Yudu – getting it done at a lower cost!

I have been researching easier ways (and less expensive ways) for using the Yudu machine for screen printing. Let’s face it, the products currently sold are very expensive, and are usually (at least, by me) out of stock when you need them. I’m sure that now that the price has gone down, and more people are getting Yudu machines, that this is a common concern. (Even cricut.com is selling them for $149.99 as of this date, compared to the retail suggestion price of $299.99!)

Please note: this guide is for hobby/crafting screen printers, and not for anyone intending to start a business!

First off, the question everyone asks is “What do you need to buy?” The kits comes with almost everything you need, but between missing items and poor quality items, you do need to go out and purchase things. Here is my barebones recommended list:

• a better quality squeegee (The one that comes with the kit is not suitable for better quality prints. It will work for an occasional user who doesn’t care about quality, but not a power user. More on this in a bit…)
• a heat gun (This will help you in curing the inks better.)
• more ink (You only get a small quantity of black to start you off, and you probably want more colors, too.)
• more transparencies (You only get one…yes, one.)
• tape to block out edges (This is an absolute necessity!)
• more emulsion (To make more screens…I will get into this in a bit.)
• emulsion remover (You need the emulsion remover in order to re-use the screen to print other designs.)
• ink cleaner (To remove ink in between uses if you plan on saving the screen design.)

Before shopping, what you need to know is: you DO NOT have to purchase Yudu brand supplies! Yes, I will get flack for writing that, because PC wants you to spend money on their supplies. And there are things you will have no choice but to buy from them. But if things are out of stock, and you just can’t afford them, there is no reason to stick with the brand. Hopefully my guide will help you out in this matter.

As for the squeegee, no I would not buy the Yudu brand “Pro” squeegee. A better quality, and cheaper, option is a wooden handled squeegee with a nice thick edge. They usually come in 3 durometer grades, but I would suggest going with a 70 because it is the most versatile. They also come in many widths, but a 10″ or 11″ is best. (You might also want a smaller one, like around 6″, for better control with smaller size prints.) These can be obtained from many online retailers. I would suggest Ryonet’s www.silkscreeningsupplies.com, www.screenprintingsupplies.com, or Dharma Trading Co.. If you prefer to buy locally, and you have one near you, try Blick’s Art Supply.

As I mentioned above, a heat gun helps a lot with both flash curing and fully curing ink – both water based and plastisol – on garments. You can easily obtain one of these at your local Home Depot or Lowe’s. Yudu does not sell these. Alternatively, you can also use a household iron or even an oven to cure items. Whether using a heat gun or a household iron, do not cure on the platen, as it will warp it. (If you become more involved and need more efficient and quicker curing times, consider a flash dryer. For businesses, perhaps a conveyer dryer.)

On to the ink… This is another item you can buy many different brands for. Just make sure the ink is intended for screen printing fabric! There are two basic types that are used on the Yudu: water based and plastisol. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and is something that you will have to decide on your own. Yudu ink is water based. You are limited to the colors, and the containers are small and expensive. Many retailers sell alternatives that will work just as good or better than Yudu’s, in bigger containers, for a much cheaper price. As suggested for the squeegees, I would suggest Ryonet’s www.silkscreeningsupplies.com, www.screenprintingsupplies.com, or Dharma Trading Co.. You can also find supplies locally at Blick’s Art Supply, and a lot of Joann’s craft stores. Finding them at Michaels’ and AC Moore is hit or miss. (The Simply Screen brand inks will work with the Yudu, and are cheaper than Yudu’s inks, but are smaller and more expensive than bulk inks.)

Transparencies are sold by Yudu, and can be gotten cheaply if you use coupon deals at stores like Michael’s. (Tip: The coupon excludes the machine itself, but not the supplies.) You can buy them online also at the stores I have been mentioning, or even at an office supply store like Staples.

For tape, I never see any supplied by Yudu in the stores. Instead, I bought mine online with other stuff at www.screenprintingsupplies.com.

Now let’s talk emulsion, as this is another must. Yudu emulsion is in capillary sheets. It costs roughly $20 for 2 sheets. This means every time you make a screen, it is costing you $10! Yeah, you can buy it with a coupon and cut it down some. But the sheets have a learning curve, and lots of Yudu users complain that they waste sheets when they don’t work properly. That’s a costly mistake! You can get aftermarket Ryo-cap sheets at Ryonet’s www.silkscreeningsupplies.com, which cost roughly $4 a sheet (less if in bulk.) A much cheaper solution is to buy liquid emulsion. If you go this route, you should also invest in, at least, a scoop coater (around $12 at Ryonet’s store) to apply the emulsion. It can also be done with a squeegee… This method, then, ends up costing around a $1 or less per screen! Yes, 1/10th of the cost.

As for the emulsion remover, this does not come with the Yudu. Neither does the ink remover. Get both online and save yourself aggravation.

Not mentioned above in my barebones list, you might want to get an extra t-shirt platen so you can swap out to print faster with multiple shirts. There really is not any provider online that sells their own versions of the platen, so you really do have to buy Yudu’s. In this case, use coupons, or look for online deals.

Yudu also sells a special sticky pad to hold items like paper on. Again, use coupons!

My last topic is screens. Yudu comes with a 110 screen that is ok for most things. They also sell a 80 (think glue and glitter) and 220 screen (higher resolution.) Most people are saying that these are proprietorial, and until recently they were. Now, Ryonet’s www.silkscreeningsupplies.com is making their own after-market Yudu screens. They are about the same price, but Ryonet claims they are made much better, and the screen itself is tighter, which helps to print with better quality. They also have a much bigger variety of screen mesh sizes.

Another thought for purchase is a screen degreaser. Although you can probably use something yourself that you have at home soap-wise, this is one made for screens that makes sure they are free of oils and grease and ready to use before putting emulsion on.

All-in-all, though, for a hobby screen printer, the Yudu is one of the most useful things out there. The built in light for burning emulsion is probably the biggest draw. (Even professionals are sometimes buying the Yudu just for the screen burning!)

Thanks for reading, and I hope I’ve helped others with figuring out their options!