# Tips on building a screen dark room?



## brent (Nov 3, 2006)

Hi all,
I should be moving into my new work space within a month. Very exciting. There's a mechanical room that has some elevator equipment with a lot of unused space, and I realized that it would make a great dark room. I'm envisioning having a coating trough area, an area to dry freshly-coated screens, an area to quick dry screens that are just wet with water, and an area to store coated screens. I am getting outlets put into this room. I have a few questions, and hope you wise folk can give me some ideas.
-Should I use yellow or red light in the room?
-Should I put a dehumidifier in the room, or should I build cabinets within the room for drying, with a dehumidifier in them?
-Should I use heat to dry the water-wet screens, but not the freshly-emulsion-coated screens? Would heat start to cure emulsion?
-Any other suggestions? 
I don't think using fans would be appropriate, as it would just place dust onto the wet screens. I do think that perhaps the wet screens should be kept within cabinets to speed up drying efforts.

Thanks in advance!


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

brent said:


> I'm envisioning having a coating trough area, an area to dry freshly-coated screens, an area to quick dry screens that are just wet with water, and an area to store coated screens.
> 
> I am getting outlets put into this room.
> 
> ...


Yellow lights and yellow or white walls.

You say 4 areas, but the air in the room would all be the same - wet with spray.

No fans. They just move moist air around. A dehumidifier will remove moisture from the air. If you section the room, you can create a area that is drier than where you wash out screens.


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## tomgrin (Oct 21, 2008)

Sweet! Appreciate the tips in this forum.


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## BeerCityInc. (Dec 9, 2010)

how come the yellow lights and white wall instead of black walls and red light like a traditional room.


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## macmiller (Jul 23, 2007)

emulsion is not as light sensitive as photographic films. The yellow light is safe for screens and is much easier to work in yellow light than red, it's brighter.

hope this helps.


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