowing. It looks much better.
Now that the screen had some ink in it, I globbed on some more ink, which will basically act to push the ink that's already on the screen through it.
Here's what the final results were:
Here's how the fabric looked:
And here's a nice close up of the fabric:
I am REALLY pleased with this, even though it's not perfect. This was just an experiment, and I certainly learned a lot from it.
Now, I'm waiting for the ink to cure, which should take a full four days to be COMPLETELY cured, though it is currently dry to the touch after six hours.
The diamonds came out REALLY nicely and evenly, and the ink seems to have penetrated the fabric quite well. Really good stuff. I'm stoked.
I threw down a bunch of butcher paper to prevent mess, and also put some butcher paper over a big sheet of MDF, to ensure it would not get trashed by the process.
I cut out a small sample of the milliskin fabric I have targeted as the briefs fabric, ironed it, and taped it to the paper.
I then mixed up a little batch of ink with the fixer. I globbed the ink onto the screen and did three things. The red ink you see in the center of the board is the first stroke I did with the squeegee. I believe this is called the "Flood" stroke. Or pass. As you can see, not a lot of ink passed through it, but a bunch of it got stuck up in the screen.
I then moved the screen over, and did another pass on the paper, just to see if the ink was flowing. It looks much better.
Now that the screen had some ink in it, I globbed on some more ink, which will basically act to push the ink that's already on the screen through it.
Here's what the final results were:
Here's how the fabric looked:
And here's a nice close up of the fabric:
I am REALLY pleased with this, even though it's not perfect. This was just an experiment, and I certainly learned a lot from it.
Now, I'm waiting for the ink to cure, which should take a full four days to be COMPLETELY cured, though it is currently dry to the touch after six hours.
The diamonds came out REALLY nicely and evenly, and the ink seems to have penetrated the fabric quite well. Really good stuff. I'm stoked.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)