Bell System / Western Electric T-shirt

[MaximRecoil]

I was fascinated by this declaration on the handsets of our phones when I was a kid. We owned everything in our house, but we didn't, and couldn't, own "our" phones? My parents didn't have an explanation beyond, "That's just the way things are."

In any case, I made the vector file about 11 years ago but I never got around to printing it until the other night when I was trying to think of something to test the new white ink I'd bought. I screen printed it with plastisol ink (print-flash-print method).

< 09-17-21: edited to add externally linked image >

[Key2871]

That's too cool, but no one other than a old phone guy or collector will understand what that actually means.

[Doug Rose]

I was fascinated by this declaration on the handsets of our phones when I was a kid. We owned everything in our house, but we didn't, and couldn't, own "our" phones? My parents didn't have an explanation beyond, "That's just the way things are."

In any case, I made the vector file about 11 years ago but I never got around to printing it until the other night when I was trying to think of something to test the new white ink I'd bought. I screen printed it with plastisol ink (print-flash-print method).

if you are selling them, I would purchase one, I think it came out great....Doug

[MMikeJBenN27]

So would I!

Mike

[RB]

Yeah, that's very cool!

[MaximRecoil]

if you are selling them, I would purchase one, I think it came out great....Doug

So would I!

Mike

Thanks. I wasn't intending on selling any, but if anyone wants to buy one, you can PM me with your ZIP code and the size T-shirt that you wear. If I have your size on hand I'll probably print you one. I normally only screen print as a hobby. I'm not set up for fast production like an actual screen printing shop is, so I probably won't print many of them.

[HarrySmith]

Put me down for one too! That is so very cool!
Size 2XL please.

[Key2871]

It's just nice to have the ability to screen print, not every one has or knows how to do that.
It does look real nice.

[MaximRecoil]

Put me down for one too! That is so very cool!
Size 2XL please.

PM sent.

It's just nice to have the ability to screen print, not every one has or knows how to do that.
It does look real nice.

Thanks. I started out in 2004 making vector files for other people to screen print, mostly reproductions of 1980s video arcade cabinet art (e.g., side art, marquees, control panel overlays) for restoration projects. I didn't start screen printing until about 10 years later. My 18-year-old niece started screen printing recently and she's doing great with it. She even did a 4-color process print (CMYK) about a week ago.

[Key2871]

Wow, that's pretty large stuff. But I know screen printing has come a long long way some high school art class. I helped out a friend in her shop selling storage unit stuff. And then she had the idea to do screen printing it was a huge unit, print drier etc.
Unfortunately that never took off for her.
But it could have been a small gold mine if she'd stayed with it long enough.

[MaximRecoil]

Wow, that's pretty large stuff. But I know screen printing has come a long long way some high school art class. I helped out a friend in her shop selling storage unit stuff. And then she had the idea to do screen printing it was a huge unit, print drier etc.
Unfortunately that never took off for her.
But it could have been a small gold mine if she'd stayed with it long enough.

Yeah, a full setup for fast production requires a lot of stuff, some of it big and expensive: a floor-standing 6-color / 6-station press, conveyor dryer, flash dryer, UV exposure unit, wide-format (usually inkjet) printer or imagesetter, backlit washout booth, pressure washer, screen racks in a light-safe room, and storage space for lots of supplies like screens, ink, emulsion, cleaning chemicals, squeegees, blank t-shirts, etc.

But I normally only screen print as a hobby, so I can get away with a lot less; it just takes me a lot longer to print. At the most basic level you could screen print with nothing but a screen, ink, squeegee, a piece of paper with a design hand-cut into it for a stencil (which you'd tape to the shirt-side of the screen), and a heat source for curing the ink (such as a heat gun and/or a regular kitchen oven).

[Doug Rose]

I received my Superb T shirt yesterday. This is a High Quality T. I got a 2X and it is a perfect fit. Not to tight where it shouldn't be  and perfect everywhere else. This is highly recommended *****   Doug

[Doug Rose]

Nanny is watching Mirabelle and Gus, my youngest Daughter Laurie's children.

I am working from home, but they came into my office!

Tried to get a good pic of the shirt, but it's better with props....Grampy

[MaximRecoil]

Awesome picture. Glad you like the shirt.

[HarrySmith]

Wearing mine to work for casual Friday. Awesome shirt! Lots of comments, "what does that mean"? Stuff like that but every one starts with "Nice Shirt"!!