Gowanus Print Lab

Great Intro to Screenprinting class this week. Thank you Dennis for an extremely informative and hands on experience! So excited about my 4 tote bags and 3 t-​shirts that I printed myself!

Took intro to screen printing with Dennis last week and I had a great experience! Dennis is knowledgeable, approachable and very patient. Granted, it was a small class but Dennis made sure to listen so that we all got what we wanted out of the class. I would definitely recommend him to anyone interested in dipping their toes into screen printing.

I took the intro to screen printing class last night with Dennis Tan as the instructor, and the class was great. Dennis was very clear in his instructions and encouraging to those students who were really looking to make a business out of the skills we learned in class.
He also went above and beyond with giving us tips and information about how to silk screen at home and suggestions for supplies. Plus, the class was fun.
I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in screen printing. I’d also recommend calling to make sure Dennis will be your instructor.

I am a regular for taking classes here and have mostly positive things to say.
1.The people there have always been knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. They know their stuff.
2. My preliminary emails have always been answered.
3. The value in materials they provide for the class (positive prints, ink, screens, emulsion, squeegees, etc.) is outstanding.
4. The environment is encouraging.
In fairness, there is a lot of info to cover in a short amount of time, but they can be a little disorganized. I get the sense there are a lot of different people in and out who freelance as instructors.
1. There is sometimes a need to troubleshoot an image before the class and they don’t do that.
2. Printing requires testing an image on scrap paper and there was always a shortage of this in the three classes I have taken.
3. For one class, a significant amount of time was taken up by one student who didn’t send his images in beforehand. This is a tough one that I wouldn’t know how to handle.
My advice is for your first time out keep your images simple and graphically strong. Photos and multi-​toned images require some nuance that you may not be able to achieve in the first class.
I intend on going back. I love these guys.

I recently took a class with Dennis Tan and it was absolutely amazing! I’ve taken some screen printing classes before but never had an experience like this. Dennis is a wonderful and patient teacher, I can’t say enough good things about him. He explains everything in great detail and has an unparalleled enthusiasm for screen printing. If you want to REALLY learn about screen printing, this is the guy you want to teach you. He keeps the class interactive and fun, I can’t wait to go back! He also gives out his e-​mail at the end of class and goes above and beyond what is asked of him. Thanks for everything!

My girlfriend took me too a class for my birthday and we both had so much fun and learned way more than we expected. Our teach Dennis was super knowledgable and patiently answered all our questions. He clearly walked us through each step of the process and even stayed late to ensure we got all our prints done. Can’t wait to go back. Thanks guys!

I have serious doubts about the people that rated this place with more than one star. I bought a groupon for the tshirt printing class and the instructor was Dennis tan. He really doesn’t seem to have a program or clear path to follow it just seems as if he’s winging it and asking you a bunch of questions. But my real issue is when he told us about his own silk screen business, I asked him if he could burn a screen for me with the negative I received from the class. I gave him the negative and never heard from him again. I called and complained and spoke with a useless receptionist. Nothing still has been done to to make me whole again. I beg prospective customers do not spend your money with this business you’ll have more fun throwing it out the window.

After years of wishing I could design my own t-​shirts, I finally realized I could actually accomplish this goal when I came across a coupon for the Gowanus Print Lab. I signed up for a 3 hour screen printing class with Dennis and was really happy with the whole experience. There were only 4 people in the class I took so there was a ton of opportunity to talk with the instructor and go over the entire process. Dennis gave lot of detailed instructions and afterwards I really felt like I’d be prepared to use the lab on my own if I wanted to.
While they give you a free t-​shirt, I definitely suggest bringing your own so that you’re sure of the fit and size.

I took an Intro to Screen Printing class and Dennis, the instructor was awesome! He was very friendly and knowledgeable and made the class fun and engaging. I would recommend Dennis to anyone interested in learning about screen printing. He is passionate about what he does and it shows.

Terrible unkempt facilities paired with the worst customer service ever=one super bummed customer with money burned and a day wasted.
All I had to do was shoot 10 over sized screens (I even coated these screens with MY OWN emulsion due to clumps in the emulsion they provide) and print two curtains. This would take me 8hrs max.
But I couldn’t even shot my screens because the light table is impossible to clean due to deep scratches in the glass, p-​l-​u-​s, the vacuum seal doesn’t work very well…
I asked for an extra day to be able to print since my day was wasted having to go to a nearby facilities with a light table that I know WORKS (there, my screens were all burned to perfection[it really makes a world of difference when the vacuum seals proper and the glass is able to be cleaned]).
Sadly my request for an extra day was denied and I was told I would hear from the manager. Still haven’t heard from ‘Brian’. So I left to start and finish my project at a much better facilities nearby.
Also. I teach screen-​printing classes. And would consistently recommend GPL because I was once a year member, 2 years ago. Loved it then, but not today. GPL has gone to the dumps and I will never recommend it again.
000

Helped me print all my screens and offered used ones. Great communication and attention to detail.

