Screen Printing T-Shirts: What is The Exposure Time For Screens?
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2013
- CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
This educational video features a screenprinting question about printing tee shirts that we get asked very often. The problem with the question is there are many variables associated with exposing screens. Therefore this question is very difficult to answer definitively. If we knew all of these variables then we could suggest an exposure time. But most often when the question is asked it's something like this, "How long do I expose my screen for?" Obviously that is not enough information to answer the question with any degree of accuracy. But why? What are these variables? What things do we need to consider when exposing screens that affects our exposure time? You can sit back and get the answers with this great tutorial video that explains all of the variables involved in screen making. We hope you enjoy this educational screen printing video and get a better understanding of the screen making process.
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What a life saver! After having to buy a new printer (which does not print the most opaque transparencies) and losing my darkroom (for the sake of an en-suite), I just couldn’t figure the reason my screens weren’t exposing properly. Too many things could have been the problem. Thankfully I watched your video and discovered I was using photo polymer emulsion and I was exposing for far too long. Thank you!!
You're evry welcome. Glad I could help out. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
This was hands down the best and most informative video for this question i have seen! Thank you so much! i have been over exposing waaay to long. now my screens are coming out perfect every time.
Chris Winchell Awesome! You’re very welcome. Glad I can help out through my videos. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Thanks for making all of these videos! They are very helpful. I am having trouble like never before burning a screen and I am finding your videos very informative and well done.
You're very welcome. My pleasure to help out where I can. Glad I can help out through my videos. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Thanks for the tutorials.... God bless you more Catspit...
You're very welcome. I appreciate your support! Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
You’re welcome ;) You are correct sir! That’s exactly why I made sure to emphasize that the numbers I was throwing around would not really work. The amount of emulsion alone is enough to greatly change the exposure time. Lower mesh counts hold more emulsion than higher ones. Yellow to white mesh will also vary in time. So, indeed; there are even more variables that make this question impossible to be answered definitively. Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
Thank you very much :) Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
brah your the best. this was one of my question. finally answered. and you gave a whole lot of points too. MAHALO BROTHA CATSPIT!
Hi, thanks for your video. I just want to add few tips, as I struggle to find a solution for a “high quality film output”. The best way to get the most ink coverage on your film its not necessarily the high quality output setting, but other variables as well.
Most ink jet printers have presets according to the type of media you are using such as plain paper, glossy paper, matte paper, transparency etc. However, the transparency presets might not be ideal for screen transparencies, as the ink might not be dense enough to cover well the surface.
My suggestions for a good film output is to select the “plain paper” option which is more absorbent paper, so the printer knows it will require more coverage than glossy surfaces.
If you want the ink to achieve a good density on film, I would also make sure that you are not just using black(0C, 0M, 0Y, 100K), but other colors as well such as a rich black(63C, 52M, 51Y, 100K).
Lastly, the ideal setting under options for quality output, might not be a “high quality” as you might experience running ink on your film.
Each printer is different, so you might have to play with all this variables until you find the best setting for your printer.
Thanks for sharing. I prefer the high quality setting for a few reasons. This is what I recommend through my experience but you may have different results depending on your printer and your color preference settings. Your inkjet film could affect your results as well. But yes, I do talk about the 100% CMYK or what we call a "color rich black." I cover that in other videos as well as articles on my websites. I do agree you should play around and see what works best for your printer and film. In the end whatever works great for you is just fine. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Awesome video
You are a great teacher
Thank you very much! Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
Thank you Catspit! You provide really helpful info.. your my #1 go to buy5!
