Screen Printing Experiment with YUDU Card Shop

Screen printing can be intimidating, so the YUDU CardShop in a Box---everything you need to get started, seems like a good idea.  (Initial kit is $59.99, with additional sets of 2 screens at $19.99US).  Here are some photos of my learning experience.  Hope this will give you a good idea as to whether you'd like to start screen printing too..

Picture from the box; shows what is included (except the card)

View from above, with included screen.

View without Screen

View with top open.  The little blue pegs are registration pegs to keep the mat in place.  An adhesive mat adheres to the bottom of the machine and to the card.  It's sticky on both sides.

instructions

Includes Yudu ink, ink pad, dabber.

Hard plastic Squeegee

Taped out "Thank you"

Here's the back side of the screen; it shows where I taped.  The card shop is for 5x7 cards and I really want 4.25 x 5.5 cards.  So I'm already altering the pattern.  Who knew?

Slide the screen into the little notch on the right side of the printer

Above: I'm already dirty from opening the ink bottle.  

A box of soft paper towels or rags will be your best friend.

They say: Put an adequate amount of ink on the screen and pull the squeegee with a sweeping motion toward yourself....this will take some practice...

Here's what the above ink yielded...

and the card after a second swipe to fill in missed areas...obviously ink is still missing in some areas

another try

And another

and another...and time to clean the screen.  The detail is getting worse, and it's goopy in some areas.

New screen...with cupcake...

Back of screen

First attempt...got a little goopy at the bottom where I pressed too hard.  Note that on this one instead of YUDU ink, I'm using Speedball Fabric ink with the same results.  So although they recommend Provocraft ink, it looks to me like any water soluble ink will do.

Second attempt

and third

Here's the ink being rinsed off the screen.  It pills up and washes away.  It doesn't look brand new again, but gentle scrubbing with the fingertips didn't hurt the screen a bit.

Other stuff I've learned:  Acrylic craft paint will not work as screen printing ink.  However, it will wash off the screen when still wet.