Screen Printing Forum

At the moment, I am printing on card stock and posters.

1. I still am having trouble getting screens fully clean of emulsion. There are marks where outside edges of the glass I laid down to keep the vellum flat. I have applied emulsion remover and scrubbed--never let it dry. Twice. And still these marks remain. Also wherever there was emulsion on the screen it's colored very faintly. Where there was never emulsion, it's totally white still.

2. Also, is there really no way of getting ink out of screens that has been dried?

3. Is it better to have screens re-screened or to buy new ones?

4. I was told you can use latex house paint. It dries quickly--are there ways to slow this quick-drying process down for my poor screens?

5. I am interested in printing large posters, say 17 x 21.5 or larger. What is the best way to get vellum cheap and also printed?

Thank you.

Problem #1... List the names of the chemicals, screens, Inks, emulsions.. etc you are using.

#2 Depends on how long its been in the screen. I have had screens sit with ink in them for a few months and was still able to reclaim them fairly easily.

#3 Use a screen till its dead and buy new ones every 3 months

#4 Latex paint???? who told you that? thats probably your #1 problem all together.

#5 your on your own for this one

Tone

Thanks for the response.

The ink has been in the screen in 1 case a few days. It's water based Speedball.

The second has been in for a couple weeks. It's not water based.

I am using a starter kit I got from screenprintingsupplies.com. The chemicals are from the kit. Rather generically labeled. They are found http://www.silkscreeningsupplies.com/si ... age/437613

SCREENS: 110 mesh, 20"x24" wood frame & 23x31 230
EMULSION: DCM Graphic Emulsion

Three screens have three inks stuck in them: general purpose from kit, latex (my bad), and speedball water-based.
I did not use after one shot as it dried upon my first few prints.

I am now using the Speedball Retarder with my ink and have had no problem with drying too fast in the screen.






Problem #1... List the names of the chemicals, screens, Inks, emulsions.. etc you are using.

#2 Depends on how long its been in the screen. I have had screens sit with ink in them for a few months and was still able to reclaim them fairly easily.

#3 Use a screen till its dead and buy new ones every 3 months

#4 Latex paint???? who told you that? thats probably your #1 problem all together.

#5 your on your own for this one