# Guide for Beginners in Screen Printing using Cheap method



## Denmark_garments (Jul 31, 2009)

*SCREENPRINTING GUIDE PINOY STYLE​PREPARING A WORK AREA
Plantilla are wood with a cover of foam about 1/2”and tarpaulin on it.. this its to attain sharp and better registration of screen printing especialy in halftoning, using superwhite and 3colors above.

preparation:
materials needed for making Plantilla:
16"x16" 1/4plywood
18"x18" tarpaulin
16x16 1/2 ordinary foam
gun tacker
table adhesive
place the 16x16 1/2 foam to the 16"x16" 1/4plywood guntacked it and place the 18"x18" tarpaulin above pack it and guntack each sides... 
Place 1tbsp of table adhesive in ur board then spread it leave for 3 hours for drying... whoala finish u have ur plantila board..
its recomended for Sportswear printing like jerseys, printing using Superwhite or bases.. Halftoning and for 4 colors above.

A card table will provide enough work area for most projects. It is necessary to locate your work area with easy access to a large sink or laundry tub with hot and cold water. 
If you plan to make a large number of prints, you may wish to string a line through spring-type clothespin or make a rack to keep prints from smearing while they dry.
1.	Prepare the plantilla or plates by removing the the dust in the adhesive this would cost bulging when shirts are put and cause damage to the printing.
Step 1 - Screen Printed T-shirt Artwork Stage 
The graphic artist goes creating innovative custom designs to fit customer's needs. They size the artwork to fit each position on the shirt. When artwork is approved by customer, the design is broken into separate colors and printed on papers or acetate. These transparencies are then passed on to the screen room for the screen burning process. 
Step 2 - Burning to Screens 
Transparencies from the artwork stage are taped to tightly meshed screens. These screens have already been coated and dried with a special light sensitive photo polymer screen emulsion. This emulsion turns very hard when exposed to light with UV emmision. The transparencies prevent light from hardening the polymer on designated parts of the screen when it is exposed on the burn table. The emulsion hardens in an exposure time of approximately 3-7 minutes with a good uvlights 4 20w philip flourescent about 2"distance between glass. From here, the screen is taken to a high pressure wash tub where the unhardened portions of the polymer are blown out. This leaves a template screen that can be used to print shirts. 

Step A--Mixing the photo emulsion
im using from tulco sensitizer and use economicaly Apollo White Glue or Elmers white Glue
Mix the Photo emulsion with UV light Sensitive Sensitizer until there is a little stickynes of the emulsion. Usually if you Mix Sensitizer orange to the white Glue or emulsion it turn to be yellow but the best color on which emulsion are effective is yellow orange.
Coat the screen by first pouring a bead of the solution on one end of the bottom side of the screen. Spread it evenly and thinly with the squeegee or the plastic spreader. Use more solution where necessary. Pour a bead of the solution on one end of the inside of the screen and spread it evenly with the squeegee or the plastic spreader. Work to achieve an even continuous coating on both sides of the screen fabric. Perform the final spreading on the inside of the screen. Return any excess solution to your mixing container.

Step C-Drying the coated screen
In an area AWAY FROM LIGHT When using A Hair Blower for drying, when dried it should be expose not more than 10-15 minutes prior to the drying, set the screen to dry horizontally, bottom side down. This will provide the most even, flat "film" on the underside of the screen. It will, however, require your elevating the four corners of the underside of the frame during the drying stage with push pins or other suitable devices. An empty drawer, cupboard, closet, or under a cardboard box will work fine. Allow the screen to dry thoroughly. If more than 300 prints are to be run, it is best to apply a second coating of the sensitized Photo Emulsion to the bottom of the screen after the first coat is dry. Remember, work for a smooth, even THIN coating. Repeat the drying process away from heat and light. 
Once the sensitized screen is dry, it must remain in a darkened area until it is ready to be exposed. A fan in the dark area will greatly speed up the drying of the emulsion on the screen.

Step D--Preparing a positive
With the White Glue Apollo or Elmers glue, the maximum allowable time between application of the sensitized emulsion to the screen and the exposure is 4 hours at room temperature or the shell life of coated screen is maximum 4 hours. Mix Sensitizer and White Glue the Maximum shell life is only 48hours so don't over ur mixing fresh mix of emulsion=better outcome..
A "positive" is any opaque image (usually black), on any transparent or translucent surface. There are many ways you may choose to prepare them. 
A excellent transparent film for this purpose is Bienfang" Wet Media Mylar. Wet Media is available in various sizes. 
Another way of producing positives is through copy machines that have the capability of reproducing very opaquely on film, tracing paper, etc. In order to satisfactorily produce a positive using a copy machine, the following conditions must be met: 
. (1) Black and white line work-Must be opaque
. (2) Photographic print-Must have high contrast
. (3) Copy machine must have capability stated above. You must check this out in advance. Photographic

Step E
Before you remove the sensitized screen from the dark drying area, make sure everything you need to print with is on hand. Set up your exposure lamp as described in step F Copy and illustrations (positives) can be fixed in place with cellophane tape. Do not let two layers of tracing paper overlap. A better alternative than taping the "positives" to the screen fabric is to lay a piece of clear glass, lucite, or plexiglass on top of them. One of these must be used if thin lines or lettering less than 1/4" tall is to be printed. Which ever you use, once you are all "positives" are in place and against the fabric, you are ready to expose the screen. 

