Screen Printing

[Mike Beck]

Hello.

I just recently bought some "amateur" screen printing supplies. I started the process in my basement and am currently working on making my first screen. i'm crossing my fingers that i didn't eff it up.

anyway, just wondering if any of you out there have done any screen printing, and if you have any tips or anything for how you've made yours.

i'm working with a 300 watt incandescent bulb right now, and have been trying to figure out the damn exposure time.


ok, that's all for now. i have a feeling this thread might die a quick death. :cowboy:

[ZoNeSeeK]

I remember doing screen printing in primary school with like a stencil thing and a squidgy.

I dont really think this is helpful in any way :)

[Darkthoughts]

That was all I had to add too :D

[Mike Beck]

:lol:

it's ok. it was still nice to get a response to this thread. :D

[Matt]

I think it sounds really interesting though.

I bet you can do amazing things with it, as talented as you are.

[Mike Beck]

bah. quit buttering me up. :P

i attempted to burn a screen last night, and i fucked it up. :(
maybe i didn't expose it enough, maybe i put too much emulsion on the thing, but it came out horribly.

so i got another screen today, and am going to try it again. ;)

[Darkthoughts]

I see DT tshirts on the horizon...:excited:

[Rjeso]

Man, I used to work for a screenprinter, but this was years and years ago. I do remember that the emulsion does have to be somewhat thin, or it won't burn through cleanly. It takes about 45 minutes for a 150-watt clear bulb to burn a screen, so if you're working with a 300-watter, well, try a shorter time period. :P I'm such a help. :rolleyes:

Also, are you buying new screen or rinsing out the old ones? A bad burn oughtn't ruin a screen... just might make it a bit harder to clean out. I know there are some chemicals (http://www.dickblick.com/zz433/27/) out there for cleaning a tough screen that work really well with one of those hand-held scrubby brushes, like this one:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v123/silver_phoenix11/scrubbrush.jpg

Sorry if you know all this already, I'm just remembering all I can.

[Mike Beck]

damn, thanks rjeso. that actually does help. i was having trouble finding any charts for wattage to exposure time. maybe 20 minutes with my 300 watt?

and you think the screen i effed up is still salvagable?? i just figured i ruined it for good. thank god, cause them things add up quickly if i have to go out and keep buying new ones. :D

i'm drying a new screen out right now, anyhow. gonna try to burn it tonight with my new information. thanks!


Darkthoughts, I'm sure DT shirts will be on the horizon. Once I get the technique down, i'm gonna do all kinds of nerdy lost and dark tower prints. :dork:

[Brice]

damn, thanks rjeso. that actually does help. i was having trouble finding any charts for wattage to exposure time. maybe 20 minutes with my 300 watt?

and you think the screen i effed up is still salvagable?? i just figured i ruined it for good. thank god, cause them things add up quickly if i have to go out and keep buying new ones. :D

i'm drying a new screen out right now, anyhow. gonna try to burn it tonight with my new information. thanks!


Darkthoughts, I'm sure DT shirts will be on the horizon. Once I get the technique down, i'm gonna do all kinds of nerdy lost and dark tower prints. :dork:

I want one! :excited:

[Mike Beck]

let me make sure i can do these things proper like. then i can send people cool shit. but don't hold me to it just yet. right now i really suck at this. the first one i tried looked like a robot threw up on the shirt. and even that sounds cooler than what i produced. ;)

[Brice]

MikeBeck+bad art=doesn't compute

[Matt]

let me make sure i can do these things proper like. then i can send people cool shit. but don't hold me to it just yet. right now i really suck at this. the first one i tried looked like a robot threw up on the shirt. and even that sounds cooler than what i produced. ;)

Yeah, because robot throw up may be a million dollar idea.

[Mike Beck]

who doesn't love robots puking? :lol:

thanks Brice!

[Rjeso]

damn, thanks rjeso. that actually does help. i was having trouble finding any charts for wattage to exposure time. maybe 20 minutes with my 300 watt?

and you think the screen i effed up is still salvagable?? i just figured i ruined it for good. thank god, cause them things add up quickly if i have to go out and keep buying new ones. :D

i'm drying a new screen out right now, anyhow. gonna try to burn it tonight with my new information. thanks!

Yeah, no problem, dude.

Yeah, screens can add up fast, 'specially if you're using silk ones. The only thing about scrubbing is that they're more likely to get pinholes in them, so it's something to watch out for. If the pinhole is in a place near the edge, there's this stuff that you can use to patch them that the emulsion-dissolver stuff won't take off. I don't know what exactly it is, though, sorry.