Mesh Preparation:
It is very important to remove all contamination, residual inks, cleaning chemistry, or general dirt and dust.
Coating:
Use a clean dry coating trough that has a nick free surface for smooth coating.
• Apply two coats of emulsion to the print side. Rotate the frame 180 degrees and apply one or two coats of emulsion to the squeegee side.
• Additional coats may be added to the print side if thicker stencils are required.
Drying: Dry the coated screen horizontally with the print side down in a clean light safe area. The following will help to ensure complete drying:
• 86° to 104° degrees
• 30% to 50% relative humidity
• Good air circulation
The use of a screen drying cabinet with heated airflow can help in maintaining these conditions.
Exposure
Clean the film positives and vacuum frame glass prior to exposure to minimize pinholes.
Exposure is affected by mesh color, emulsion type, coating thickness, lamp type and the age of the bulb itself.
For best results use an exposure calculator to determine the correct exposure time.
Note: The use of film positives that are either frosted or have weak black density can reduce resolution and definition qualities of the coated screen.
Washout Image Area:
Gently spray both sides of the screen with cold to lukewarm water, wait a few seconds to allow emulsion to soften then wash print side of screen until image is fully open.
Rinse both sides thoroughly and dry.
The use of a drying cabinet or fans is recommended to dry the screen.
Use a pressure washer on fan spray for developing the screen.