STEP F*

How to expose ur precoated screens
make sure that ur mixing of emulsion and sensitizer are corect..moving on, prepare the necessary materials:
1. Negative make sure that ur making ang accurate negative espcialy in color separation.
2.Prepare ur UV light, light first to see if its working all light...
3.if ur NEgative are printed on bondpaper, try to consider to have an cooking oil, u may wondering for what is that.. the inkjet dye are resistant to oil make the resin stable but will make the paper transparent, this is recomended for paper printing without film...
4. place ur negative in the uv light, pahiran mo ng oil ung paper then fit ur precoated screen together with the negative.
5.regarding the UV light, im using 20wats for 4 fluorescents 2" between glass and fluorescents. try putting heavy weight in the screen with foam below to give a pressure to the screen and negative... Turn on the Uv light.. exposure may take upto 3-10mins... safe is 5 mins
20 watts (4 pcs)

Screen Size . 4 Fluorescent light . . Exposure Time

8"x10" . . . . . . 2 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 minutes
10"x14" . . . . . 2 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 minutes
12"x18" . . . . .2inches . . . . . . . . . ......4 minutes
16"x20 . . . . . .2inches . . . . . . . . . . ... 5 minutes
18"x20" . . . . . 2 inches . . . . . . . . . . .. . 6 minutes

Natural UV light (SUNLIGHT)

Screen Size . . Lamp Height . . Exposure Time

8" x 10". . . . . . 3 inches . . . . . .7-10 Sec (humid 12pm- 3pm)
10"x14". . . . . . 3 inches . . . . .5 Sec (Hot rays 12’- 3pm)
12 "x 18" . . . . .3 inches . . . . . 30 seconds (Cloudy 4 o’clock)
16"x2O" . . . . . 3 inches . . . . . 59-1.5 minutes (5 o’ clock)


*Step G-After Exposing*
after exposing the screen, never expose ur screen to light, run to the sink. Apply a forceful spray of water (body temperature) to both sides of the screen. DO NOT USE HOT WATER. Concentrate this spray on the light images on the top side of the screen. After a few minutes, these areas will become "open." Continue spraying until all unwanted emulsion is gone. 
Once you have completely washed the screen, let it dry thoroughly in a level flat position.
Hold the dry frame to the light and check for pin-holes. These can be covered with Speedball Screen Filler or pieces of masking 
I stuck to the bottom of the screen. If Screen Filler is used, let the screen dry again. Follow the directions found in the section, "Making Prints."

Hope i can help with this...


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## firebugz (Jun 24, 2009)

HI! ganu kadami ang sinsitizer na nilalagay mo? do you have exact measurement sa sinsitizer and white glue?


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## Denmark_garments (Jul 31, 2009)

sensitizeR? iam not sre howmmuch did i put but inmaybe in 100ml i put 10-25ml of sensitzer tulco


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## firebugz (Jun 24, 2009)

im also using Apollo white glue. ask ko lng if na test muna ba kung gano katagal yung life span nya if nahaluan na ng sensitizer?


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## Denmark_garments (Jul 31, 2009)

lifespan or shellife? ung shell life nya is only 48 hours after nyan magiging malabnaw na xa at madali nalang xa matangal agad mas maganda kung fresh mo lagyan ng sensitzer po den u burn it


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## firebugz (Jun 24, 2009)

ok thanks Denmark_garments


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## Denmark_garments (Jul 31, 2009)

ur welcome


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## firebugz (Jun 24, 2009)

sir tanong ko lng kung ang screen ko nilagyan ko ng hardener. may paraan pa ba na matangal yung hardener? para ma reclaim ko yung screen ko


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## zachyllana (Apr 17, 2010)

Hi Everyone,

I'm a newbie here in TSF... tanong ko lang po kung may kilala kyo na nagbebenta ng exposure box na mura lang? thanks...


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## jhesiems (Jun 6, 2009)

hi... is it allow to use tagalog here on this thread?

as far as i know we have thread in asia

here is the link

Asia - T-Shirt Forums


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## hbink (Feb 7, 2012)

hi san po makakabili ng apollo glue d2 sa manila tagal na ko naghahanap eh


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## maclo13shirt (Oct 8, 2012)

Gandang gabi mga madam at sir, first time ko po matry ng screen printing ang problema d ko mabutas ung image ko.. Anu kaya gagawin ko.. Ito ang nangyare eh.


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## robtech (Aug 11, 2015)

Good guide, thanks, concise and easy to understand


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## agok (Aug 19, 2015)

anybody po ang paraan ng pag gamit ng emboss paint?


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