Successfully Coat a Screen
Coating Your Screen (video tutorial)
Coating your screen is the step that will allow you to prepare frames to accommodate your images. It is a crucial step in making a good stencil.
Video Transcription
I'm going to see how to prepare a screen during the coating step. Coating is the action of applying a thin layer of photopolymer emulsion on your screen.
For this step, you'll need :
- a screen-printing frame,
- household degreased (dishwashing liquid)
- a sponge for all the classic stuff
- the famous photo sensitive product known as emulsion
- an induction doctor blade, to apply the emulsion in a thin layer.
Emulsion is a product that reacts to light, so it's a good idea to remember to do the coat step in the dark.
To prepare your screen properly, the first step is to degrease it. All you need is a little soapy water and a sponge. Degreasing removes any grease or dust that may remain on the screen. Rinse your screen, dry it then we move on to the coating step.
Start by pouring the solution into the coating trough. Don't worry about putting too much, you’ll be able to get it back afterward. Then hold your screen vertically with one hand and maintain the coating trough on the mesh with your other hand.
Tilt the coating trough and wait for the emulsion to touch the mesh on all the width of the screen. When you’re ok, pull the coating trough up in one movement, without bumps. Once at the top of the screen, tilt the screen to get the emulsion excess back in the coating through.
Repeat the operation on the other side of the screen, and you'll have now realized a 1+1 coating, which means you have one layer on each side. Make sure you always start the coat on the outside of the frame.
Without delay, dry your screen in a dark place. Ideally, dry flat, with the outside of the screen facing down, at room temperature, for about three hours. Don't wait too long, either, and collect any excess emulsion left in the squeegee. If you're using the Mekanika kit, use a mixing stick to make the task easier.
Now that the coating stage is over, you can clean your utensils. As long as it hasn't been exposed, it's easy to clean with water and a sponge.
Next step
Now that your coated screen is protected from light, you'll need to wait three or four hours before moving on to the exposure stage.
Over Mekanika
Mekanika is een Belgisch bedrijf gevestigd in Brussel dat als ambitie heeft om lokale productie toegankelijker te maken dankzij een 100% open-source benadering.
We ontwerpen en produceren CNC frees- en zeefdrukmachines van hoge kwaliteit die een reputatie hebben opgebouwd voor betrouwbaarheid en gebruiksgemak. Onze gereedschappen worden geleverd in volledig gedocumenteerde kits, zodat ze gemakkelijk kunnen worden aangepast aan specifieke behoeften.
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