# airbrush for a screen print look



## tintshopplus (Apr 12, 2010)

maybe a silly question, but hey, i'm a noob. anyway... hi all. using paint mask to ensure no overspray and clean lines. can one use an airbrush to get a screen printed effect and not the usual "airbrushed look." i'm buying an airbrush to use with vinyl and wondered if i could also do a few shirts with it as well. but i want them to look clean, close to what the screen would do. thank you in advance and hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend.


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## tintshopplus (Apr 12, 2010)

so no one wants to answer a question for the new guy huh? guess i'll just try back later.


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

Sorry, I did not see this untill now,

I have not airbrushed thru a screen for a few years ,but I burned my screen, or mask it off with vinyl,, for tight lines i like to burn them,, 
When i airbrushed thru it , it was to get a soft look almost vintage,, depending on how much spray you do, 
This is possible and gives a pretty awesome look, you can also spray thur fishnet nylons and bridal veiling for a few different effects as well as lace, too.
Sandy Jo
MMM


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## prometheus (Oct 19, 2006)

I think it all depends on your technique more than anything. You are using vinyl and going to airbrush over it?


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## ino (Jan 23, 2007)

Its a more expensive way,but yes you can. You can try dye, or even bleach.


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## tpitman (Jul 30, 2007)

Are you trying to get really solid coverage like you'd expect with regular textile ink? I imagine you can, if you just really load it up with ink to eliminate any gradient effects from the spray. Kind of like painting a car. If you don't mind a stiff print you could just as easily skip the airbrush and bust out the Krylon. If your frisket will hold tight enough to the fabric that will likely achieve the look you want.


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## tintshopplus (Apr 12, 2010)

prometheus said:


> I think it all depends on your technique more than anything. You are using vinyl and going to airbrush over it?


no. i will do some vinyl on shirts. but for now as i ease my way into some projects, i wondered if i could just cut a stencil on my plotter and use an airbrush to paint the shirt and get a screen printed look. tryin to skip investing in a screen printing machine for now... as this is just an add on to my biz and probably doing just a few shirts here and there. krylon huh? who'd thunk it. and i wouldn't have thought airbrushing would have been more expensive than screen printing. and i wasn't actually considering airbrushing through a screen, but straight onto the shirt. but nice tips on the effects of doing so.


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## sjidohair (Apr 9, 2008)

ahhhh thanks for letting us know your technique.
I have never dont it like that, i have used heavy stencils that were weighted to hold the shirt down and keep the edges of the stencil down to keep a crisp edge, 
let us know how it works,, 
MMM


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## gerry (Oct 4, 2006)

Ive done this , Lay'ed the vinyl on the shirt (no trans tape) then put the small pieces in..ie. the small circles inside an o etc.
You might want to make a few light passes over one or two thick ones so the paint doesnt bleed under.
It's time consuming and I would also rather use a screen as a stencil....by then you may as well squeegie plastisol in.


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## Celtic (Feb 19, 2008)

I'd recommend Createx paint. Made for what ya want to do. 
I've been airbrushing for 30 years and it's good stuff. 
I'd also suggest that you check out airbrush.com 
You'll find lots of info on that site and yes, a lot of airbrush artists do use plotters in their work. If you're just starting out learning how to use an airbrush, first be sure that if you're thinking of putting a solvent based paint through it that it will tolerate it. Not all o rings are solvent proof. 
Practice practice practice......
Stick with it. 
It's a cool tool.


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## evilmonkey1 (Oct 18, 2010)

You know why God created Airbrushers? So screenprinters could have heros! Its all in technique. Crisp clean lines come with practice. Ive had screenprinters, themselves, argue my work was screenprinted. Overspray (fuzzy lines) can be controlled with air pressure and technique. And yeah, I agree, Createx is the best paint for the money.


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## SoloStampede (Aug 4, 2007)

I have airbrushed through a stencil before. it works very well for white/light colored shirts, But it's hardly opaque on dark shirts.
Also, you have to be very careful with the edges of the stencil. If just one edge isn't perfectly pressed against the shirt, then you're going to have blurry edges. On top of that, there can be a lot of over spray, even if you don't see it.
Airbrushing is just as expensive as screen printing, but you have less prep work:

You need a Air compressor with enough HP (so the color particles don't get clogged in the gun), airbrush gun, ink, stencil paper, and vinyl cutter for making stencils.


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## yeselina (Aug 10, 2011)

I like airbrush stencil print, that easy working and great DIY for my t-shirts. 
Look!! They looks great!!


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## yeselina (Aug 10, 2011)

Airbrush stencils have many usages, As a personal hobby, you can use it to print t-shirt, tattoo. As a home decor, you can print them on you bedroom wall, lobby, door and rooftop. As an outdoor advertising, you can print ad, logo, and slogan. You also can print them on your car, motor... In a word, *AIRBRUSH STENCIL CAN CREATE NAY GREAT PAINTING ART ON ANYWHERE!*


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## evilmonkey1 (Oct 18, 2010)

Keep in mind, stencils are great for mass production of a design or for speed, if you have 40 different shirts waiting to be done. The great thing to me about Airbrushing is that every design you do is a "one of a kind". If you can get to where you can do a design freehanded at will, when you have to do it in 5 mins, a stencil will be your greatest tool.


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