Screenprinting Setup

Supplies

Exposing & reclaiming screens

• Speedball photo emulsion (& catalyst) Suppliers: Dick Blick (online); Artist & Craftsman (usually stocked in store)
• screen reclaimer
• 250W photoflood light bulb Suppliers: Amazon
  (tentative. looks like I didn't document the one that I was originally using & can't find it now.)
• lamp that can handle the 400W bulb
• red bulb (optional) for that lightroom feel while exposing screens
• high pressure nozzle to clear ink and emulsion out of the screen

Ink

• Speedball acrylic permanent ink Suppliers: Dick Blick (online for quart jars); Artist & Craftsman
• Extender Base, for adding transparency to inks. Suppliers: Blick (online); Artist & Craftsman

Screens

• Mesh: 180T monofilament Supplier: Screen Printers Resource
  Very important to use only monofilament mesh for sharp images on paper.
• Nylon tape to hold down mesh
• staples (& staple gun) for stretching mesh
• tape to water-proof frames
• Haven't needed to purchase frames anytime recently.

Misc

• Painter's tape for holding down clips
• Registration clips
• Clothes line and binder clips for hanging prints to dry

Exposing screens

Coating screens

Materials

• Emulsion
• Emulsion scoop
• Sturdy ledge (chair or something comparable with a sturdy vertical surface to lean the screen on)
• Red light bulb

Process

• Replace at least one regular bulb with a red bulb.
• Turn off lights; turn on red bulb.
• Mix emulsion. The Speedball catalyst instructions tell you to fill the container 3/4 full with cold water, which is always a tricky thing to gauge because the container is opaque & you can't really see what the water level is, especially in the dark.
• Lean the screen at about a 70° to 85° angle against something sturdy. The flat face of the screen should be facing outwards. It's important that both the top and bottom edges of the screen don't shift once the scoop is pressed against it.
• Pour the emulsion in the scoop, starting at one end and leaving a small amount all down the length of the scoop, in the bottom of the trough.
• Holding the back of the scoop, touch the edge of the scoop to the bottom of the screen.
• Tip the scoop up and wait until all of the emulsion has slid down to touch the surface of the screen.
• As soon as the emulsion has made contact with the screen down the whole length of the scoop, start to gently but firmly pull the scoop up along the surface of the screen.
• As the scoop approaches the top of the screen, start to tilt it back such that the emulsion will slide back away from the surface of the screen.
• As the scoop makes contact with the tape at the top of the screen, pull the scoop away from the surface of the screen. Try to do it in such a way that no excess emulsion is left on the screen or the tape.

Exposure times

Speedball emulsion & 250W BBA No.1 Photoflood

Screen Size	Lamp Height	Exposure Time
8 x 10"	12"	10 minutes
10 x 14"	12"	10 min.
12 x 18"	15"	16 min.
16 x 20"	17"	20 min.
18 x 20"	17"	20 min.