[jeannekay]

I tried my first screen today to no avail. I am brand new to this so other than reading as much as I can on these boards and a few youtube videos I don't know much and have no experience.

When I went to wash out my screen nothing washed out. Until I used the power washer for quite some time and then it just started washing away the emulsion, and not the design perse, although it looked to have started to wash off where the design was supposed to be.

In reading these posts I'm finding that I don't actually need the power washer on power, but should be able to use the pressure of just the water running through the screen. (This definitely would have done nothing today.)

I bought all my equipment from a friend so really don't know much about it. I used Ulano FX88 emulsion. It's a 1/2 used container. Which means it could be too old, however I do know it worked at one time because he'd used 1/2 the tub. I did a 2 & 1 coating on my screen. That's what I'd read here and saw on a video. Friend said he always just did one coat. The exposure unit is a Nuarc First Light FL2532, flourescent lights with a vacuum top, screen lays right on the glass. He told me to expose for 9 minutes. So should I have upped that time 3x since I coated the screen 3x to his typical 1?

After nothing washed out I came inside and searched on here for help/answers. What I've found is conflicting advice. From other's posts with the same problem I've seen both it's underexposed and overexposed. So now I'm confused.

I reclaimed my screen and have now put more emulsion on it but only did 2 coats on the front (tshirt) side of the screen. How long should I expose it?

Yes I've read I need an exposure meter and I plan on getting one of those. I just wanted to try this out b/c I'm excited and ready to get going and that I will have to order and it would be at least mid week next week before I could use it.

 

[sben763]

If I didn't washout its overexposed or just bad emulsion. That is a pure photopolymer. On a floresent unit 2-5 min should be exposure time Do a step wedge test. Are you washing out coating and drying in a light safe environment?

 

[jeannekay]

You know what I didn't wash out in a light sensitive environment. Duh! I thought to myself it's already been exposed so I don't need to keep it in the light safe environment, but the design hadn't been exposed! I really am smarter than this. Really. LOL

Ok will see how round 2 goes. I'll go ahead and dial down the exposure time anyway and see where that gets me.

 

[sben763]

If the previous owner said 9 start with 7 and do a step wedge test. I am not firmiluar with ulano products so the times may seam off to me but may be right on.

Photopolymer only takes a second in the sun.

 

[RoboLove]

When it comes to coating I find it best to coat t-shirt side first and then do the ink side to pugh the emulsion back through to the t-shirt side which builds up a slightly thicker stencil. Everyone seems to have their own technique though

 

[sben763]

I didn't read the entire post. You should always coat your print side last to push the emulsion to the shirt side building your stencil.

 

[jeannekay]

Well I did the stencil a 2nd time, just did 2 coats on the shirt side and exposed for 5 minutes and it washed out great. Screen is drying now so I haven't tried a print yet. We shall see. My design has a crackled texture look so perfection isn't totally necessary for my first go round. If I mess up some hopefully it either won't be noticible or will look like it was supposed to be that way!

 

[davej1956]

An easy way to find out how long it takes to properly expose is to put something with detail on the screen, like text that covers 30 to 40 percent of the area so when it is exposed you can see the detail.

Then cover all of the screen but 1 inch with something that will not allow the screen to expose, i used a piece of sign vinyl but didn't pull the backing off. then expose the uncovered end for 1 minute. Now move another 1 inch over and expose for another minute. Keep moving over and inch at a time and expose for 1 minute. You need to get about 8 to 10 steps. Then wash it out.

The end you started with will be the most exposed and the end you ended with the least exposed. This should tell you how long it takes with out having the step gauge they are telling you to use.

I used Ulano for a number of years, good stuff but kind of costly. On my Nuarc it takes 3.20 to expose it properly.

Lastly try croma blue emulsion, I love it and wont buy anything else anymore because it only takes .20 to exspose. Yea i went from 3.20 to 20 seconds.

 

[HumbleShirts]

Yeah, the Ulano QLT is the comp to the Chroma Blue. Our exposure times vary between 45 seconds to 2 minutes depending on mesh and emulsion. We're using the Nuarc MSP as well.