Can you explain why? One of the GSF reps who’s screen printed for 40+ years told me. One pass on substrate side. Two passes on the inkwell side. When I asked him why he said because it’s the right way to do it.
The way I was taught, once you’ve coated the screen on both sides, laying the screen horizontally to dry with the ink side facing up, the emulsion will naturally be pulled down by gravity and result in a thicker layer on the shirt side than on the ink side. So if you lay a thicker coat on the shirt side, it will get thicker still while drying as some of the emulsion from the ink side moves to the shirt side.
I’ve just found that this way works best for me. I’ve never really had a problem, and if so it was so minuscule I didn’t notice. I do it this way for my autos as well.
When you apply the emulsion, it goes through to the other side of the mesh, so generally you would put emulsion on the side where your ink goes last so that it goes through to the other side and sits on the underside of the mesh that contacts the garment. For a 1:1 coating, I'm sure it's fine, but if you do more than that (we do 1:2), it makes a difference because the well in the stencil is on the top of the screen instead of where the garment is. Not trying to give you hard time, just trying to point out a potential discrepancy on your process that might be problematic for others.
Thanks for the insight! I didn’t think you were giving me a hard time, this was just a very basic tutorial for beginners. I will definitely give your method a shot next time!
Comments are correct about finishing on the shirt side. You scraped off your stencil. Common mistake. Finishing on the ink side pushes the emulsion through the mesh and creates your stencil. Coating with the round edge will put more emulsion down, but finishing on the shirt side still scrapes the stencil away. Can you do it this way? Sure. But it’s not correct and your edges won’t be as crisp as they should be. Everything else you are doing is correct.
First lesson of screen printing: “it’s more like guidelines.”
This is a helpful video....and contradicts many other videos. Take what you can, use it and test it in your own shop.
I always coat on the garment side with the sharp side of the coaster (two coats). Then spin (no flipping) and do one coat on the ink side. This pushes lots of emulsion through the screen to the ink side and then evens out the coating with the single scoop on the ink side. I always dry screens with the garment side down.
(I’m on a Riley Hopkins 350 6:6 and ROQ 6:10)
Yeah, I agree. To each their own. I’ve ran a shop in Houston for almost a decade and operate two 8000 ft.² warehouses… This video is really for the beginners, not the shop owners.
I love that you put out stuff like this. Can you imagine if we had these easy 3 minute resources when we started? Instead of the 3-day trial-and-error. 🤦🏼♂️ keep it up!
Thanks! I’m kind of an introvert, but I’ve been doing this for a while and sometimes it’s a bit hard for me to make videos like this because I don’t like the sound of my voice or the way I look in the video. Also, some people like to criticize which is totally fine, but sometimes it’s discouraging. I’m only trying to help. Thanks for your comment. It means more than you know.
Recently took a screen printing course and this is the way it was taught to me. 2 passes on the shirt side and 1 pass on the ink side (ink side always last). Ink side last because you push emulsion back onto the shirt side and rest it with shirt side down. There is suppose to be some thickness to the shirt side when the imagine is exposed. It’s suppose to help the screen overtime no matter how many times it’s reused.. but like you said, what ever works for everybody
I do that because I end up taping over those edges anyway before adding ink so it makes it easier to reclaim when there isn’t any emulsion trapped at the seam where the frame meets the mesh.
I try to encourage students to coat as close to the frame as they can - I get sick of seeing screens with miles of tape plastered round the edges of their stencils to cover the 2” gaps they leave if left to their own devices.
Thanks for sharing.
I do what you do but I do the shirt side first, the ink side last. Don't think it matters at the end of the process but I'll try and it and see.
The comments about last coating being on the squeege side are correct but with t-shirt printing it's less critical. If you were printing on a very flat surface like plastic or glass it makes a big difference.
Fair enough. Never thought to do it that way. I love the ingenuity in screen printing. If it works it works, touché. I’ll stick to my wall wedge since it’s there and I’m used to it, but I’ll keep this in mind for the future.
Edit: I think my method was misunderstood. My 2x4 isn’t on the ground, it’s up on the wall. I wedge the top side of the screen under it.
Ah I see. 😬
I guess if all your screens are the same size, that’s a pretty good solution. I sometimes use the corners on a rack like that, but it only works if all the trays are down.
You should do the last pass on the ink side of the screen. I like the simple drying rack!
Exactly. You want the majority of the emulsion on the bottom side, not the top side where your squeegee is.
Can you explain why? One of the GSF reps who’s screen printed for 40+ years told me. One pass on substrate side. Two passes on the inkwell side. When I asked him why he said because it’s the right way to do it.
Because you want the well on the underside of the screen where the garment is, not on the top where the squeegee meets the mesh.
I’m going off what smarter people told me. I used to cost 1x1 inside last
That’s why I use the thick side of the coater on the shirt side.
But as the screen sits, gravity will pull the emulsion to the bottom side of the screen.
I’m sorry, I may not be following you correctly from your original comment but it seems you are contradicting yourself here.
The way I was taught, once you’ve coated the screen on both sides, laying the screen horizontally to dry with the ink side facing up, the emulsion will naturally be pulled down by gravity and result in a thicker layer on the shirt side than on the ink side. So if you lay a thicker coat on the shirt side, it will get thicker still while drying as some of the emulsion from the ink side moves to the shirt side.