I took a class recently with Dennis Tan. He was so informative it was crazy. He explained everything in such amazing detail and made the process so much fun. I feel fully capable to work the lab with WAY more knowledge than I could have had NOT working with him. He is currently helping me buy and decide on membership at Gowanus. I COMPLETELY recommend taking a class with him. He’s awesome!!!

This was a very short class, 3 hours, but Dennis the instructor did a great job. He kept things simple, was willing to answer all questions, and made sure everyone kept up. We all came out with a silkscreened item. I was very pleased and will certainly go back there. Thanks to Dennis and Janet.
Michele

What a rip off. Cheap place. You pay for supplies and to follow their strict rules but you get ripped off. We all work Monday to Friday, they’re closed on Sunday’s, and you can’t purchase a pass and split it. You get shitty products and if you have a problem and tell the incompetent workers they do not help you at all, ignore you and get out of their responsibilities. How about quit making excuses for your shitty service and product. NOTHING WORKS, it’s all old, gross, dirty, shitty and everything is held together with duct tape. All it would take is a place with better service and a better quality product to wipe you clean out of the neighborhood.
Quit making excuses, accept responsibility and hire people with actual knowledge of what you’re offering so they can help people that come in and PAY for service and PAY for products and PAY for your business to stay FUCKING open.
Do yourself a favor, don’t go here.

I took the group screen printing class a few weeks ago and was impressed by the knowledge and care of the entire staff. I look forward to coming back!

Came here last night with bf to an Intro to Screenprinting class and had a fantastic time. I am sure having the right instructor is key and we had Dennis who was awesome! I really don’t know any other instructors but would try to get him if you can.
It was a 3 hour class but it flew by and I actually learned a lot. I feel that I learn so little at my age… but I digress. There were about 7 people taking the class and everyone was really cool and interesting. Got to take home my T-​shirt that I made so feeling pretty pleased with myself. Thumbs Up.

Warning: Before entering the premises of the Gowanus Print lab you must Acquire an approved certificate, with physical tests and a hand written letter at Xavier’s School for the Gifted in Westchester, New York.
When you have passed the tests you may enter the area of Gowanus Print Lab.
You will be approached by their employes, do not be scared… or show confusion by how they appear, they,… Hipster, sub human’s, communicate often with telepathy. In order for you to use their print lab, You will also have to be on their good side, so when asking more than «three Questions» at the time, NO MORE, No Less, You will have to reward them for their effort like soy milk, or coupons for Yarn so they can do string theory, or a flyer for the newest flea market to open in their area. Because heaven forbid that after numerous times of using their ancient equipment you have to ask another question after the three,… they will not talk,… they will not hear you,… they will stare, …at you, …and they will run off to their domain of other coworkers and prepare… for talking the most shit about you as if you said to them «I love laughing, farting and throwing bunnies at hungry Pit Bulls at children Zoo’s, hahahahaHA!
Be Warned
BE WARNED!!!

Only printed here once so far, but I plan to do more. Was my first time printing in several years (since art school). Staff was helpful in terms of advising me which screens to use etc. I was taking longer than I planned to print, but the person closing waited a few extra minutes for me to finish my last for prints and wash the ink of my screens.
Also, a year before I took one of their intro classes to learn how to make my own separations. Was super helpful in getting me started. Before that I was making them much in a much slower way.
Will def come back. Got a couple sticker projects in minds and this is way faster and cheaper than ordering them online.

The
Prices
For bring your
Own t-​shirts are
Much cheaper than the norm. Screen printing win.

I’ve taken 2 classes here — Intro to Screenprinting and Specialty Inks.
For both courses I felt like even though instructors knew what they were doing as far as printing, neither was equipped with teaching skills. Both times it felt like they just showed up and winged it. They could really benefit from drafting an outline so that there is a clear flow from step 1 to 2 etc. Both classes started about 45 minutes late. Both times they were not prepared with what they needed to do demos. Part of that was because they didn’t plan ahead (see note about not having any structure or outline) and part of that is because the lab itself seems to be neglected.
Which brings me to my next major issue with the space. The equipment is in poor shape. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was just retired leftovers from their factory. Supplies that should be stocked on regular basis were out. When I took the specialty inks class the heat press wasn’t working. Now it’s gone. When I tried to purchase paper they said they had in stock the only one they actually had was the most expensive. People that worked there, while all were very friendly, didn’t really seem to know what was included or what prices were.
The area to wash out the screens doesn’t drain well so you get splashed with nasty dirty water. There’s one dinky little box fan to dry how many ever screens. The exposure unit is scratched, cracked and dirty and the light comes from the side instead of under the table. If there was more than one person using the lab it would be a lot of wasted time.
I was hoping to rent time in the lab and work on some projects but considering all of the above I wont waste my money there.