exposure problems am i doing it right?
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:17 pm
Ok I purchased the speedball products from the local art store. I also checked michals and hobby lobby and they both sell speedball products. I cant say I am impressed with speedball. Their directions are abysmal. I guess the directions are good for them as you will never figure it out and end up buying more product if you dont burn out and burn off of the project first. Thank god for youtube to pick up some of the finer points and missing information.
Ok so i have tried to make three screens so far. the third one being the best except the emulsion has just about completly washed out of the ink side of the screen. The first two I figured out that i was using way to much emulsion and it was making it way to thick and darn near impossible to wash out. also the third one i used some foam on the back that was covered with a black fabric to back it up. my negative is a piece of glass with my pattern cut out in sign vynly. It is a really good sign vynl that is very very opaque. The first two i didnt use the foam and fabrick and i think the light getting through the emulsion and would expose the backside of my pattern from underneath making it very hard to wash out. I would have to wash it out so hard it would peel off parts i didnt want peeled off. The third screen washed out very easy. Again maybee to easy on the ink side as it seems all the emulsion washed off this side. Is this normal? Is this screen usable as its the best looking one so far? What am I doing wrong and why isnt the backside of the screen curing when i expose it.
Also my exposing light i am sure is not the best. Speedball has the instructions for a 150 watt buld and the pie tin reflector method. I have two lights on my desk and one has a 75 watt bulb and the other has a 95 watt bulb. I figure between the two its over 150 watts combined. I used the speedball time of 1.5 hrs with this wattage and distance from screen figure.
Is my light not strong enough wattage wise to cure the back side of the screen properly?
thanks
Jeremy
Ok so i have tried to make three screens so far. the third one being the best except the emulsion has just about completly washed out of the ink side of the screen. The first two I figured out that i was using way to much emulsion and it was making it way to thick and darn near impossible to wash out. also the third one i used some foam on the back that was covered with a black fabric to back it up. my negative is a piece of glass with my pattern cut out in sign vynly. It is a really good sign vynl that is very very opaque. The first two i didnt use the foam and fabrick and i think the light getting through the emulsion and would expose the backside of my pattern from underneath making it very hard to wash out. I would have to wash it out so hard it would peel off parts i didnt want peeled off. The third screen washed out very easy. Again maybee to easy on the ink side as it seems all the emulsion washed off this side. Is this normal? Is this screen usable as its the best looking one so far? What am I doing wrong and why isnt the backside of the screen curing when i expose it.
Also my exposing light i am sure is not the best. Speedball has the instructions for a 150 watt buld and the pie tin reflector method. I have two lights on my desk and one has a 75 watt bulb and the other has a 95 watt bulb. I figure between the two its over 150 watts combined. I used the speedball time of 1.5 hrs with this wattage and distance from screen figure.
Is my light not strong enough wattage wise to cure the back side of the screen properly?
thanks
Jeremy