[Chromechild]

Im using diaz emulsion
and I make my own screens, they are made from 100% nylon curtains.

The problem is when I put the screen on the material and flood it, then press it in [with cardboard, Im screenprinting the cheap way], then lift it up
the ink is over the parts I flooded and even the design, so its one big splotch.
help


Is my problem with not letting my emulsion dry longer on the screen?[I let it sit for a less than a day to dry]
Am I not pressing down on the screen hard enough?[again I am using a weight to hold down the screen for 1 color screen printing]
Do I need to double coat the screen with emulsion?

 

[outbreak]

Post a pic of your screen. And how do you burn your screen?

 

[20vK]

Wait..... Are using weight to push the ink through the screen with a flat piece of cardboard? You're not even trying to use the cardboard as a squeegee?

If this is the case, then you are not screen printing - you are "cardboard splurging".... Hence why your print looks splurgy.

Watch some screen printing videos on YouTube - look up Ryonet and Catspit.

You need off contact for printing on fabric. Tape coins to each corner of the screen to raise it off the shirt by about an eighth of an inch for a tight screen. You made your own screen, so maybe you have no tension at all......?????

Too many unknowns without seeing photos of your equipment.

 

[Chromechild]

Wait..... Are using weight to push the ink through the screen with a flat piece of cardboard? You're not even trying to use the cardboard as a squeegee?

If this is the case, then you are not screen printing - you are "cardboard splurging".... Hence why your print looks splurgy.

Watch some screen printing videos on YouTube - look up Ryonet and Catspit.

You need off contact for printing on fabric. Tape coins to each corner of the screen to raise it off the shirt by about an eighth of an inch for a tight screen. You made your own screen, so maybe you have no tension at all......?????

Too many unknowns without seeing photos of your equipment.

No im def using the cardboard lip as a squeeges.
I just use the weights to put on the edges of the screen for tension to keep the screen still and pressed down[it has the same effect of someone holding down the screen while I flood it with ink].

thanks appreciate it
ive been following all the instructions from every instructionable on this site
Screen Printing: Cheap, Dirty, and At Home

 

[Chromechild]

Post a pic of your screen. And how do you burn your screen?

I let the emulsion dry for a day and a half or less.
I expose the screen to a 250W bulb with the negative on the the screen.
I've exposed it for 45m/2h/3h/4h with the bulb 3 feet above it.
Then I take the screen and spray down the screen with my hose with its pressure attachment [ Also it's hot water I'm not sure if that makes a difference, I'm attaching it to the valve in my laundry room].
After I spray out the screen I can see the design on it perfectly. I don't know if its a difference though, if I over-spray the parts that are suppose to be "burned" it fades away more and more

 

[20vK]

If the screen is washed out perfectly, then it's done. Let it dry and post cure it in the sun to harden it. Once it is cured, it is cured.

You may want to buy a rubber bladed squeegee. The rubber has the flexibility to push the ink out evenly. I can't see how card will ever do that.

You want space between the screen and your garment. So the screen I Lu touches the shirt when the squeegee is on it. As you move the squeegee down the screen the mesh men tardily touches the shirt then springs back up away from it. This action, combined with a sharp and flexible squeegee shears the ink and gives a good print.

 

[Chromechild]

You want space between the screen and your garment. So the screen I Lu touches the shirt when the squeegee is on it. As you move the squeegee down the screen the mesh men tardily touches the shirt then springs back up away from it. This action, combined with a sharp and flexible squeegee shears the ink and gives a good print.

this part is completely new to me
i havent read this in any of my tutorials
I thought the screen had to be completely against the fabric
So I put quarters against the fabric and screen then flood it with ink ?

 

[20vK]

Yup! Search for "off-contact". That's what we call it in the industry. It's very important for good prints onto fabric. The looser your screen, the more off-contact you need. Standard industry new screens need about an eight of an inch. You may need more

You flood the screen first. Then bring it down o to your shirt. Then print. The coins will keep the screen off your shirt.