+CRdesigns sales You’re very welcome. Glad I can help out through my videos. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
'Dude u r the best easiest way2 lern how do this ive' purchased a 4 armd system myself& is very interestd' i apreciate u very much i watch alot of ur videos'& ure very good@watu do. thanks'& i look 4wrd in following u nthe' near future' thanks' again
Yes sir! I will be at NBM, Long Beach this July 18-20. I am going to get some beach time. I’m not really working the show like I normally would with my vendors so it should be a lot of fun. This year I’ll be hanging at the RANAR booth all 3 days. I should have some buttons, pens and tee shirts to give away. You know, the usual trade show stuff ;) Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
I got an industrial uv screen printing set up from my brother in law and have been trying to make prints, without much luck. I keep washing out my designs because I didn't coat the screens enough. I have dual cure emulsion because I didn't know (and still don't know) what the difference is between that and photo polymer. Then, I'm drawing my designs on clear plastic sheets with sharpie, so I don't think the designs are blocking out enough light to properly cure the emulsion. Maybe I should scan them into Photoshop and print them out. There is so much to learn and so many variables. Thanks for making these videos because they are really helpful! I'm going to try again.
You’re very welcome. Glad I could help out :) Yes, you need to scan the drawings and redraw them in graphic software so you can print inkjet film positives. catspitscreenprintsupply.com/inkjet-film/ You can learn more about dual cure and photopolymer emulsions here www.catspitproductionsllc.com/liquidemulsions.html Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
your videos help a lot of screen printers sir, and i do learn a lot to your videos. Please do more videos about screen printing and God bless.
Thank you very much! I'm happy to help out where I can. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
I've even found that the mesh count of the screen, number of coats of emulsion, and whether I'm burning a stencil with fine lines or thick lines makes a difference too. In light of your comments regarding the age of the bulbs in the exposure unit effecting cure times, would you suggest changing only one bulb in your exposure unit then or all of them at once to ensure an even cure across the entire stencil? Thanks!!
I remember hearing the 12" height as well, but after reading some other materials, it seem there was a formula for getting the height. The close you are to the screen the smaller the area covered by the lights optimal output.
So here is what the formula was; take the diagonal measurement of the screen area you are going to expose and divide it by 1.5.
20x24 =27"/ 1.5 = 18" This has worked for me, maybe it will work for you.
You’re very welcome my friend. The numbers given in this video are unlikely to actually work. Even the different brands of emulsions can be a factor. But I'm glad I could help some. Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
Hey catspit will you be going to show this month at long beach
Hey Catspit, what's the story behind the bicycle wheels on the wall? BTW thanks for all the insight, information and much needed tips.
I had an original Mongoose BMX bike when I was a kid. Those are the actual rims from it. Back when Mongoose was made in the USA in the 1980's. I need to have the hubs replaced which may require some fabrication at this point. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Thanks for the reply. Great videos by the way very informative. Can that basic light that you sell be used to burn 4 color process screens?
Yeah make a video ;) Yes, a point source exposure unit is the best but they are very expensive for units with high UV output metal halide bulbs. So the industrial fluorescent black lamp is the next best option considering budget and performance. But I can indeed do fine detail and halftones. I have to set more detailed jobs up considering the detail I can get off with my exposure unit but for tee shirts its plenty fine. Thanks much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
Great review of this "crazy" element of screening. Especially the light bulb age, hadn't thought about that one. I use the ld fashion 500 watt bulb, but i'm going to be aware of the age of the bulb and even change it ever so often. Thanks!
good job
Thank you! It may be possible especially if the tracing paper is on the thinner translucent side. With such low wattage it may be a longer exposure time. I can only guess... maybe 15 minutes or more with a photopolymer emulsion and 30 or so with a dual cure. You’ll have to do some testing. Thanks for watching & commenting! ☠
Hey catspit love the videos man Im new to screen printing and have learned alot from your videos thanks I was wondering is printing with gold ink on colors the same as printing with color inks on white shirts or if its like printing with white ink I still haven't got the whole white ink printing down yet is there a good white ink u recommend
thnx so much, very well said..
