Mike's T-shirt Garage

Mike's T-shirt Garage Mike's T-shirt Garage is here to help with screenprinting problems or t-shirt art. Follow for more.

We were hit with a cold spell out here in BC. Our shop was abnormally cool for a bit and the white plastisol got stiff.H...
01/15/2022

We were hit with a cold spell out here in BC. Our shop was abnormally cool for a bit and the white plastisol got stiff.

Here’s a simple tip to soften it up.

Spread it out on a clean piece of glass and place it on top of your dryer if the top is warm(not hot). 10 minutes or so and it turns soft like yogurt.

The print quality gets better and your arms will thank you.


Calling Quality Control. In my 42 years screenprinting, this is a first. Baffled at how this blank got through the manuf...
12/12/2021

Calling Quality Control.

In my 42 years screenprinting, this is a first.

Baffled at how this blank got through the manufacturing process, packing, and re-distribution to our shop. The stitching isn’t even used on this style of garment.

We noticed it no problem. 🥴

Here’s a tip I find very useful when printing onto a white base. I did a three color print the other day and thought It...
09/11/2021

Here’s a tip I find very useful when printing onto a white base. I did a three color print the other day and thought It might be of interest to some of you. You may find that pulling a squeegee parallel across any lines or solid bars tend to give you a shadow/smear/rough edge to the print and reduces the space between ink images/lines. Practice pulling your squeegee at an angle across the image. It pretty much guarantees a sharper print. Avoid 2 pulls onto base as there’s nowhere for the ink to go and will at times smear the print. A flood and then pull works better if coverage with one pull is an issue. Give it a shot and let me know if it solves a problem for you. - - - 110 mesh screen with triple (double durometer) blade squeegee. 160 mesh can also help if you find it hard to manoeuvre the 110 mesh. At times 160 mesh creates another issue with coverage and white specs in the overlay ink. Again, a flood coat first helps if using 160’s. - - Have a great week in the ink.

It’s an easy fix for squeegee storage. In my old shops of the past I’ve had squeegees for each color in various sizes, b...
06/26/2021

It’s an easy fix for squeegee storage. In my old shops of the past I’ve had squeegees for each color in various sizes, but here at FVC we keep them clean and storage is a breeze. It’s tidy and keeps the cost of your squeegees down. You just have to make sure they are spotless. We all know the issues of using white ink with a squeegee that was previously used for red. Can you say pinkish?

Interesting score from yesterday. Check out this huge 15x19 OLD school box in mint condition. Back in the early 80’s,...
05/29/2021

Interesting score from yesterday. Check out this huge 15x19 OLD school box in mint condition. Back in the early 80’s, the heat press font collection was limited. My least favourite font of all time is Cooper. Anyone else with me? Possibly because my second boss in the industry wanted to use it for EVERYTHING. Even 3/4” names on ball uniforms. That was a weak look. Fast forward to present day, this sturdy box is perfect to store my twill letters for my brand. Have a great weekend and week in the ink.

We love our customers. We start and stop a project to take care of our customers. The constant hustle and balancing of a...
05/22/2021

We love our customers. We start and stop a project to take care of our customers. The constant hustle and balancing of all the hats we wear is the norm. When a long weekend presents itself, the pull of relaxing and family time is equally as strong as the pull of taking advantage of the “extra time” at the shop. It’s a great time to reset and catch up on things. Chances are, you are surrounded by people who understand the importance of this. Enjoy the gift of your long weekend at the shop, whenever one presents itself. It’s part of the screenprinting shop life. Just remember to fit in family time. That’ll keep you going. - Have a great weekend.

We do it all Tiny sweatshirts to big tees. In all the years that I’ve been printing, these two are close to the opposit...
05/16/2021

We do it all Tiny sweatshirts to big tees. In all the years that I’ve been printing, these two are close to the opposite ends of the size spectrum. I’m 6’1” for reference. This is the perfect situation where a left front logo becomes a full front logo with only one screen setup. Have a great week in the ink.

If you’re an owner, welcome to Monday Part 1. Sundays are spent at the shop prepping screens, counting in stock, invoic...
05/02/2021

If you’re an owner, welcome to Monday Part 1. Sundays are spent at the shop prepping screens, counting in stock, invoicing, paying bills, checking emails and cleaning the shop. That’s how you hit the floor running on Monday Part 2. You know it. Have a great week in the ink.

It’s become an issue for many. The constant phone calls or messages offering digitizing or vector services. 8 of the las...
04/25/2021

It’s become an issue for many. The constant phone calls or messages offering digitizing or vector services. 8 of the last 10 messages I’ve received are hitting me up for those services. Yes, everyone has the right to earn a living. My suggestion is don’t harass. Rather, make posts of the actual quality samples you have and say that you are available and let us contact you if we need. Share stories or information about your services. Stories on why someone should contact you. Actual real stories and proof. Pursuing someone repeatedly just gets you blocked. The people I follow on here are screenprinters, much like I’ve been for over 40 years. I enjoy seeing the creativity and talent in the industry. If somewhere along the way I learn something new or can share some knowledge, I’m happy. That’s what this platform is best suited for. Have a great week in the ink. I know I will.

This is where the magic happens. It’s open door season when the outside air is warm enough that it doesn’t affect the o...
04/24/2021

This is where the magic happens. It’s open door season when the outside air is warm enough that it doesn’t affect the oven heat. It’s practically like working outdoors for 6-7 months. In Canada, that’s a great thing.

And just like that I created a work of art. Loaded the screens to print a t shirt order and figured this was photo worth...
03/28/2021

And just like that I created a work of art. Loaded the screens to print a t shirt order and figured this was photo worthy. By the way, if anyone out there is looking to work out here in Abbotsford British Columbia Canada and screenprint along with me, message to get the ball rolling. It’s an awesome place to pull a squeegee. Who knows, I might see you soon.

Do you customize your wooden platens? When I ran my shop, I likely had 40-50 specialty platens. Narrow ones for Lycra sl...
03/03/2021

Do you customize your wooden platens? When I ran my shop, I likely had 40-50 specialty platens. Narrow ones for Lycra sleeves, diagonal ones for sewn in panels, butt prints with a “crack”🤪 in it, pocket ones, full leg ones, etc. This rectangular platen is a must as far as I’m concerned and I introduced it three years ago to where we can be assured of 100% consistent prints on hoods with these platens. With the pouch and collar off the board, these 10 inch high platens accommodate a 9.5 inch high logo to fit on youth med and up. I have smaller height ones to do youth xs to med but art needs to be reduced. The way hoods are sewn, you never know when the variable of a bigger pouch will find its way under the print. Plus that off contact gap near the pouch can at times cause a smeared print because of excessive force to get the squeegee down in there. Registration doesn’t fluctuate either and the clean print of a consistent pressure is a plus with custom boards. Try it. You’ll like it. These custom platens pay for themselves in no time. - Branded product created for printed and embroidered at the FVC shop where I pull a squeegee. - Have a great hump day in the ink.

Address

30468 Great Northern Ave # 104
Abbotsford, BC
V2T 6H4

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