[kylerogers]

Some of my screens came out bad and when I used stencil remover, it left faint outlines of emulsion where the stencil was.

Will haze remover get rid of that. I don't have any haze remover right now, I plan to order some tomorrow.

 

[out da box]

This can be caused by underexposure. When it comes time to reclaim, the stuff wants to stain in the screen. Haze paste should do it, I don't know what else works.

 

[kylerogers]

Yeah, I just got started and I was having a bunch of problems making screens. I had really high humidity in my house. Like 50-55%. I bought a $50 dehumidifier of the internet, but it was total garbage and didn't do ****.

I now have purchased a $150 dehumidifier now and a digital humidifier gauge.

I've also been having problems making good prints. I've been practicing for a week now. But I think a big part of my problem is that my screens don't have any ink well. They all feel totally flat. When I made a screen in this two day class I took from Lawson, they told us to run our hand across the print side of the screen and feel the ink well. I could definately feel a substantial raised edge along the stencil.

I've been using the same emulsion and technique in my house, but I took maybe since the humidity was so high, the emulsion wasn't going on as thick. (I'll probably start using a second coat of emulsion if I'm going to use white ink from now on also).

Basically I did get a screen ready to reclaim just now. I didn't have any haze remover to use, but I just used lots of Lawson Soy Based Ink Degradent and lots and lots of scrubbing.

I still have a few pieces of underexposed emulsion on the screen, but they are out of the area where the image will be. I got all the left over (ghost image) lines of emulsion out of the print area.

My understanding is the Haze is the nasty stuff that eats your skin. Do I have to go that far, or can I use some of the more mild spray stuff?

This can be caused by underexposure. When it comes time to reclaim, the stuff wants to stain in the screen. Haze paste should do it, I don't know what else works.

 

[out da box]

I use the haze when the situation dictates. Use gloves- but it will not eat your skin. It is nasty and extremely strong. I use a 2+2 coating method with the round side of the scoop coater to get a nice stencil thickness.

 

[kylerogers]

What do you mean 2+2. Do you mean two full coats. Coat both sides, let dry then coat again?
I was wondering what the rounded side of the coater is for.

I use the haze when the situation dictates. Use gloves- but it will not eat your skin. It is nasty and extremely strong. I use a 2+2 coating method with the round side of the scoop coater to get a nice stencil thickness.

 

[RichardGreaves]

What is 2+2 mean?

What do you mean 2+2. Do you mean two full coats. Coat both sides, let dry then coat again?

I was wondering what the rounded side of the coater is for.

2+2 means 2 coats on the bottom of the screen, then turn the screen around and coat 2 times from the inside to push the emulsion through the mesh, so the emulsion ends up on the bottom of the mesh where it belongs.

The rounded edge is for initial coating. The rounded edge will push more emulsion into the holes so emulsion will completely fill the holes.

The sharp edge is for face coating a second coat of emulsion that will fill the waffle like 'pot-holes', left when the water evaporates, and the stencil takes on the shape of the the mesh.

This stencil needs a face coat.

Don't take my word for it. Do a test yourself - it costs nothing.

Use the sharp edge and make 6 different length coats and see if the emulsion comes through the mesh and forms a glossy film.

Now do the same thing with the rounded edge.

Coating FAQ of Screen Making Products

 

[out da box]

Are you saying to coat the screens once, let dry then recoat them with the sharp side as a "face coat" ?

 

[RichardGreaves]

Face coat dried stencil to improve smooth surface

Are you saying to coat the screens once, let dry then recoat them with the sharp side as a "face coat" ?

To build up a thicker stencil, or smoother surface (Rz value), after the water evaporates and the initial coating takes on the shape of the mesh, you should face coat.

[media]http://www.kiwo.com/Articles/Understanding%20Mesh%20Geometry.pdf[/media]

 

[out da box]

Excellent info. Thanks Greaves.