You're very welcome. I appreciate your support. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Thanks! Glad you enjoy my work. I’m confused... LOL. Printing on dark garments can be more challenging than printing whiote tee shirts. So yes, it is different in ways. Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
Thank you so very much! That means a lot to me to hear. You’re welcome, it’s my pleasure to help out and share information. Check out the Catspit website for a lot more free info on screen printing. Link is on the channel page. Thanks for watching & commenting! ☠
I use the multiple bulb fluorescent unit in this video to make my screens. The basic exposure unit in this video will go up to 2 feet. You want to keep the heat away from the emulsion. I think a formula is over thinking it especially since the reflectors may be of different angles which will affect the light spread. Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
John Do you sell the black light bulbs
Hello I follow your channel and I bought my equipment from your store, I have a problem with
with spraying my stencil out for screen printing it won't wash out it just keep messing up.
Hello there and thank you very much for your business! Please feel free to give me a call this week so I can help you out. That way you can explain what is happening so I can help out to the best of my ability working blind from afar. You can also email me any pictures that may help me see what is going on. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
when you said 15 thousand, I was thinking that's a bit of an exaggeration...
I called a sales rep from an embroidery/printing equipment manufacture and the price is actually $21,445 for:
printer/heat press/ink/table.
what are some good manufactures for screen printing to see if I can get a quote from them.
very useful dude!
Bbario Thank you very much, I appreciate your support! Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Hey dude nice vid, I'm just wanna ask if is it possible to use a tracing paper and how long I will expose it to light, I'm just using a 3 normal 60watts light bulbs. Thank you sir.
hi there.. any video on how to burn cmyk on screen..
Hi Jonathan,
I'm am setting up a screen for a text tee that has both large and small text. I've been burning my 110 mesh screens at 4:30 and I usually don't have issues until now. After I burn the screen at the said time and while wash it out, I am not getting the sharp edges and lines on some of my text both small and big. I'm not sure if I need to expose it longer because it's not curing the emulsion completely which causes the threading of emulsion and emulsion not coming off where it should be. Any tips would be awesome. Thanks!
-Ink City Co.
Check your film positive and see that there is no banding in the print from the inkjet printer. if your film positive is poor then you will have troubles making screens. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
great class thanks
You're welcome! Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
I am curious to know, what size is that inkjet film sheet you were holding up and is that size available for purchase on your site?
MsyThf7 That was an 11x17 sheet of film. I sell them all here:
catspitscreenprintsupply.com/inkjet-film/
I offer 8.5x11, 8.5x14, 11x17, and 13x19. Let me know if I can help out in any way. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
You’re very welcome. It can and people do. I wouldn't but many people get by. Thanks for your support! ☠
It looks like you have shims on the bottom of your screens. Do you do that for every screen you have? Could a metal halide light be used and mounted in the same configuration as your 500 watt work lamp?
Thanks for your awesome instructional videos! Was wondering what the approximate exposure time would be for a larger screen (20"x 28") under a 250 watt photo flood bulb? The diazo guide only lists exposure times for screens up to 18" x 20". Not looking for an exact time, I'm just wondering if this can be done with just a 250 watt bulb? Thanks.
You're very welcome, I'm glad I can help out through my videos from afar. I'm happy to know you enjoyed my work. I would have no idea since I am not familiar with the speed of the emulsion you're using or the quality of your film positive. Unfortunately you will have to do some tests to figure out what time will work best. Perhaps you can study the guide and do an extrapolation to get a starting point. Or call the maker of the emulsion and ask them directly. The UV output of your light will also affect the exposure time. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Thanks! Not looking for any exposure times but was simply wondering if people expose large screens (28" x 20") w 250 watt bulbs or if you need a brighter bulb for something that big? Diazo charts only go up to 18* x 20".
Not necessarily because people use 500 W work lamps to expose 20 x 24 screens. However your exposure time may be longer due to the falloff from such a weak bulb. I would use at least a 500 W work lamp with the glass removed.
using Jacquard Photo Emulsion & Diazo 8oz on a 110 screen, my exposure unit is a Unfiltered UV Blacklights 15 watt...can you give me an estimate of how long that will take?
