Speedball photo emulsion rinse windows#

Even so, our mesh allows artists to achieve a high level of detail while still having the ability to push mica powders, thickened underglazes, metallic inks, etc. A higher TPI means finer holes & therefore the ability to achieve finer details in designs. Even so, SmallDogPrints uses a mesh with a higher TPI. 110 is typically used in screen printing as it is the least expensive fabric and is widely available. For example, a 110 TPI would have 110 threads crossing per square inch. “thread count” or “mesh count” this refers to the number of threads used per inch of fabric. Mesh - a thin, light-weight material made of a network of polyester threads woven together. It can be used to expose screens under any general room lighting conditions and does not require general room lighting to ever be turned off! Use a paddle bit to drill a 1.25' hole in the center of this Walmart 20 gallon black tote and repurpose the parts from your SmallDogPrints' Light Kit :) See 'Studio Setup Options' video here.

Speedball photo emulsion rinse windows#

Also be sure that there is no sun light coming in through the windows and doors of your room.ĭesk Top Dark Room: If it is not possible to temporarily turn off general room lights during exposure or it's not possible to have a dedicated space for exposing screens where the general room lights are all 'safe lights' (see above), many craft centers and ceramic shops use this inexpensive DIY 'desk top dark room' arrangement here. This will create a well lit but still 'safe light' area suitable for handling film before exposure. try slipping these UV blocking plastic sleeves over LED tubes. Examples of safe lights are: yellow or red bug lights & bulbs, photography dark room lights and LED bulbs & tubes. Safe Lights - Lights & bulbs that do not emit high amounts of UV rays and will therefore not expose Emulsion on Mesh Film. Īlso note, popular LED bulbs are actually mostly considered to be 'safe' around film as they do NOT emit the rays needed to expose film please test your LED lights with test strips to see if they are safe to use around film when handling it, cutting it, etc. Ī 'grow light box' like the one below can be used from 4.5' away and exposes film in about 3 min. Any 'grow light' or 'grow light box' used indoors for growing plants also works well.Ī single bulb like the one below can be used 12' away from your work surface and exposes film in about 15 min.

5000k - 6500k (very important that it is this type of bulb which closely mimics the natural sun). To expose film, purchase our light kit or simply use a DAYLIGHT FLUORESCENT bulb with high kelvin ie. orange emulsion) to the correct DAYLIGHT FLUORESCENT lighting so that the light sensitive orange emulsion hardens (NOTE.the orange emulsion protected by the black ink of your design will NOT harden and will rinse away thus creating your custom screen stencil). **EXPOSURE - the process of revealing film (ie. Wear protective gloves and eye/face protection when handling. Only when the Emulsion on Mesh Film has been made into a screen stencil is it safe to turn on regular UV lighting. Film could cause an allergic skin reaction and/or serious eye irritation. WARNING: All handling of Emulsion on Mesh Film before exposure should be done with safe lights on in a darkened room. Since all emulsion is UV light sensitive, it ships in a UV light protective baggie. For ease of use, our emulsion has already been applied to a stretched mesh fabric. sunlight & fluorescent bulbs, tubes & lights have high amounts of UV rays) SmallDogPrints' emulsion is orange.

The phrase 'screen printing' is a more accurate description of today's process and is gaining in popularity.Įmulsion - a UV light-sensitive substance that hardens when exposed to UV light (ie. Even so, the phrase 'silk screening' is still heard but mainly by an older generation. Today, mesh is typically made of more durable, synthetic fibers such as polyester.

Previously, silk was mainly used as a raw material in the manufacturing of the mesh. Silk Screening - often used synonymously with screen printing, silk screening or silk screen printing is a much older term. Screen Printing - the technique of pushing ink through open areas of a screen so that an image or pattern is printed onto a substrate. Q: Can you review some basic terms used on your site?