Boy am I fustrated!!! I have been screening for about a year. Tought myself adobe, emulsions, spot printing...etc. I was pretty proud. I now have a client who wants me to do a job. It involves halftones. It seems the next logical step in the evolution of the business. But I just can't get it work. I have the fast rip and the fast film programs. They seem to work easy enough, but when I go to wash out the screens the emulstion just falls apart. I noticed that the ink on other folks films was very black and mine is not. It is a very dark grey. I am printing the films with an epson 4800.
Do I have the wrong printer????
Thank you for any help. I would greatly appreciate it.
When outputting the films, are you using waterproof film?
For the epson 4800 USSPI is selling this as a system, it only works if you are using their ink and waterproof films.
Challenger
They seem to work easy enough, but when I go to wash out the screens the emulstion just falls apart.
I noticed that the ink on other folks films was very black and mine is not. It is a very dark grey. I am printing the films with an epson 4800.
If the stencil does not hold in the mesh, it wasn't exposed to enough UV energy.
If the positive is not dark enough for your taste, it may be the settings in FastRIP. Call U. S. Screen and have them walk you through the settings you have.
The 4800 is a very popular screen making positive printer.
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How are you measuring? retired Ulano Technical Support Screen printing since 1979 - SGIA Academy Member
When outputting the films, are you using waterproof film?
For the epson 4800 USSPI is selling this as a system, it only works if you are using their ink and waterproof films.
Challenger
This isn't totally true. I know a lot of printers who use different waterproof film and the USSPI's ink and software.
And I know people who use the standard epson ink with the program and his film.
It's probably an issue either in the settings, or the exposure of the screen. Most likely you aren't exposing enough because (if what I gather is correct) the WHOLE screen washes out.
Is the whole screen washing out? Because if the positive wasn't dense enough NOTHING (in theory) would wash out if exposed correctly.
when you go to print, make sure you are selecting the right printer. it should say fast rip photoscript printer when you have the correct printer selected. from there go to properties > advance > scroll down to printer features > print mode > then select fastrip 720 td 55. this shold lay down more ink to your film/positive. other problems might be clogged printer heads, or like they mentioned exposure times. but if your films are to light this might be your problem. also make sure you have the right mesh count on your screens, to low of mesh count will not hold small halftone dots, they will just wash off. hope this helps
[quote=adawg2252;219034]This isn't totally true. I know a lot of printers who use different waterproof film and the USSPI's ink and software.
And I know people who use the standard epson ink with the program and his film.
You can swap inks or films, but I really don't think this is a smart move on the 4800, as USSPI only guarantee results if you are using their products on this printer, check it out.
Challenger
epson 4800 and halftones 