I'm not familiar with the speed of that emulsion. Perhaps Jacquard could help you out with that. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Just remembered, it's always best to use glass cleaner to clean off the glass before you expose to get a better burn.
Keep up the great work, it's been too long since your last video!!
lol, been exposing my screens for about 13min with photo-polymer emulsion, with 500wtt bulb, really havent had any issues other than having a little difficulty getting out small details and fine lines. Another point is the age of the emulsion, I been keeping mine in the fridge, how many months you think its good?
I have a basic pie tin looking craft light with only a florescent bulb. I'm using speedball photo emulsion. do i need an incandescent bulb like the package says or should a florescent bulb work? also can you over expose something? thank you anything will help
Yes, I would follow the recommendations from Speedball. The deal is emulsion is only sensitive to UV light so any light source that has high UV will work very well. Fluorescent bulbs may work but will likely have a long exposure time. And yes, you can over expose your screen. In that event the emulsion will completely harden and the stencil will not wash out. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
CatspitProductions thank you so much for replying, much appreciated!
RISfilms You're welcome. My pleasure to help out anytime if I can ;)
Hi there! I noticed you didn’t mention Diazo emulsion, is that more similar to photopolymer or the dual cure emulsion?
That's simply because diazo is considered older chemistry. I recommend using dual cure or photopolymer emulsions. You can read more about the differences here:
www.catspitproductionsllc.com/liquidemulsions.html
There's only one thing I need to edit on that article and that is the tip about refrigeration. You do not need to refrigerate emulsion. Just keep it at room temp. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
Thank you! I think the 500 watt work lamps will suffer that effect less than the industrial fluorescent black lamps. I think the metal filament in the work lamp won’t get too much dimmer before it simply burns out, you know? But I could be wrong... LOL :) Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
Hi.Sir, i would like to ask a question in exposing a screen. Do you use the regular fluorescent lights for the exposure unit?
No, those are industrial UV black lamps. They are fluorescent tubes but they are high UV output bulbs. I sell them on my eCommerce site. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
How can I get a good transparency print. I went to office max and their prints are grey at best. Their prints are also only the size of standard printer paper? Could I go somewhere to print good large images or buy a ink jet printer? If I did buy a printer which one?
You cannot get good film positives made at Kinkos or Staples... etc. They use laser printers. Laser films are less dense than inkjet films. You can buy and inkjet printer like the Epson P400 or P600. Then use inkjet film like I sell and check out my other videos about film positives. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
Yup, they can be expensive. I guess I was actually being conservative ;) If you need screen printing from 50 or more pieces I can help. If you want screenprinting equipment and supplies, I can help with that too. Check out the Catspit website for a lot more great things on screenprinting. Thanks for watching & commenting! ☠
Hi jonathan, I'm new to screen printing, I've been trying to expose a screen from 10 days but it's not happening, I don't know where i'm going wrong.
The emulsion that i've bought says "Screen Coat HD" i mixed about 1/2 bottle sensitizer and i tried exposing it from a 200 Watt Incandescent bulb at about 12 inch distance. i have exposed it for 30 -35 mins and its just not working. Please help me out it will be of great help.
Thanks a lot.
