Yo.
I've recently started using screens with a lower mesh count than I'm used to (now 90T) and am having problems developing; when I wash out my screens, the image is degrading massively, the emulsion just won't stay on the screen. This extends to clean ink off the screen- the emulsion comes off even when I wipe it gently with a sponge...
is the solution a longer/shorter exposure time? or is it more complicated than that?
Help!
Cheers
Degraded Emulsion/Images
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on coarse mesh screens, first do a double coat each side, see if that gives you a better coverage. If it is still too thin after washout and increasing your time, or with lots of pinholes, either get a better emulsion, or do a second coating on the bottom of the screen once the first coating patteren is dry. this will build the thickness and give you a stronger stencil - it will also inrease the exposure time.
Instead of just randomly upping time, get an exposure calc from Autotype(expensive) Chromaline (cheaper) or do a step wedge exposure test with a piece of black paper or ruby (cheapest)
white meshes are going to expose in 1/2 -2/3 the time of yellow.
but it sure sounds like you are underexposed.
A perfect exposure will leave you with a hard solid stencil after washout - run your hand across - does it give off slime?, then keep washing - a properly exposed screen is not affected by too much washout. If it is slimey, then up your exposure time. You want to find the balance point between a hard stencil, and keeping your detail.
A good high solids stencil material helps a lot.
Instead of just randomly upping time, get an exposure calc from Autotype(expensive) Chromaline (cheaper) or do a step wedge exposure test with a piece of black paper or ruby (cheapest)
white meshes are going to expose in 1/2 -2/3 the time of yellow.
but it sure sounds like you are underexposed.
A perfect exposure will leave you with a hard solid stencil after washout - run your hand across - does it give off slime?, then keep washing - a properly exposed screen is not affected by too much washout. If it is slimey, then up your exposure time. You want to find the balance point between a hard stencil, and keeping your detail.
A good high solids stencil material helps a lot.
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