I'm not sure how many of you have heard of the Print Gocco but it's a really cool little silk screening kit. It uses these special sheets and bulbs to burn a design and then ink to print on paper or cloth. You can't re-use the screens which basically keeps them making money. I thought they had stopped making them and it's made in Japan. Here is a place that seems to sell some. I have the B6 which this page seems to imply was improved upon. That's pretty cool because it's one of the neatest inventions ever, and cheaper then most spinning wheels.

If you like to scrapbook, make your own cards or t-shirts I highly recommend this little system, however the B6 doesn't cover a large amount of area so you can't print huge things, well there are tricks around that like for instance print the picture on one master, and the words on another master and then just stamp the area twice. Back when I got mine the big ones (8x10) cost a lot more so I got the smaller one.

I made sure when we got our current printer that I got the particular kind that has whatever it is in the ink it uses to work with the print gocco. You can use the pen the Gocco comes with the draw stuff, you can photocopy ANYTHING or print stuff if you have the right printer (the Gocco book I purchased separately has the instructions on what kind). It's like Laser Printer vs some other kind, I can't remember. Nothing special about the ink in my printer, just the sort of printer it is.

This is a master burnt from a print.

A finished example printed from that master.

Here I mixed some red and white ink to make pink, but it came out more light red then anything.

Thats the bulbs before I set that part on top and "flashed" the screen with heat/light.

After the screen is flashed and put the ink between the two plastic layers.

Here is the finished top. That's a Wallaby, my favorite of the Macropod's.

It's actually pretty darn easy and quick to use, and not very messy if you are just careful in where you put things down. I didn't get one smudge of paint on my clothing, carpet or fingers.

After the shirts dry I believe you have to iron them to set the color with heat and then you can wash, I haven't done it in a while and I need to read the instructions again.

I wish I had gotten more shirts! I didn't get to make nearly enough considering I wasted 4 bulbs and 2 screens. I still have plenty left though. You can re-use them I believe if you do some trick with wrapping them and putting them in your freezer or something so the paint doesn't dry out but that's way to much of a mess or bother for me. More photos of the process with notes >>

Alslo if you look on flickr there are some AMAZING things people have made!