Peace and love
LOL, yeah it makes a sound similar to lobsters when they go in boiling water ;) The height may vary greatly depending on your set up but generally a basic light unit that you can buy will have a 2 foot height with some adjustment ability. Like the Catspit one in this video. With 500 watt work lamps it’s best to keep them further from the emulsion because heat from the lamp can cure the emulsion. Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
I have just regular speed ball emulsion and a 500 w work lamp and I have done lots of experimenting with times and I've been making about 2 screens a day because it never works I can't find if speed ball is dual cure or polymer. The last time I did was about 7 minutes and the details just don't come out. It always will rip the emulsion away as well the less time I do
Speedball emulsion is a dual cure diazo emulsion. You might want to try a better emulsion. Check out my eCommerce site if you're in the US. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Oh I didn’t take it that way I just wanted to say the point source exposure unit is best but an industrial black lamp fluorescent is also very good. It just has some limitations. I cannot even begin to guess at your exposure times because I don’t know what emulsion you are using or what your film positive looks like. I did a very recent video about this question exactly. Relative humidity can be a factor too.☠
hey i have ryonet RXP emulsion, and i made my screens from a screen material found at the craft store, and it feels like a good thread count, feels pretty much like the screens i have seen for purchase... but i dont know what the mesh count is... any ideas where to start? should i pretend its 110 and go from there? im just trying to figure out my light/exposure situation and the directions say 300 light units for 86, 280 light units for 110 mesh ect...im just not sure where to start...
I suppose that a good place as any to start if you don't know. The rougher the mesh feels to the hand, the lower the "mesh count." Is it actually screen printing mesh or some other material? Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
HI catspitproduction! nice vid :) and i've been following your videos ever since i started this business, and I have a slight problem in dealing with exposure time and height of the stand...I'm using a 500W halogen lamp, an AQUASOL ER water-resistant SBQ Emulsion (color blue), a waterproof polyester inkjet film (the one that you're holding), I'm using A3 and A4 size... in this set-up...what is the height of the lamp from the screen and the exact exposure time for A3 and A4 size film... thanks in advance :)
Thank you! I appreciate your support. That's hard to say. I am unfamiliar with your emulsion. Screen Printing T-Shirts: What is The Exposure Time For Screens? This is something you have to dial in. I cannot give you an exposure time for your particular situation. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
hey john, Im having some issues, I can see the image in my screen after exposing but wont wash out. what is the issue here my films are plenty dark enough. and im using a national unit with a vacuum. Please help me out here super frustrated. thank you sir
Well the emulsion is good the film may not be dark enough. Try lessening the exposure time. Any light passing through, especially over longer exposure times, can penetrate the film and semi cure the emulsion. Or excessive heat can also cure emulsion. So if the film is not 100% opaque then I would consider that and the exposure time. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
Im usinf chroma blue emulsion and six, T8 , unfiltered blacklight bulbs. Still not getting the detailed exposures Id like. Im using sufficient weight, blacking the inside of the screen out with plywood covered in black cloth, and eliminating any light escape possible with the same black cloth around the exposure table. I always allow a 24 hour cure time for my screens in the darkroom...any possibilities come to mind as to why I cant get the fine detail? Using Film positives and an epsonartisan 1430 printer. Maybe its not black enough? Maybe light is getting through the transparancy ink? I just dont know at this point, any input would be helpful Im sure! Thanks!
It is very difficult to diagnose problems from afar without seeing anything and knowing exactly what you are doing and what you are using. I think you mentioned you built your exposure unit and were having issues with it. So unless we can rule out the exposure unit itself, I would only be guessing. But yes, it is possible for light to go through a poor film positive. It could also be the emulsion or you're not using the proper mesh count. Or the exposure is totally off. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Well I don’t know anything about your emulsion but in my experience with dual cure emulsions, if that is what you have, they give you only the amount you should mix in to sensitize the emulsion. Therefore you add the entire bottle of sensitizer to the emulsion when you first sensitize it. As far as I know they will not give you more sensitizer than the quantity of emulsion you bought will require. Thanks for watching & commenting! ☠
Hi, i'm really struggling and hope you can help me
i have a 400w halogen bulb with the glass removed, and i am exposing A1 size screens.
I am using 'all american onecoat emulsion'.
How long should i be exposing the screen for and how far away should i set my light?
Please i'm in dire need of help!!!