 

[miktoxic]

20vK is exactly right.

you don't want the screen laying flat on the shirt. even with silk screen printing machines you adjust off contact so there is like a credit card amount of space between the screen when pulled down and the shirt. i even tape a plastic circle (the thing you pull out of a half and half or OJ container) on top of my screens to give it more off contact.

you also have to have made your screen tight (tension). are you doing the old pulling and stapling? it's got to be even and tight all the way around.

you also have to apply pressure when printing and cardboard is just going to fold on you. buy a squeegee on ebay or a silkscreen supply store or even an arts and crafts store where you bought your emulsion. make sure the squeegee is bigger than your design but will also fit inside the inner dimensions of your frame.

also i know you're doing this on the cheap but you could avoid a lot of problems if you just bought a couple of hinge clamps that they sell for silk screening and attach to a piece of plywood. then you have a printing station and don't have to worry about your screen moving when printing.

screen printing hinges | eBay

screen printing squeegee in Printing & Graphic Arts | eBay

i try to do things on the cheap to, when i can BUT if you have to spend a little money to get the results you want, it's worth the cost.

 

[Chromechild]

Post a pic of your screen. And how do you burn your screen?

Oh sorry i forgot pics of screen
here is one i have in the making process

 

[miktoxic]

the screens are not right. first off if you are making your own frames they should be square wood 2" x 2"s cut at 45 degrees and glued and attached properly. you don't use beveled and routered picture frames.

also you can see by the pictures (especially pic #3) that the tension is just not there. it's way off. it's not even at all and it looks like you are using one staple per 2 inches or so when you need to have the whole screen attached staple to staple all the way around the frame. have you ever even done this before? you need to find a tut or web explanation of how to stretch screen material by hand because you just are not doing it correctly.

you know you can buy an aluminum frame 20" x 24" with screen already adhered for like $25? you gotta spend the money unless you learn how to do these things correctly.

your end product will never end up correct unless you follow the guidelines that we gave you above. i mean just by looking at the pics it's one of the worse examples of anyone producing a printable screen i've ever seen.

also what is the dripping on the screen?

 

[Chromechild]

the screens are not right. first off if you are making your own frames they should be square wood 2" x 2"s cut at 45 degrees and glued and attached properly. you don't use beveled and routered picture frames.

also you can see by the pictures (especially pic #3) that the tension is just not there. it's way off. it's not even at all and it looks like you are using one staple per 2 inches or so when you need to have the whole screen attached staple to staple all the way around the frame. have you ever even done this before? you need to find a tut or web explanation of how to stretch screen material by hand because you just are not doing it correctly.

you know you can buy an aluminum frame 20" x 24" with screen already adhered for like $25? you gotta spend the money unless you learn how to do these things correctly.

your end product will never end up correct unless you follow the guidelines that we gave you above. i mean just by looking at the pics it's one of the worse examples of anyone producing a printable screen i've ever seen.

also what is the dripping on the screen?

wow harsh judgement
Ill be sure stay away from routered and beveled picture frames although in some tutorials i've seen where u can use them as long as the side that will go on the shirt is flat

I also read that if you can bounce a quarter off your screen on all corners then you can be satisfied with the tightness
I was in the middle of cleaning off that screen but I can assure you its tight

Im also working on a tight budget, I bought a 2 15$ screen recently my first time and messed them up and not even the 20$ emulsion remover I bought will get it off, that's one reason why Im not starting off with pricey equipment
I would really hurt my pocket if I bought a 24x24 inch screen everytime for practice when I only need a 10x10 at the least for now

 

[outbreak]

How did you mess up those screens?

 

[miktoxic]

How did you mess up those screens?

chromechild not trying to be harsh, just solve your problem.

please look at the attached picks, number 3 especially.

you can clearly see the waves of screen material on the right side of this screen. that means when you were pulling the material vertically on that side it's not tight. just pull out the staples on the right side and 2 or 3 on the top and bottom, pull tight on the top and staple then do the same on the bottom then the side. also the best emulsion to use is the pink diazo and it is best to coat both sides before drying in a light safe area.

the bounce a quarter rule is correct but when they say it they mean on all points of the screen i doubt if you tried to bounce a quarter within the peaks and valleys of that area it'd work.

i learned that method over 30 years ago. don't take what i'm saying as being a smart #ss, just trying to give you some advice. just practice on making the screens tighter. you should buy a hand help stretching tool which is like a wide-set pair of pliers with the mouth being horizontal like 3 inches wide. it actually grips the material and you then pull each 3 inch section with the tool which leaves the other hand open to using the staple gun. as far as spending money, you've got to have the right tools do do the job right. it's like a plumber showing up at the job with a screwdriver.

also on those frames that have the emulsion LOCKED in, rip out the screen and redo them. the frames aren't ruined just the screen material.

