#Screen printing emulsion software#

The areas that have been set by the UV light do not wash away but the black areas of the image do. Wash Out the ScreenĪfter exposure, the screen is washed out. This means the UV light can set or cure the emulsion in the negative space of the image (the white areas) and doesn’t reach the positive image. During this time, the UV light passes through the translucent areas of the oiled paper but is blocked by the opaque image. This is quite specific to the particular ‘system’ so the directions must be followed. Two and a half minutes is what I usually use for my white mesh screens and the emulsion I use. The UV light is switched on for a specific time depending on the mesh and the emulsion. The blackout cover is brought down to hold everything in place and to contain the UV light. The image is placed on the UV bed and the screen is placed in position on the image.

However, it can be done at home as a quick search of the Internet shows.Įxposure bed at Megalo Print Studio. I’ve only ever done it at Megalo where the process is very controlled. In the studio this is done on a UV exposure bed (a light box with UV lights and a glass top) but it is possible to do it with sunlight or a UV lamp set up. When the emulsion is dry the screen is ready to ‘expose’. The emulsion is left to dry on the screen in a dark cupboard. Emulsion is a liquid and it is applied to the screen mesh in a thin film with a wide, trough-like applicator. Next, in a darkroom so as not to spoil the emulsion, the emulsion is applied to the screen. You can also have images printed onto clear film but oiled paper is a cheap and perfectly serviceable way! Apply Emulsion to Screen This makes the paper translucent but the positive areas of the image (the black bits) remain black and opaque. Laser printing is important – inkjet prints will be ruined in the next step of the process because the image is then given a wash with oil. The image is printed or photocopied on a laser printer at the size required. So this is how I did it… Prepare Image Artwork Stacked Stones drawing screen printed onto a cushion. My dandelion print was created from a photograph that I manipulated to be very high contrast.

#Screen printing emulsion software#

Photographs can be manipulated with software in various ways to make a suitable image. The image, however, has to be black and white. The image can be anything including photographs, drawings, computer-printed text or illustrations – anything. Photo emulsion is light sensitive so we can use light to transfer an image to the screen. I have a lot of people ask me how it works and it is interesting so I thought I would share it with you. I may have been living under a rock, screenprinting-wise, but my first screen printing course at Megalo Print Studio was an eye-opener! I discovered photo emulsion! This opened up a world of possibilities. There are ways around it but there are sometimes (many times) when another technique is called for. This, of course, also applies to any shape with a cut-out. Very fine detail is difficult and text is troublesome if you want to use letters like A, B, D, O, P, Q and R which have parts you will cut out. Paper stencils have their limitations though. Nowadays, if I do a paper stencil, I use a thickish and glossy stencil paper available in large sheets from my art store. They could be used more than once but they were not very durable. We used art paper that was shiny on one side to make our stencils so that the paper was less likely to buckle with the moisture. It is a common technique and, though simple, I am gobsmacked by the detail some patient people create this way! This was the way I learnt to screen print at high school. If you have ever created your own screen-print, chances are you used a paper stencil which you cut out by hand.