Usually with type of setup we set the exposure light about 18 to 24 inches from the screen. but I could not tell you what exposure time to you since I am unfamiliar with the speed of your emulsion and I do not know what your film positive looks like. Nor do I know how much UV your exposure light puts out. This video may help out:
ruclips.net/video/BoBbN_gVsQk/видео.html
Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
I just started but my image keeps washing away I’m exposing for 11 min and 1foot away from the light I’m going to try to put less emosion and do both sides but
It's hard to say working blind from afar but maybe if the emulsion is washing out you need to increase the exposure time. Or maybe the emulsion is bad. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
hello...it's a very instructive video..thanks a lot! but, can i use a 1000 watt halogen light??
yes bro, you can use that, and even the 3kw halide lamp, for 45-55sec time exposure.
I answered this one about a year ago ;) Thanks for the assist.
ahh... hehe... just sharing what i've read.
Yeah that's totally cool but I wasn't sure if you noticed how old the comment was ;)
hi, do you apply photo hardener on screen? and will it be possible to remove the emulsion after putting photo hardener on it?,just in case using the screen on new design :)
no if you use a partner on the emulsion that will make it permanent possibly. Some hardeners will become permanent while others will still be able to be removed with the pressure washer. Here is a video that I did on a Rhinotech hardener: Screen Printing Product Review: 2 Part Emulsion Hardener Vs. 1 Part Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! www.catspitproductionsllc.com/ - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
hi! im adrian and started a tee screeprint bussiness! iv watched videos and info u post and iv done better thaks! ony thing is taht halftons screen are giving me trouble, i do the positive burn it then when washing it gives me good detail but then it washes of the rest of image everytime. would u be kind and tell me what im doing wrong?
I'm not sure. It's hard to say. Could be the exposure or your emulsion to mesh adhesion. Many variables and I would need more info. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Where can I get screens?
Hey wondering if anyone can help me? I have just used a thin layer of Diazo screen print emulsion and exposed using a 250 Watt lamp for 10 minutes, as instructed. The image was burnt into the screen, however i really struggled when washing my negative out. After 10 minutes of pressurised water; nothing. The lighter green negative was on the screen, but it would just not wash out. I am going to try the process again but leave my screen exposing for longer, maybe an hour
There could be various reasons why it's not working here. But it sounds like you got a latent image and it did not washout. So that may indicate that your film is not opaque enough and/or your exposure is too long. Try cutting that to 5 minutes rather than going to an hour. Or double up the film positive and try again at 10 minutes. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
The sensitizer did not come with the emulsion i had to buy it separately, It is a liquid type sensitizer.
Hello I purchased the chromaline ChromaBlue® emulsion, I just opened my screen printing business but im trying to find the best emulsion. I tried the chromablue emulsion but it didn't work for me. I think im doing something wrong. Do you have to use ultra violet light? Im using to 2 regular 500 watts spotlamps under a clear glass top and I left it for one min. When I tried to wash the emulsion off nothing happened I cant even see an image. What do you suggest?
Yes, you need to use UV light in the 300 to 400 nanometer wavelength range. But usually a 500 watt work lamp will work as well but with a longer exposure time. However, heat can also cure emulsion so when you use a light source that emits excessive heat, you need to be sure it's far enough away so it will not cure the emulsion from heat alone. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
This is a very common question I get asked about exposure time for making screens to #screenprint #teeshirts.
how much time to i need in a 100 watts tube lamp?
