The screen printing process

A while back my husband helped me build an exposure unit.  I followed the plans from this video I found on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZmwbOgh-pU

It was simple enough to build, but I was confused on the type of light bulbs to use because the video just said to use regular florescent lights, but I knew that photo emulsion would only expose under a UV light.  I ended up getting some Black Light bulbs.  I should have gotten some unfiltered black lights, but Home Depot did not have any, and the black lights work ok.  It takes about 25-30 minutes for a screen to expose.  I will eventually take the time to find some unfiltered black lights and add another set of lights so the exposure time can be cut down, but for now it works wonderfully.  These units can go for thousands of dollars so I was pretty excited to have one at all and it only cost of about $150 dollars to build. 

I don’t have a studio, so I am working out of my house.  I have different stages of the screen printing process spread out all over the house.   The planning area is my dining room table.  The application and drying of the photo emulsion takes place in my bathroom that has no window so it makes for a perfect dark room.  The actual exposing of the screen takes place in the spare bedroom that also serves as my husband’s study and storage for my art supplies.  The cleaning out of the screen takes place in other my bathroom in our tub.  The printing process takes place in the kitchen with my hinge clamps screwed into a collapsible card table.  The prints dry pretty much anywhere they can lay undisturbed. 

Even though I practically run all over the house just to get one print done, I feel really lucky to be able to print at all.  I have been hitting up the Michaels 40% and 50% off coupons to buy Speedball photo emulsion kits for a good price and need to make a trip to Jerry’s Artorama (which my brother decided would be referred to as Jerry’s Taco World, no he is not 5 years old, he is pushing 40 he’s just funny) and get some supplies, but it is a far drive. 

Screen printing can be done a few different ways.  I use the photo emulsion method.  Emulsion is a thick liquid that is spread over the screen.  This liquid is UV light sensitive.  Once your screen is dry to the touch you are going to use some sort of UV light to expose the screen.  You can use the sun and heat lamp or exposure unit.