bzelus

Hello fellow creatives-

So first post, newbie-ish screen printer here. I am seeking advice/guidance on the most efficient way i can achieve stencils and prints that hold extremely fine, cross-hatched style detail

To elaborate on my situation- I am an artist/graphic designer who has now taken up screen printing and am taking my time to create and establish a new athletic brand utilizing my art style of fusing together pen and ink illustrations with crisp vector graphic content

I have built my own studio/screen printing shop set-up which is completely a beginners model- but is a solid one. I know the better i can explain/describe my specifics- the better yalls can assist- so here goes-

Press-
is Ryonet's old 6 color 2 station press with the magnetic clamps- but has been custom fabricated with the other 2 arms detachable, making it both a 2 or 4 station press

Exposure Unit-
a basic 20x24 table top UV model with six 30watt bulbs. Now i know that vacuum suction is the best (especially for fine detail)- but this is what im working with. To compensate, i built a lid to it with latches- and use a 2in foam pad insert with the screen side spray painted solid black- so its very compressed and tight during exposing

Emulsion / Mesh Count-
is SAATIchem's Textile PV (pink) which is very fast exposing. Currently, I have been exposing 200 and 280count screens at 30-45 seconds with good results in the washout. I now try to coat as thin/light as possible- however, i worry if the lack of thickenss to a stencil will not let it hold up for over a hundred prints or so (also- should i be shooting for the highest mesh count i can get)

Now I have learned that screen printing truly is the harmony of precision and accuracy for each step throughout the process- with the set-up that your working with. And with that, i think that emulsion choice is the determining factor for my set-up. I now realize that there are many types/brands of emulsions out there, so im hopeing that after reading this, a proper emulsion can be recomended

Also, if you are currently-- or are passed the begginer model that im working with- possible techniques/tips can be communicated to me to ease through a not fully professional set-up

In plain english, i just want to know if and how i can make and have stencils of very fine detail, successfully come out in washout- with the model that im working with. Oh- and im using my own personally built backlit washout booth with a water hose with an adjustable pressure spray nozzle (and i know that the washout can truly be a "feel-it-out" process itself- especially in washing out such fine lines, as in cross-hatched art). Also, im out of I.E. southern Cali for an understanding of humidity levels

Soooooo- thank you already for bearing through this long *** post- but i figure the more- the more i can get out of it

thanx in advance,

-bzelus

 

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majen

It might be good to know how you are rendering your positives. Are you using an ink jet, imagesetter (out sourced) or velum? Obviously the imagesetter film would be best but you can get a good amount of detail with printed "clear" film either with ink jet or laser. Just make certain that your black areas are very black and your clear ares clear.

The quality of the positive plays a big role. I try and go the furthest back in the procedure as possible to fix issues.

Also a big help can be to use yellow mesh. It will increase your exposure time but will definitely increase the detail that you can resolve. You don't really need an ultra high mesh count for detail just good emulsion and a good light source, your 280's should be good for just about anything.

Moral of the story, start early in the procedure. Get your controls established and reduce the variables farther down the line.

 

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