Screen Printing Tutorials

Reclaiming Your Screens to Reuse Them

Index

Martin Duchêne
Martin Duchêne
Reclaiming a screen printing screen using a pressure washer

When you no longer need to print an image that is already on a screen, you can reclaim the image to get a brand new one.

Material Needed

For this reclaim step, you will need:

  • A clean screen with no ink residue
  • Emulsion remover
  • A pair of gloves, as the emulsion remover is a fairly corrosive product, so we recommend that you wear protective gloves
  • A sponge to apply the emulsion remover to the frame to remove the emulsion properly
  • A Kärcher (pressure washer)

For those who don't have a Karcher at home, or simply because you live in the city, it's possible to overdose the emulsion remover so that it's easier to rinse your screen with a simple shower head or hose. If you're using the Mekanika kit, we've already overdosed the emulsion remover to make it easier for you.

How to Reclaim a Screen

As you can see in the video, for this step, it's best to stand outside and proceed as follows:

  • Apply the emulsion remover to both sides of the screen. Ideally, use a bottle with a spray cap.
  • Rub with a sponge to ensure that the product spreads evenly over the entire surface of the frame.
  • Leave for a few minutes, then clean with a karcher. To avoid damaging your screen, always start the karcher outside the screen and bring the jet back onto the screen after a few seconds.

If you think you've cleaned both sides well, check that this is the case by inspecting the screen in the light.

Next Step

If you want to start the process all over again, see our article How to prepare a stencil.

Sobre Mekanika

Mekanika es una empresa belga con sede en Bruselas cuya ambición es hacer que la producción local sea más accesible gracias a un enfoque 100% de código abierto.

Diseñamos y producimos máquinas de alta calidad para fresado CNC y serigrafía, reconocidas por su fiabilidad y facilidad de uso. Nuestras herramientas se entregan como kits y están completamente documentadas, lo que permite adaptarlas fácilmente a necesidades específicas.

Visita nuestra tienda para saber más, o consulta nuestros recursos y tutoriales en línea para seguir aprendiendo.

Artículos relacionados

Screen Printing Tutorials Selection Phone
Screen Printing "101": 10 Common Mistakes

Here are 10 common mistakes that beginner screen printers make, and how to avoid them, with a set of video tutorials to take you through your first successful print, step by step.

Martin Duchêne

Martin Duchêne

Head of Product Design