Learning screen printing - Emulsify screens

It was time!
This post will explain step by step how emulsify screen printing screens, easily and always thinking that it can be done at home without complications

In the workshop the emulsion Aquasol Murakami.
Silkscreen screen It is 43 threads and 40x50 cm where a din A3 fits and we have plenty of room.

Prepare our workspace.
We are going to get dirty. Be clear, emulsifying in 90% of cases is synonymous with getting dirty. That is why we have to work with clothes that we do not like very much and in a table or large place where we can work with ease. The emulsion is photosensitive so if you give it direct light it can spoil it and it will not do the development function. I recommend using a mosquito bulb, or yellow light bulb, gives a lot of light and does not affect the emulsion. A red light bulb for developing or putting a yellow plastic paper covering the light that shines on us also works.   

Screen emulsification.
I have the habit of putting the screen on the table looking up, made the emulsion directly on top of the screen at one end and use a stamping squeegee to expand it, I pass the squeegee several times ... yes, surely the screen printing gurus will say that I am crazy to do more than 1 or 2 passes ... I spread the emulsion evenly over the entire screen and in the same direction every time. I take several strokes with the squeegee to make sure everything is there uniform and not to put more emulsion. Another hobby I have is to pass the last pass with the squeegee on the inner side of the screen. What for? In this way, the excess emulsion will remain on the outside. We always print on the inside of the screen and that means that the squeegee is always in contact with the inner emulsion and over time and with humidity it can wear out and it is better that there is little thickness of emulsion inside to avoid this.

Drying of the emulsified screen.
It is the funniest moment of the emulsion process (irony off).
In the workshop a hot air stripper is used and we apply hot air from about 40-50cm away and we dry and touch with the hand on the sides to see if it is completely dry, we will also see that the dry parts will be colored more opaque and dull. Watch out! If you use a stripper and bring it too close to the screen fabric, you can burn it and it will break.



And Voila!
We already have our emulsified silkscreen screen and dried waiting to do the insolation with our design.