That's impossible to say for the reasons I described in this video. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Hi Jester, maybe for 500watts, the xposure time is 3-6min. if you use 100 watts maybe it will fall on 10min-20min. but it's much better if you'll try it first for sample exposure of your screen, divide it by 4 divisions with time exposure of 5min,10min,15min,20min.respectively. :)
Thanks for your input :) Sounds like a step wedge test and I do want to do a video on that. But the emulsion and film positive are variables that can affect the exposure time as well. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
thanks idol, catspit... :)
LOL... yeah that’s a long time for a photopolymer. That goes to show even the brand of emulsion may affect exposure times. Most good photopolymers will last up to one year at room temperature. Maybe 74 degrees. The fridge can add humidity and you never want it to freeze. Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
What the best timer for the exposure please
You can use any digital timer. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
No, sorry. I’m working on things... please stay tuned. If I can keep going I’ll get there eventually. Thanks for watching & commenting! ☠
I'm new to this and totally a home set up ... first screen showed image, I was happy.. ran to wash it out😖 The image began washing out beautifully, then the whole screen washed out!! Arghh.. second screen emulation is drying now fingers crossed 🤞. I live on our small family farm in Mississippi. Milk goats, egg hens, goat milk soap, loofahs , gourds and gourd art. Candles and wood carving.. don't ask me why I'm adding another craft of screen printing but wish me luck guys!! I don't have many videos here but it's mostly snakes and kids come check it out!!
Maybe check on you're film positive density and/or your exposure source. Hard top say from afar. Good luck and feel free to ask questions anytime. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Thank you a lot! You responding ment a lot! Second attempt went well . I think I hadn't let the emultion dry 100% the first time
You're very welcome. That is very possible. If the emulsion has too much humidity, then the exposure may not work at all.
Sunlight is inconsistent at best. I never have used it so I can’t help much there. Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
You can hear when it's exposed fully, a trick I learned from some a tribal screen printing group.
2 feet? I was told 12" from the screen when using 500 Watt light source, interesting.
Hear? Please explain...
Could you make an update on this with LED lights?
I would still have the same advice. SaatiChem Textil PC Blue would be about 15 seconds on an LED but other than that, same advice. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
i have 20" away from the glass and i use 1000w how many minutes that i will expose .. i use standard mesh pls help catspit
Like I said in the video it's not easy to say. I do not know how dense your film is and what emulsion you are using. I would have to be familiar with your emulsion otherwise I'd just be guessing. Different emulsions have different exposure speeds. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
i use aquasol er catspit. thank you
My pleasure to help out where I can.
awesome thanks!! this must be why I can't get fine lines!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Yup, cleaning the glass will prevent unnecessary pinholes. Thanks for watching & commenting! ☠
after i expose and spray out the image im having to rub some of the emulsion out with my finger - do i need to lower the time
Perhaps. Try a shorter exposure time and check to see your film positive is dark enough. If the film positive is poor the exposure light can pass through it semi curing the emulsion where you don't want it to be cured. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
I'm confuse How would I use a expose calculator with a vacuum lid
You use it like film. between the glass and screen. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Nope, no shims. You may be seeing the masking tape that I tab at the ends for easy removal. But there is nothing special attached to my screens. They are ordinary 20x24 metal screens. I suppose you could mount a metal halide bulb like that but I would have an electrician hook that up and make sure the thing won’t burn anyone or anything down. Thanks so much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
Can you use vinyl to burn screens
Vinyl sticker material adhered to a clear acetate, yes. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
would a 220v 40w bulb be okay for screen exposure? thanks!
+tashalmighty Not really..... too low wattage. Unless it has high UV output. Try a 500 watt work lamp from Home Depot. It's 120v too and should work pretty well. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
+CatspitProductions thanks. I have already bought the one I stated, it's quite a big unit with 8 long lights in it, would this be more powerful?
+tashalmighty Well I am not a general lighting specialist but 40 watts is very low and it should take quite some time for exposures unless it has a high UV output. Emulsion is really only sensitive to UV light. So I would try it out and see. You'll probably have to experiment with times to figure it out.
+CatspitProductions thanks for your help :) one more quick question, would curing the ink with a heat press work well?
+tashalmighty You're welcome. Yes, it can. I did an experimental video about that. The less pressure you use the better I think. Lots of people do it.
do you know the average time it takes to expose halftones ?
There is no such thing. This video explains why. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Nice video Jon, like always!!!
