# Washing out a screen: Pressure Washer or Toothbrush?



## sjaguar13 (Jul 19, 2006)

I quit screen printing because I can't do it very well. I have been doing vinyl and an occasional screen with vinyl stencil. My vinyl cutter cannot get small details and cannot do half tone dots small enough to give a gradient effect.

I am thinking about going to back screen printing, but I could never burn a screen. I figured it's time to spend money on better equipment, like an exposure unit. I have always burnt screens outside in the sunlight, and then washed them out with a toothbrush in a sink...this takes forever. I was talking to someone else who said he uses a pressure washer.

I was always nervous that the pressure washer would wash out the entire screen. With a quality exposure unit, would the emulsion be burned well enough to withstand a pressure washer?


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## gerry (Oct 4, 2006)

just use a spray(shower) to washout, no need to be harsh.
Pressure washer is for when you reclaim...and ive used a toothbrush to scrub stubborn stuff on the screen when im reclaiming. Burning is def something that takes some practice .. but isnt too difficult.
there are some good threads here about homeade units.. I dont have any links tho'


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## Unik Ink (Nov 21, 2006)

Are you talking about using a toothbrush to wash out the image right after exposure or for reclaiming? You should use light water pressure to wash out after exposure. Some people use a hose with an adjustable nozzle. We have a pressure washer that has a nozzle that will produce a fine mist up to a tight toothpick thick stream of high pressure water. The screen should be burned long enough so that the exposed area is not slimy and doesn't thin out under the water pressure, and the unexposed area washes out fairly easily when sprayed with water.


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## treadhead (Jul 26, 2006)

No need for expensive equipment except perhaps if you are doing fine detail.

I've gotten along with a 500W Halogen light from Lowes, a piece of glass and a big sponge....lol.

But....I don't do halftones.....


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## BillyV (May 8, 2009)

If you want to burn half tones you really need to make/get a decent exposure unit! I have never seen a really good 500w halftone burn?


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## TshirtGuru (Jul 9, 2008)

We use a pressure washer to washout our screens. If you expose your screens correctly, a pressure washer works great.


And you don't want to use a toothbrush to washout your stencils. Just use water.


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## out da box (May 1, 2007)

I'm using a pressure washer lately to wash out exposed screens- with fine halftones. Your stencils must be completely exposed though or the dots will wash out. Pressure washer will completely wash out all the little shadow dots and small openings and fine lines. It's a fine balance between too little and too much of anything with screen printing.


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## Dad (Nov 18, 2006)

There are many vendors that put on seminors on screen printing. I went to one and it helped alot. I'm still a newbie but I know enough to ne dangerous now. 

I also found great chemicals for reclaiming screens. They take alot of work out of reclaiming. 

When I expose I go to a washout booth and have a garden hose system on it to wash out designs. If you learn to expose properly then your design should wash out very easley with a hose and nozzle.

While learning also a decent emulsion that is premixed is handy as it will last along time before going bad. 

If you are serious about screenprinting tho I would find a seminor.

Dad


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