# Screen printing for the financially challenged



## Snoringbeauty (Feb 23, 2007)

I recently blew my tax refund on a screen printing package.I have a small apartment to work in. I still have many kinks to work out (i.e. buying a work table, washout booth, getting a working printer) Currently I coat my screen in the dark of my closet, on the floor. I rinse my screen in the drain sink from my apartments washer/dryer room. One more problem.... I dont want to spend money on a pressure washer. Can I use a Car Wash powered hose? Will it be strong enough? Has anyone else had their own problems with a white-trash version of an at home business?  Thank you.


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## mikiec (Aug 2, 2006)

Hi! I can see so many similarities between what you've done and what I'm doing... the tax rebate, the darkened room, etc. 

I bought a red light for exposing with (about £20/$40) but it's stopped working so I'm back to the dark room. I've got a lot more space than you have by the sounds of it but I'm washing out my screens in the bath tub with the shower head. It works perfectly well although I am at just above sea-level so I probably get higher pressure than most. I've found that if you use the right removal agents, you don't really need that much pressure. 

Good luck!


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

I think youll be ok. Just clean your screens immediately after printing. If you let them site it will be harder to clean and will require heavy pressure.


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

mikiec said:


> I bought a red light for exposing with (about £20/$40) but it's stopped working so I'm back to the dark room.


I'll bet you don't mean _exposing_.

A red light as a 'safe light' is needed in camera dark room, but for a 'safe light' for screen printing - yellow fluorescents are the standard. I personally use GE F32T8/GO GOLD lamps. Use plenty of them, more light is better than a dark room for inspecting your coating.

Don't be nervous, even Cool White and other traditional fluorescent lamps have very little exposure ability at distances greater than 24".

To be safe, store your coated screens in the dark. In a cabinet or a room with all lights off.


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

Snoringbeauty said:


> Can I use a Car Wash powered hose?


Thousands of screen printers have used car wash pressure washers in the past. 

Beware. The owner won't like the stencil sludge you might leave behind. You can't collect it very well at the car wash. I'll bet your apartment owner doesn't like it either - instead of using your bath tub or shower stall.

Consider an inexpensive pressure washer. It won't last forever, but you won't have to load up your car with screen and coins for the meter.

www.homedepot.com

search for item: 512755 for an example $99.00


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## Snoringbeauty (Feb 23, 2007)

RichardGreaves said:


> Thousands of screen printers have used car wash pressure washers in the past.
> 
> Beware. The owner won't like the stencil sludge you might leave behind. You can't collect it very well at the car wash. I'll bet your apartment owner doesn't like it either - instead of using your bath tub or shower stall.
> 
> ...


 
Once again financially challenged, its spend a hundred on a pressure washer or buy food


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## mikiec (Aug 2, 2006)

RichardGreaves said:


> I'll bet you don't mean _exposing_.


DOH!! Yeah, when I re-read that I realised it came across all wrong. I use 2x500W halogen bulbs for exposing. 



RichardGreaves said:


> A red light as a 'safe light' is needed in camera dark room, but for a 'safe light' for screen printing - yellow fluorescents are the standard. I personally use GE F32T8/GO GOLD lamps. Use plenty of them, more light is better than a dark room for inspecting your coating.
> 
> Don't be nervous, even Cool White and other traditional fluorescent lamps have very little exposure ability at distances greater than 24".
> 
> To be safe, store your coated screens in the dark. In a cabinet or a room with all lights off.


The red light is to give me some light in the room while I'm working. I tried to find a yellow safe light but had no luck. I use a box to dry my screens (don't have time to store them... they get used as soon as they're ready). A de-humidifier is next on the 'to buy' list.

Thanks for the info. I'll search out those flourescent lights.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Snoringbeauty said:


> Once again financially challenged, its spend a hundred on a pressure washer or buy food


So go without food. I've skipped eating to buy the things I need, and I'm sure I'm not the only one here. Equipment costs money. If you can't afford equipment (and/or food) that totally sucks, but it's an inescapable truth that it takes money to print (or do just about anything else in this world), and if you can't find it somewhere it's not going to work. If your budget won't stretch as far as the cheap, basic equipment you might have to start smaller.


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## monkeylantern (Oct 16, 2005)

$5 will buy a you a bag of rice that'll last you a week, and get condiment sachets from McDonalds.

Voila! A weeks food budget free to spend on equipment!

(although don't do it for too long, unless you want scurvy)


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

monkeylantern said:


> (although don't do it for too long, unless you want scurvy)


But ketchup has vitamin C..


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## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

iF YOU NEED A BEVERAGE, TAKE A LEMON PACKET AND ADD TO YOUR WATER FOR FLAVOR. i SUGGEST YOU TAKE SMALL STEPS SAVE UP CASH AND LOOK AROUND FOR GOOD USED EQUIPMENT OR PURCHASE THE BEST YOU CAN AND UPGRADE AS YOU CAN AFFORD IT. We all must start some where, some start w/better eqipment, others start with better skills. Good luck ....JB


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## aust1025 (Mar 1, 2007)

A couple of tips i found along the way.
1. Take a regular light bulb and paint red nail polish in it
(Sounds funny but it worked for me.)
2. For exposing screens there are a couple of methods i use depending on the size of my image.
a. I use hooks and hang my light over the screen, i made a little stand out foam board and covered it in black leather (the screen fits over it nice and snug, print side), i then take a piece of glass and put it over the stencil.

b. I also use a shop light with 2 tube lights, i take a storm window and put it over that, i cover the screen completly with black leather and turn the light on, the only problem is this takes a lot longer.

hope this helps/


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## Titere (Sep 14, 2006)

Thats the way to start Briana, at least for the financially challenged as you said. I started doing the same as you, I still use a regular hose on a regular basis. You will see progress. You obviously start that way and get a few bucks, DONT get them for yourself, buy equipment and materials, get them one by one, work after work, and you will see you will soon have more than you need, that how it happened to me, it can be done and will be worth it!
Good luck


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## smitee (Dec 18, 2007)

RichardGreaves said:


> even Cool White and other traditional fluorescent lamps have very little exposure ability at distances greater than 24"


Would an energy saving bulb be considered "safe"?


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## tpitman (Jul 30, 2007)

Just get a yellow bug light. I've got a 60 watt one and it's plenty bright.


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## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

I think as long as you store your screens in a dark place, the small amount of time it takes to take them out, tape on your film and get them on the exposure unit will not affect exposure with any type of light. I carry mine all over the shop without even thinking about it and never have a problem with exposure.


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