“Sometimes the simplest designs can come to life by simply knowing what is possible when you combine the right products and understand the process of how to bring your vision to life.”
The Challenge
Every once in a while my wife wrangles me into doing some screen printing work for her hand crafted brand Stitches & Moor. We typically end up printing pillow cases or bed sheets and I always use some of our Green Galaxy HSA Water Based Inks so the ink sits into the fabric and feels amazing. Well, this go-round she threw something a little different at me. Her and her friends were throwing a bazaar and wanted matching shirts. “No problem!” I said, “We’ll throw some soft water based ink on them and it will be perfect.” So on a nice Sunday afternoon we headed over to Ryonet HQ to do a little family screen printing. She pulled the shirts out of the bag, and to my surprise, these were not just your typical cotton shirts. They were a poly-lycra blend from a local fashion retailer. Now she’s got me thinking, “How the heck am I going to pull out a quality screen print in a short period of time for my wife and her friends to wear?” Of course, in typical Moor Family fashion, we had somewhere to be in an hour and I didn’t have time to make multiple screens or an under base. Meaning my trusty Gamma Blocker Black was out of the question. “Maybe I’ll mix Gamma Blocker and Comet White together and create a gray,” I thought. “BORING!!!” she said. 
The Hero
Fortunately, our ink guru Brandon Archer happened to be in the lab mixing up some new color samples of our Green Galaxy Fusion System. Aware of his ingenuity, I decided to consult him on the project. “Why don’t you mix up the new Green Galaxy Interstellar Gold Star and Gold Flare together and do a direct fabric print,” he suggested. Second guessing that suggestion, I asked about opacity and dye migration issues. Brandon explained that the ink is mainly created from gold flake in a clear base, and since the ink color isn’t created with pigment but with particulate suspended in the Interstellar Base instead, the result would be a bright metallic print that would not sublimate. Plus! It would still feel soft like water based and lend itself to a high-end fashion garment. Of course I HAD to try this.
So here’s what I did:
Screen = 20×24″ 156 mesh Aluminum Screen
Emulsion = 2/2 coats of Baselayr Complete using CryoPrep degreaser exposed in the FX Exposure Unit for 9 seconds.
Ink = 200g each of Green Galaxy Interstellar Gold Star and Gold Flare, mixed together 50/50.
Off Contact = Approx 1/8”
Squeegee = 70 Durometer
Print Method = Flood, pull with medium angle and medium pressure, flood, second pull with medium angle, medium pressure.
Flash = 4-5 seconds. I was careful not to get the garment too hot because of the rayon.
Print = Pulled with medium angle and medium pressure a second time.
Cure = 90 Seconds @ 320 Degrees in our Hot Roqit XL.
The Result?
This was probably one of the easiest prints I have ever done. The ink flowed similarly to our Green Galaxy Pitch Black, the coverage was great after one pass, and then came to life with the second pass. The print felt amazing, and even better I was a screen printing hero to all of Amanda’s bazaar friends and I earned some major points at home! All thanks to the new Green Galaxy Interstellar Inks and, more importantly, the practical, experienced knowledge and vision that Brandon was able to share with me! Sometimes the simplest designs can come to life by simply knowing what is possible when you combine the right product and understand the process of how to bring your vision to life.
Check out some of the effects in action!
Thanks for reading,
-Ryan Moor