Screen Printing

Equipment: 

• four-color Vastex garment carousel

• single-color garment press

• vacuum table

• screen printing boards with clamps

• extra large 24” screens

• large 23x31” screens

• small 20x24” screens

• exposure unit

• Geoknight heat press

• flash dryer

• scoop coaters

• pressure washers (2)

• squeegees (assorted lengths and hardnesses)

• spatulas

Materials: 

• assortment of acrylic paper ink (CMYK etc.)

• black and white fabric ink

• photo emulsion

• screen filler & drawing fluid

• containers for ink mixing

• 17” roll of inkjet compatable transparency 

• Strip-e-doo emulsion remover

Screen Printing Cleanup Checklist

For your first time screen printing and power-washing your screen, you must do so during open lab hours, and

have a staff member approve the quality of your cleanup. After completing the checklist, get a staff signature at the bottom of the form.

__Keep the screen attached to the hinges. With a spatula, remove all remaining ink from the screen, returning it to the container. Do the same with ink on the squeegee.

__”Print-out” any remaining ink that is in the screen.

__Remove tape from the margines of the frame, and place in trash. It may be drippy, be careful!

__Remove the screen from the hinges, and set aside. Clean your print surface and workspace, wiping up any ink drips with a damp sponge. Be thorough!

__Take your squeegee, spatula, and other tools/items to the sink. Wash thoroughly with a wet sponge, getting around all edges. There should be no sign of ink! Return squeegee to the rack, blade facing out. Check the sink for blobs of ink, don’t leave ink hanging out for someone to deal with later!

__Take your screen to the back washout sink. Spray with the hand water hose and wipe with a wet sponge to remove all ink. There should be no evidence of the color remaining. Get around all the edges and corners of the frame!

__If you are keeping the current stencil, return the screen to the correct location on the rack, label facing out.

__If you are power-washing the screen to reset it, apply a squirt of screen filler remover or emulsion remover

(depending on the stencil). Scrub with the black and yellow brush, do not scrub with a sponge!

__Let stand for about 2 minutes in the sink. It will start to change color, getting paler. Do not let it dry ever! Screen filler remover may take longer than 2 minutes.

__Turn on both faucet handles, pushing them up. Direct water to the power washer, and turn off the hand hose.

__Now turn on the power washer. Make slow passes back and forth from top to bottom, keeping the nozzle close to

the screen, about 1-2 inches away. Try to keep the water contained in the sink! You may have to flip the screen around to the other side to get the stubborn areas.

__The stencil should fall-out easily. If it seems tough, you may need to apply more remover and let stand for longer.

If emuslion remover sits for too long and dries, it will be almost impossible to remove. Do not walk away!

__When you think you’re done, hold the screen up to the light to double-check. If you see chunks of anything, the screen is not clean.

__If you’re continuing on to make a new screen immediately, place the screen in front of the fan.

__OR Return screen to the rack, do not ever leave a screen leaning on the wall or sitting out anywhere.

__Do a once-over! Look over the sink and your work area, make sure all has been reset and your items & tools have been returned to their home.