[mouseinthehouse]

I'm really new to this whole screen printing thing- so I guess it's just a matter of practice making perfect and all that jazz- but I seem incapable of coating a screen without the emulsion being spread very unevenly-- usually only half the screen gets properly coated at best-- (or 90% ending up on the floor). I've unsuccessfully tried using the squeegee to even out the emulsion. Any tips, suggestions on how to handle the scoop coater etc? I'm not quite sure what I'm doing wrong!

 

[Fauxfax]

!dON'T pANIC
Go to YouTube and do a search for 'Screen printing screen preparation video 3' and find the Ryonet tutorial. You're probably making a very simple mistake like tipping the scoop coater too far forward.
Squeegees will never come into it. You'll never get the emulsion to dry or expose if it is that thick. Get this right. The emulsion coat is very thin and the scoop coater is held tight against the mesh.

 

[alvin6661]

get a scoop coater, they are cheap and use the sharp edge.

 

[nairtoons]

I would also go with the scoop/troff coater. It will take some getting used to. And always put the rubber protector over the blade when your not using it. If you get a nick in the edge your gonna have a line. Then you'll have to sand it. You may have to take a finale pass to cut off all the excess.

 

[BLEM18]

I was at the NBM show in Indianapolis last weekend and one of the guys from Ryonet had explained to me that you should coat the screen (with scoop coater) at least twice each side. This will help creat a nice gasket between shirt and ink when printing.

 

[nairtoons]

I go twice up both sides and the one up the middle. Which is the side that hits the shirt. Coating is an art I hate coating when it's rainy. It seems that the emulsion doesn't want flow as well, must be the humidity. I use amber bulbs or put rubylith so I don't get any post exposure.

For large runs we also like to block our screens out with emulsion instead of blockout. That way you don't get any pinholes. Than expose them.