How do you make your screens?

[Nolen Strals]

Yeah I forgot to include that part in my last post...you should learn how to do things like use screen filler and crayons for fixing pinholes, and it is good to do at least one or two prints that way, just to have those skills under your belt.

I was just saying that creating all the art with screenfiller and a razor would be hard work, but I know people who've done it, and done it well.

[Anonymous]

I haven't seen Dimestore, but then again I don't frequent music stores much. I'll check it out though. Does your friend have a website for the mag? Is he/she looking for artists to contribute stuff?

Once I have the space (and money and time) to invest in screenprinting equipment, I'd like to try everything from stretching screens to paper masks to using filler to draw on the screen to photoemulsion. Even if it's maddening...

-matter

[Speed]

I used to print the seps out on vellum of a plotter printer, then try to sweet talk printers into burning them for me. I want to fawk around with cutting rubylith more, seems like it might be fun. I'm still learning, sloooowly. Luckily much of the stuff I've done lately has been printed by some badasses in either Las Vegas or London, depending on the continent of the show. That makes it easier to just design, design, design, which is my favorite part. I like to pick and choose the ones I handpull, like ones I don't think I'll ruin!!

[drowningcreek]

I use neuman roller frames and inkjet positives. I swear buy them.

Ink jet positives can be printed right off your desktop printer using regular cheap black refill ink. The film is available at http://www.fastfilms.com/fastpos/ it comes in 17 x 22 sheets and 17" inch wide rolls. I use and Epson 3000 printer ($895.00) and it makes seps that are imagesetter quality...no shit! They ROCK and the density is perfect for any type of exposure unit from industrial units to UV flourescents under a glass coffee table..(don't laugh, I've done it). If you separate on a compter, this DEFINITELY the way to get the best seps for the money off the desktop. Laser printers stretch the acetate and create reg problems unless you build huge traps in..which screws with some designs.

Inkjet positives are cheap about $1.85 each plus ink...and a fill up of ink goes a loooooong way.

Roller Frames are retensionable screenframes. You retension them with a wrench after each reclaim. This way they never lose their tension, which can be a real problem on registration.

The great thing is the more you print with the mesh on retensionable frames the better the mesh gets. they are actually printing at their best right before the mesh wears out.

You see, the more you print with a mesh in a screen the looser and flatter it gets (round threads getting squashed from use). The loose part is bad, but the flat part is good. So roller frames allow you to retension (or tighten) the mesh on the frame to the proper tension (which gets tighter and better the more you use them...starting to see where I'm going with this?

Anyway, them more you use the screen the better it gets. In the end right before the mesh wear out it's almost like fine rice paper and is PERFECT to do extreme detail with.

Printers keep tabs of their screens by numbering them and keeping track of how many times they have been retensioned. This allows them to choose certain screens for certain types of jobs.

The secret is not screwing them up and tearing them before they get to this ultra tight state. I've torn more than I like to admit. BE CAREFUL around your screens. Mesh is expensive,

They are available at

http://www.stretchdevices.com/

Read thru the site and you will learn everything you need to know about how to use these little gifts from heaven. They are worth their weight in Gold. I cannot stress enough how important properly tensioned screens are. It means the difference in a good print and a GREAT print....and they save you lots of ink, which is where all your money is really going anyway.

An 18 x 36 frame will cost you about $35-$50...then there's Mesh...and it can get expensive, but for newbies-- buy a good monofilament mesh and you'll be alright. It's on the stretch devices site also. You don't need a tension meter...these are expensive, but they really help you get the screen to optimum levels. Save this purchse until after you are really hooked. The more you use one them ore you realize how important measuring your screen tension is.

Roller Frames hit the market in the late 80's and made making killer screens a snap. Not to mention, they made printing tight reg seps a breeze.

I have used them since the day I saw them in a demo at a screenprinting show. You have to see them work to really appreciate them. They make handprinting so much easier it's scary.

The combination of the roller frames and inkjet positives will make printing much more enjoyable.

The fun should be in doing the print, not overcoming unnecessary problems like loose screens or out of reg films.

We use a photo emulsion made for solvent based inks they make it for waterbase also, so make sure you buy the one compatiable with your ink set up. There's nothing worse than having the perfectly burned and prepped screen disolve before you eyes because that water based emulsion is coming unglued due to that waterbase ink!...and yes, I learned from experience. Doh!

Later guys......

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: drowningcreek on 2002-01-16 18:25 ]</font>

[JOHNPERRY]

I use Vellum, most paper stores carry it. Unfortunately I can only find it around here in 8 1/2 x 11 so I just tape em' together for 11 x 17. I do color separations in Corel Draw, then print them out of an HP 1120. Works for me, since I work at a screen printing shop, I just burn the screens after work. Give yourself some traps and your fine.