Thank you so very much!! I’ll keep trying even though Godzilla would rather see me squashed. Thanks for watching & commenting! ☠
If you have 15 thousand or more to spend on one machine and you can live with its limitations then maybe so. But those units have their own drawbacks. For one you need to use them a lot, every day otherwise they clog up often. Thanks much for watching and dropping me a note. ☠
Okay so then you’ll need to ask the guys you got that from. Just ask them how much you should add for the quantity of emulsion you have. They may have already sold you the correct amount if you told them how much you had when you bought it. That means you would add all the sensitizer to the emulsion but I would check. ☠
LOL.... holy crap I’m burning out. It was this video I was talking about wasn’t it? That’s friggin funny and scary. I’m surprised only the RIP made it look darker. As far as I know they do not utilize all heads while printing so the only thing that will make it darker is dye based black inks and water proof inkjet film. Some inks claim to have UV blocking properties too. Or you can run everything 100% CMYK and use color rich blacks which are very dark with red and yellow. ☠
what does over exposing do?
It chokes all the details and eventually will harden all the emulsion so you won't get the stencil off properly. Very long over exposures will penetrate the film positive and cure all the emulsion. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Even though this techniques work, and all the things that are said here are correct regarding types of emulsions being used, length of exposure, types of light bulbs, age of the bulbs and good quality film positives etc and so forth.. you can also use LED lights for accuracy. I noticed here and other videos about the time exposure like 1 minute plus and 3 minute plus, etc. Why are people so concerned with the time.. if it requires 5 minutes...5 minutes out of your life is not going to affect you in the large scheme of life... Again, these techniques work. but I see them obsolete. That Japanese company that markets the Digital Screen Maker, it no longer needs, - Films - light exposures, water or dark rooms. It is far more accurate and takes little time. To me the time is the least of my concerns. so long the silk is properly and accurately burn. Probably a lot of people know about the equipment I am talking about and it is expensive as opposed to emulsion. The machine directly burns the screen from the Computer it works from Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, and other software. Eventually the old techniques will fade away because technology evolves. Just the other day IBM made a break through on storage, they were able to save data on atoms this new technology makes the Hard Disk Drives obsolete and the SSD Solid State Drive as well.
There are several direct to screen machines out there but as you mentioned they are very expensive. So until the technology becomes affordable for the masses, the film and emulsion exposure method will be around. I doubt it will ever disappear since it is so reliable and affordable. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Chromablue, and a 120 watt incandescent bulb how Long please help, 60 degrees in my shop
I am not familiar with the speed of that emulsion. But I would use a 500 watt work lamp at least otherwise the exposure will be long. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! www.catspitproductionsllc.com/ - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
500 watt work light or just use the sun?
+Timothy Rowan I would totally recommend the 500 watt work lamp. It will be more consistent so you will be able to repeat exposures with ease. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
Yes, there is a method. The one minute interval exposure...wonder you don't know about it...
If you're referring to step tests and wedge tests I am fully aware of that. I used to do photography many years ago and operated a dark room so I am well versed there. But what I am saying here is I cannot tell you your exposure time. Yes, you can use a step test to figure it out yourself or you can buy an exposure calculator. But I cannot tell you the exposure time for the reasons I mentioned here. Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
Sounds complicated... isn't it easier to get a D.T.G Printer?
1 to 5 minutes lol thats a lil bit of time i thought it was like a day you had to wait ....haha wtf
A day for an exposure time? No, not likely under any circumstance ;) Thanks for watching! Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - CatspitScreenPrintSupply.com/
just tell us the time.. 9min listening to you is too much
lol..... that's really a shame because if you watch the video and listen to what I say you will learn why I cannot tell you the time. And if 9 min. of listening is too much then I guess you really don't want to learn how to screen print. Unfortunately if you want to learn something it will take some effort and time. Besides this is a free informational video so I try to enjoy myself in making them. I'm sorry if you do not like my style. Thanks for watching. Screen Printing Equipment & Supplies - catspitscreenprintsupply.com/