Getting screens

So I guess you want some actual info. Well your prints will only be as good as the gear you use. Lots of folks make the mistake in thinking it is more cost effective to stretch their own screens. This is the first step in having an absolutely miserable time with the whole process of screenprinting. I suggest you use Professional grade pre stretched screens from somebody like Dimensional Products or whoever is your local screen/sign supply company. This cuts down on the time you waste trying to stretch and restretch your screens. I have screens that I bought for $25 eight years ago that I still use regularly, which makes it a well made investment. When you do buy screens you will be asked what mesh you will want. The mesh is how porous the screen is so the more/ finer the detail the higher the mesh you want. If you are printing textiles with water based inks you should start with a 125 mesh screen for not so much detail to 355 mesh for 4-color process. If you use plastisol inks well, you can go as low as 110 mesh and up to 355 for process inks. If you plan to print with metallic inks I suggest you go with as low a mesh as possible,
The metal flakes will clog up the higher mesh screens. If You Plan on printing paper You will only want to get 355 mesh screens. When you buy screens they need to be abraded and degreased before you coatthem with your emulsion. The Print industry makes all of these nifty products to help you with this process but I have found that a bit of elbow grease and Simple Green work fine. You should buy yourself a nice stiff nylon bristled scrub brush to do the abrading and a bottle of Simple Green to act as the degreaser. First wet your screen then put a bit of the soap on it and go to work with your scrub brush. Don't be gentle 'cuz you really want to rough up the fiber of the screen mesh so that it will hold the emulsion to it. As for emulsion I have not had any problems with Ulano's QTX, Its pretty easy to use. I also suggest you get yourself a emulsion scoop to coat your screens. It's another thing that folks skip thinking they are saving money but it will save you considerable time and heartache. As for coating screens that is pretty much a technique that will come with time, be patient. Some screensupply shops do offer coating and burning of the screens you buy so unless you plan on doing alot of printing that may be the way you want to go.
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