 

[20vK]

Im also working on a tight budget, I bought a 2 15$ screen recently my first time and messed them up and not even the 20$ emulsion remover I bought will get it off, that's one reason why Im not starting off with pricey equipment
I would really hurt my pocket if I bought a 24x24 inch screen everytime for practice when I only need a 10x10 at the least for now

I would really encourage spending a few days on here and on YouTube (Ryonet and Catspit productions) to help you figure out what you should be aiming for.

I spent a solid year reading and watching.

There is no reason to be wrecking screens. Try and learn good practice and then at least you know what you should be aiming for, even if you have to compromise with a DIY budget approach. I'm full time and screens are used every day. After 2 years, they are still good. As a hobbiest, 1 good screen with good practice should last pretty much a lifetime.

 

[outbreak]

chromechild not trying to be harsh, just solve your problem.

please look at the attached picks, number 3 especially.

you can clearly see the waves of screen material on the right side of this screen. that means when you were pulling the material vertically on that side it's not tight. just pull out the staples on the right side and 2 or 3 on the top and bottom, pull tight on the top and staple then do the same on the bottom then the side. also the best emulsion to use is the pink diazo and it is best to coat both sides before drying in a light safe area.

the bounce a quarter rule is correct but when they say it they mean on all points of the screen i doubt if you tried to bounce a quarter within the peaks and valleys of that area it'd work.

i learned that method over 30 years ago. don't take what i'm saying as being a smart #ss, just trying to give you some advice. just practice on making the screens tighter. you should buy a hand help stretching tool which is like a wide-set pair of pliers with the mouth being horizontal like 3 inches wide. it actually grips the material and you then pull each 3 inch section with the tool which leaves the other hand open to using the staple gun. as far as spending money, you've got to have the right tools do do the job right. it's like a plumber showing up at the job with a screwdriver.

also on those frames that have the emulsion LOCKED in, rip out the screen and redo them. the frames aren't ruined just the screen material.

What I was trying to get at, is that I had some screens that had emulsion locked in. I found on these forums that if you use emulsion remover and dehazer, it will take it right out - and it sure did for me!

I was only trying to help...

 

[debbbbsy]

Hi

You don't have an emulsion problem. You have a total lack of understanding when it comes to screen printing.

Get some basic training whether watching & learning online, or hands on.

Sorry if this is harsh, but it will be time well spent. Once you see how it should be done properly you will look back and realise what you are trying to do is laughable. Even as a novice this is a joke.

 

[Chromechild]

I would really encourage spending a few days on here and on YouTube (Ryonet and Catspit productions) to help you figure out what you should be aiming for.

I spent a solid year reading and watching.

There is no reason to be wrecking screens. Try and learn good practice and then at least you know what you should be aiming for, even if you have to compromise with a DIY budget approach. I'm full time and screens are used every day. After 2 years, they are still good. As a hobbiest, 1 good screen with good practice should last pretty much a lifetime.

Yeah I've studied it for about 5 month
and I thought about it
I'm wondering if this is the problem, Idon't really have a a dark room, so I just close the bathroom dark and flood the screen with emulsion
with a small LED light I use to see,
then after I'm done with that I store the frame in dark box to dry.
Is my process right?

 

[miktoxic]

Yeah I've studied it for about 5 month
and I thought about it
I'm wondering if this is the problem, Idon't really have a a dark room, so I just close the bathroom dark and flood the screen with emulsion
with a small LED light I use to see,
then after I'm done with that I store the frame in dark box to dry.
Is my process right?

you said in a past post that when you wash your design out of the screen you can see the design fine, correct?

but to your question is no, not really. just buy a yellow bug light at your hardware store (2 in a pack costs like $5). that way you have light and can see what you're doing. you should block out any window with cardboard.

when you say flood the screen with emulsion you do mean coat it correct? you are using something to make sure that the emulsion is applied smoothly without excess to both sides of your screen?

listen no one is bashing you but from the pics that i've seen it's obvious to me that it's the way you are constructing your screens that that is what your problem is #1 and #2 is the way you are just laying your screen on the tshirt.

i mean we are trying to give you help it would behoove you to at least try the suggestions given here.