# Wash out question--haze



## fhobart (Dec 17, 2013)

Here's my situation: Because I HATE chemical clean up, I have chosen to go with new mesh for every screen. I use 110 white mesh and have tried a variety of emulsions, but I still continue to get a ghosty-type haze that can in some instances prevent the ink from passing through. Does anyone have any idea what I'm doing or not doing? Thanks.


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## TLK (Jan 15, 2013)

When you expose your screens and wash out is there a slimy feel to the emulsion? You might be underexposing. Get an exposure calculator strip or download one. You might need to make sure all the unexposed emulsion is washed away on the inside of the screen.

Also, try drying your screens vertically if you're doing it horizontally at the moment. That will allow any residue to run off and not sit in the mesh. 

It might be neither of these things, just a thought...


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## Ripcord (Sep 2, 2006)

Unless it's severely underexposed you should be able to rinse it again after it dries to get rid of any leftover residue. And from now on before you put a screen on your press check for this first by holding it up to a bright light and looking through every bit of the stencil. Then you can rinse it out right away as opposed to having to clean off ink.

Also, this looks like you may have the image printed on the wrong side of your film because the corners are all kind of rounded off on the stencil.

On another thing you brought up, I think most of us dislike working with harsh chemicals too, but most modern day screen washes and stencil removers are water soluble, biodegradable, and fairly green products with little or no odor or health risks. You'd save a lot of time and money by using your mesh several times. (I've never counted but I think I can do at least 20 stencils on mesh before I start to notice quality issues.


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## Redeemed (Feb 4, 2016)

How are you printing your films? Are you degreasing your mesh before coating?


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## Printor (Apr 16, 2015)

I have some screens, that have ghost images from 15-20 years ago. A screen is worth it's weight in gold, until the day it's useless. I can clean/reclaim a screen as fast/er as I can restretch one. I very often find brand new mesh sometime does not let the emulsion bond as well to the mesh until it has been through the system once or twice. probably because the mesh is getting roughed up a little when being degreased a couple more times.


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## Ripcord (Sep 2, 2006)

Printor said:


> I very often find brand new mesh sometime does not let the emulsion bond as well to the mesh until it has been through the system once or twice. probably because the mesh is getting roughed up a little when being degreased a couple more times.


I've found this too. Mesh benefits from being "seasoned" a bit." I get my best results after the third or fourth job on newly stretched mesh. Brand new mesh usually works fine, but when I pull tape off a new screen the emulsion often comes off with it.


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## fhobart (Dec 17, 2013)

I am using an HP LaserJet 5500 printer for the films. From experience, I learned the hard way to make two and tape them together. My light source is a single point 1000w metal halide bulb (made the unit myself), and it doesn't seem to matter about exposure time in regards to the shiny haze.

I have not degreased the mesh--I will pick some up. Is one brand better than others or are they all pretty similar?

While the idea of a a non-lethal clean up is appealing, there is something quite wonderful about simply dumping mesh and starting fresh--it sort of feels like a new pair of socks....


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