Sure you could. UV light cures the emulsion.
The only question is how long to leave it in the sun..... With a light its been tried and true.
The only question is how long to leave it in the sun..... With a light its been tried and true.
Burn a screen with the sun? Or light bulb?
I have a small screen i need to do a very small print for. Screen is about 12 inches by 12 inchs.
I do not have a place to burn the screen (ie. a real lamp). Is it possible to burn a screen with photo emulsion using the sun, or a home lamp??? Please let me know how I would do it.
Also, once i do actually put the paint on the material, am I supposed to heat cure it? How do i do that with a regular iron?
Thanks much....appreciate all your help peeps.
I do not have a place to burn the screen (ie. a real lamp). Is it possible to burn a screen with photo emulsion using the sun, or a home lamp??? Please let me know how I would do it.
Also, once i do actually put the paint on the material, am I supposed to heat cure it? How do i do that with a regular iron?
Thanks much....appreciate all your help peeps.
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
I really hate to rain on your parade but I dont believe your going to find a quick easy answer. Even with a commercial vacume exposure unit exposure tests must be done to find the correct exposure time when changing mesh colors, materials and or emulsions... If you google "How to screen print" you should be able to find quite a few sites that will give you an understanding of the Basics to help you start out with... it will also explain the inks envolved with textile printing with this under your belt we may be more able to answer your questions that you will still or might have....cposch said:I have a small screen i need to do a very small print for. Screen is about 12 inches by 12 inchs.
I do not have a place to burn the screen (ie. a real lamp). Is it possible to burn a screen with photo emulsion using the sun, or a home lamp??? Please let me know how I would do it.
Also, once i do actually put the paint on the material, am I supposed to heat cure it? How do i do that with a regular iron?
Thanks much....appreciate all your help peeps.
Heres one to get you started http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/site/799934/page/513584
Good luck with your project.... Chuck
Hey Cposch
Heres some info that might help.
When i first started, i used a commercial Halogen 500w lamp. You know, the Work Lights.
I used it at 13" from the Emulsion surface, for 12 minutes.
I cosistently got great results form this distance. No wash out around the edges, and no over cooking the screens.
Remember to put some glass on the artwork to keep it flat, { it does get hot form this distance} A local glass shop can get you a 20" x 24" sheet of NON uv blocking glass for less than 10$
And yeah, wash it out with cold water for about 5 mins, and if its sunny, i will prop it up outside, and in 10 mins shes ready to tape up.
Also if its night time{ my fave time to work} i just lay it on the ground under a flash unit to speed up the drying time.
Hope this helps.
Heres some info that might help.
When i first started, i used a commercial Halogen 500w lamp. You know, the Work Lights.
I used it at 13" from the Emulsion surface, for 12 minutes.
I cosistently got great results form this distance. No wash out around the edges, and no over cooking the screens.
Remember to put some glass on the artwork to keep it flat, { it does get hot form this distance} A local glass shop can get you a 20" x 24" sheet of NON uv blocking glass for less than 10$
And yeah, wash it out with cold water for about 5 mins, and if its sunny, i will prop it up outside, and in 10 mins shes ready to tape up.
Also if its night time{ my fave time to work} i just lay it on the ground under a flash unit to speed up the drying time.
Hope this helps.
As others have said, possible but unreliable.cposch said:Is it possible to burn a screen with photo emulsion using the sun, or a home lamp???
Yes you are.cposch said:Also, once i do actually put the paint on the material, am I supposed to heat cure it?
If you're using plastisol: you don't. If you're using waterbased ink: you let the ink air dry (you can speed it up with a hairdryer, etc. if you want), then iron over the print for the time the manufacturer recommends, normally supplied with the ink.cposch said:How do i do that with a regular iron?
ffokazak said:Hey Cposch
Heres some info that might help.
When i first started, i used a commercial Halogen 500w lamp. You know, the Work Lights.
I used it at 13" from the Emulsion surface, for 12 minutes.
I cosistently got great results form this distance. No wash out around the edges, and no over cooking the screens.
Remember to put some glass on the artwork to keep it flat, { it does get hot form this distance} A local glass shop can get you a 20" x 24" sheet of NON uv blocking glass for less than 10$
And yeah, wash it out with cold water for about 5 mins, and if its sunny, i will prop it up outside, and in 10 mins shes ready to tape up.
Also if its night time{ my fave time to work} i just lay it on the ground under a flash unit to speed up the drying time.
Hope this helps.
we use two 500w halogen lamps 12" high and leave for 7 mins, and never have any screens mess up!
Thank GOD and lowes for the 500w halogen light. Thats what I been using for a year now and it works GREAT! Slow! but great,,but 9 to 11 mins is not to bad to wate...i can take a smoke breakSo im going to start screen printing this weekend i have everything come in from silkscreening supplies . com but i couldnt afford an exposure unit, and ill be trying to expose my screens in the sun, but one more question should i put the transperancy on top or bottom when exposing?
The positive should lay against the substrate side (The side that touches the shirt) I have exposed in the sun a few times and I find it to be pretty reliable so long as you use a slow emulsion that has a fair amount of leeway. Unfortunately, I wouldn't try to use these same emulsions with a 500w halogen due the length of time it would take to expose.
There is a book by a guy named Andy McDougal that everyone should read that has instructions on how to expose in the sun. His go to rig is a large rotating vacuum table that can be turned to face a large window. Pretty slick if you ask me.
There is a book by a guy named Andy McDougal that everyone should read that has instructions on how to expose in the sun. His go to rig is a large rotating vacuum table that can be turned to face a large window. Pretty slick if you ask me.
I've burned screens with sunlight many times, will take between 30-45 seconds under the noon sun using ulano QTX emultion.
You will need a board that fits inside your screen covered with a dark cloth to prevent reflected light from exposing the underside of the screen.
You will need a board that fits inside your screen covered with a dark cloth to prevent reflected light from exposing the underside of the screen.
put it facing the light source. Get your self an exposure calculator and you will have to 'sacrifice' a screen to see what the best time will be.So im going to start screen printing this weekend i have everything come in from silkscreening supplies . com but i couldnt afford an exposure unit, and ill be trying to expose my screens in the sun, but one more question should i put the transperancy on top or bottom when exposing?
i will need a piece of glass that will go over right? and i got that prochem dpx pink emulsion would you guys know how long it would take or like superD70 said just experiment? and thanks guys
Yes you will need a piece of glass to press the Film to the screen. Unfamiliar with prochem but if it's a diazo dual cure I'd start with 40 seconds
yeah its dual cure diazo, reason i got it is because it seems like its the easiest to mix for now, i actuall do vinyl decals banners etc and now expanding to doing screen print and nice to have to people help out on something but thanks again
No problem, everyone here is very helpful.
I burn outside all the time, I can do half a dozen in the sun faster than 1 on my exposure unit.
Get a exposure calculator next time you order anything, it will help dial in your exposure times
I burn outside all the time, I can do half a dozen in the sun faster than 1 on my exposure unit.
Get a exposure calculator next time you order anything, it will help dial in your exposure times
yeah sure will and i also need that scale that shows how tight the screen is and idk what its called?
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
T-Shirt Forums
A forum community dedicated to T-shirt merchants, professionals and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about graphics, commerce, dyes, prints, collections, guides, displays, styles, scales, equipment, accessories, reviews, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