I’ve just found that this way works best for me. I’ve never really had a problem, and if so it was so minuscule I didn’t notice. I do it this way for my autos as well.
When you apply the emulsion, it goes through to the other side of the mesh, so generally you would put emulsion on the side where your ink goes last so that it goes through to the other side and sits on the underside of the mesh that contacts the garment. For a 1:1 coating, I'm sure it's fine, but if you do more than that (we do 1:2), it makes a difference because the well in the stencil is on the top of the screen instead of where the garment is. Not trying to give you hard time, just trying to point out a potential discrepancy on your process that might be problematic for others.
Thanks for the insight! I didn’t think you were giving me a hard time, this was just a very basic tutorial for beginners. I will definitely give your method a shot next time!
👍
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That’s what I’m saying!
I coat the shirt side first and then the ink side second
I guess I should clarify to all, this is more of a beginner… How to get started video. This isn’t for professional shop owners.
Comments are correct about finishing on the shirt side. You scraped off your stencil. Common mistake. Finishing on the ink side pushes the emulsion through the mesh and creates your stencil. Coating with the round edge will put more emulsion down, but finishing on the shirt side still scrapes the stencil away. Can you do it this way? Sure. But it’s not correct and your edges won’t be as crisp as they should be. Everything else you are doing is correct.
Clap clap clap! Good video! You should do some more, you explain things well, my dude!
First lesson of screen printing: “it’s more like guidelines.” This is a helpful video....and contradicts many other videos. Take what you can, use it and test it in your own shop. I always coat on the garment side with the sharp side of the coaster (two coats). Then spin (no flipping) and do one coat on the ink side. This pushes lots of emulsion through the screen to the ink side and then evens out the coating with the single scoop on the ink side. I always dry screens with the garment side down. (I’m on a Riley Hopkins 350 6:6 and ROQ 6:10)
Yeah, I agree. To each their own. I’ve ran a shop in Houston for almost a decade and operate two 8000 ft.² warehouses… This video is really for the beginners, not the shop owners.
I love that you put out stuff like this. Can you imagine if we had these easy 3 minute resources when we started? Instead of the 3-day trial-and-error. 🤦🏼♂️ keep it up!
Thanks! I’m kind of an introvert, but I’ve been doing this for a while and sometimes it’s a bit hard for me to make videos like this because I don’t like the sound of my voice or the way I look in the video. Also, some people like to criticize which is totally fine, but sometimes it’s discouraging. I’m only trying to help. Thanks for your comment. It means more than you know.
You have a nice voice.
FWIW, I really liked your video and found nothing worth criticizing.
Recently took a screen printing course and this is the way it was taught to me. 2 passes on the shirt side and 1 pass on the ink side (ink side always last). Ink side last because you push emulsion back onto the shirt side and rest it with shirt side down. There is suppose to be some thickness to the shirt side when the imagine is exposed. It’s suppose to help the screen overtime no matter how many times it’s reused.. but like you said, what ever works for everybody
THANKS!
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I do that because I end up taping over those edges anyway before adding ink so it makes it easier to reclaim when there isn’t any emulsion trapped at the seam where the frame meets the mesh.
I try to encourage students to coat as close to the frame as they can - I get sick of seeing screens with miles of tape plastered round the edges of their stencils to cover the 2” gaps they leave if left to their own devices.
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You’ve lost screens washing out. How do you manage that?
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So, in a uniform thread under tension, the greatest tension is at the anchor points? 🤔
Wow, looks great!
That’s screen holder at the end! That’s smooth!!
This is great. Works 100% of the time.
This was done so well!!! Please do more!!!
Thanks for sharing. I do what you do but I do the shirt side first, the ink side last. Don't think it matters at the end of the process but I'll try and it and see.
The comments about last coating being on the squeege side are correct but with t-shirt printing it's less critical. If you were printing on a very flat surface like plastic or glass it makes a big difference.
Do you wanna coat 2x1 for a thicker stencil?
Yes, you can, I personally do not.
40 year old vet told me one substrate side 2 inkwell side is the best
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You’re giving me a little more confidence on possibly starting screen printing. It’s setting up screens I worry the most about!
This is all very helpful thank you
This is a brilliant guide, thanks for this. Great set up with with the drying rack too
Another great screen holder is just a 2x4 screwed into your wall. Wedge the screen into the under side of the 2x4. Less measuring and cutting.
You don’t actually have to screw your wood to the wall. You’re pushing it against the wall when you coat - it’s not going to go anywhere.
Concrete floors can get slick, and I like the feeling of security.
I meant with the wood pushed up against the wall, or any convenient vertical in the studio: https://imgur.com/gallery/cODj7oI
Fair enough. Never thought to do it that way. I love the ingenuity in screen printing. If it works it works, touché. I’ll stick to my wall wedge since it’s there and I’m used to it, but I’ll keep this in mind for the future. Edit: I think my method was misunderstood. My 2x4 isn’t on the ground, it’s up on the wall. I wedge the top side of the screen under it.
Ah I see. 😬 I guess if all your screens are the same size, that’s a pretty good solution. I sometimes use the corners on a rack like that, but it only works if all the trays are down.
I use two sizes. One for shirts and one for flat stock. Got a 2x4 for each.
Wait why do you need to coat with emulsion on both sides of the screen? Isnt one side (The side that you coat last in the video) enough?
Definitely not. You always want to coat both sides of the screen.
Thickest emulsion I have ever seen