ScreenPrintingHelp
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- ericstrohl
Does anyone have any tips on applying emuslion to a normal screen? I keep having issues and fear i apply the emulsion too thick. How thick should it be applied and what should the consistency of the emulsion be? like syrup? peanut butter? thinnner?
- jrem0
01.
you would want something called a scoop coater. It looks like a long corner cover. Looks like this:
http://www.westarsolutions.com/p…02.
Put the emulsion in the scoop coater.03.
Holding the coater from the bottom and at the bottom of the screen, tip the coater until the emulsion slowly makes contact with the mesh and slowly pull up.04.
Repeat. and turn the screen around and coat that twice as well.05.
Emulsion's consistency generally depends on the temperature that day. the colder, the thicker, vice versa. Stir the emulsion before you apply it to thin it.
- draydog0
A rubber or plastic spreader like the kind used to apply fiberglass resin works great to apply the emulsion. I've never had problems with uneven coating using one.
Dip the spreader in the emulsion and apply a bead of it along one edge of the back of the screen. Drag the emlusion with the speader across the screen to apply it, remove excess, then continue until screen is coated. Flip the screen over to the front and run the spreder along removing any excess that has come through. Wipe up any residue with a damp cloth.
The emulsion should be the consistancy of thick syrup at comfortable room temperature.
Good luck.
- ericstrohl0
thanks for the tips guys-
i had been using a scoop coater- but it doesnt seem to allow for a even coating- especially when the emulsion seems so "globby".
I will try using a regular spreader.
Is it a no-no ading a bit of water to the emulion if i feel it is a bit too thick?
- jrem0
that's a super nono. let it sit in a your bathroom or something while you take a shower. that'll soften it right up. also, make sure to stir the stupid emulsion in the dark...or close to dark.
- deathtoprint0
scoop coaters usually have a side to them which is a little bit sharper than the other, you'll want to use the thinner sharper edge of the scoop. The other side should be rounded or easier to tell it's not as sharp. When Coating your screen, lean it up against a wall at about a 30 degree angle, and place or drill something like a paint mixing stick (the kind they give you for free to mix the paint when you buy a gallon of it from home depot or something) or a book so it doesnt slide forward or backwards and fall while you apply pressure to it with the scoop coater. It makes things a lot easier, and with practice (yes, it takes some practice) you know you'll get the same results every time, its easier to get a more-even coat too.
- ericstrohl0
thanks for the notes- we'll give it some more practice and see if i cant get the hang of it..
everything i am doing is by the book, but my results just arent what i think is "right" -