Find a screen & check the board to make sure it isn’t reserved by anyone. Clean it with the squirty spray & brush in the wet room, blast it with the medium setting on the pressure washer (not the highest setting as it will tear through the screen!) Make sure every trace of the green stuff is removed.
Write your name & the date on the board next to the number screen you have. It will be yours for 3 weeks.
Put fresh photo emulsion on the screen using the trough – make sure you use the right size trough – should be between 1 & 2 cm in from frame. Hold trough against screen 1 – 2 cm from the bottom & slowly tip until the emulsion is in contact with the screen all the way along. at this angle, slowly and smoothly pull the trough up the screen until you are 1 – 2 cm from the top & tilt back so the fluid is no longer in contact with the screen. Pour any remaining fluid back in bottle & clean trough & side bits thoroughly in sink. Allow screen to dry in the drying cabinets for 40 mins.
In the meantime, draw your design on normal paper, tracing paper or the special screen printing plastic film with a smooth & a rough side. Use indian ink or super-saturated black permanent markers only – if you don’t use good enough quality ink, it will be patchy.
Place your design in the exposure unit, position your screen over the top, set the timer for 4 mins & once exposed, rinse in the wet room again on the medium setting, both sides. Dry completely – if you can’t leave it overnight then dry it by the heaters but make sure it is completely dry.
Clamp screen in press, use the brown plastic tape to cover the edges & any patches where the green fluid has missed. Mix your paint – half acrylic, half screen printing medium. Blob it on your screen about an inch above your image making sure you use enough to pull a few prints. Switch the vacuum on to make sure your screen is in contact with the surface you’re printing on & do a trial pull on the acetate sheet – this will also be used as a placement guide when printing on paper. Pull at the angle shown in the photo below – not straight up or too horizontal – this angle will give a good print.
Make sure you clean all the equipment thoroughly after use. The screen, once rinsed of all screen printing paint, can be left for the next user to clean the green stuff off – don’t forget to wipe your name off the board.
clairemaloney 