Sometimes I'm lazy....

[jason-23]

but sometimes with that pita customer I just dont give a shiz. let's say I have a two color job white and red on black shirts, instead of doing a under base and a highlight I just pfpf the underbase and bang the red and n the dryer it goes...I know this is the wrong way but I was just wondering if I was the only one...

[mk162]

there is nothing wrong with that depending on the job.  I do it a lot on smaller runs.

[screenxpress]

Was thinking the same thing.  I know I don't have near the experience of a lot of you, but I have never used a highlight white screen.  Maybe just been lucky with the artwork.

[Prosperi-Tees]

On small runs I do the same thing, works ok.

[Lizard]

That's not lazy, just economics.  Make sure your white is on a high mesh count like 230 so the top color is not super thick.

[jason-23]

That seems to be a problem that whole thickness thing. I find if I have to get the white at 100% op then it is too thick bullet proof thick. I was told once to thin my ink way down to help with that and to make sure my emulision thickness is very low but I don't know how to measure the thickness off my emulsion. Can one just coat say the shirt side of the screen and it be ok to print this type of "cheater" print?

[Prosperi-Tees]

The thickness of your emulsion directly translates how much ink you put down in one stroke. I usually put 3 wet on wet coats of emulsion on the shirt side and 1 coat on the squeegee side, with this on a 110 mesh and just the right amount of pressure and angle I can usually get away with one stroke of white.

[Dottonedan]

The thickness of your emulsion directly translates how much ink you put down in one stroke. I usually put 3 wet on wet coats of emulsion on the shirt side and 1 coat on the squeegee side, with this on a 110 mesh and just the right amount of pressure and angle I can usually get away with one stroke of white.

This is what I keep telling people. It's one of the biggest issues in any shop. It seems they don't want to add more coats. That would be adding more labor and time. I have heard many people say they coat a 110 mesh the same way they coat a 305.

You should coat it enough to at least not See the waffle texture after drying. No ridges.

[mk162]

it's funny, but I am going to do some testing, it seems that I got better white prints with less emulsion.  I'll have to see if maybe I was just imagining that.

[jason-23]

it seems that everyone has a theory and what works best for them. personal i coat everything the same one swipe on each side thats it.

[Frog]

That is certainly a recipe for less than optimum results.
Everyone I know who has ever learned about and then tried coating for EOM has been glad they did.  This article on the home page should open your eyes.
http://www.theshirtboard.com/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=2

[Dottonedan]

it's funny, but I am going to do some testing, it seems that I got better white prints with less emulsion.  I'll have to see if maybe I was just imagining that.

Two things to also mention,
1, What applies to most people/shops may not apply to yours.
2, You may get decent results (now due to the way you have adapted), but not necessarily because it's been the best option.

A thin mesh gives you a thin layer of ink deposit to where you can get good detail and blends, but also provides a loss in image edge definition and ink opacity.

The "correct way" is the way that gets it done (most accurate and efficiently at the same time).

While yours may be looking good to you and your customers are happy, they may look even better if you were to follow every step to it's optimum and accurate degree.

[Dottonedan]

it seems that everyone has a theory and what works best for them. personal I coat everything the same one swipe on each side thats it.

Much of screen printing is not "theory", but rather facts. You're emulsion company will tell you or show you in their product procedure sections that for optimum results, you should coat is this way.  10 times out of 10, it will not be 1:1 but rather to coat it based on the mesh size and then to achieve a specific EOM or Emulsion Over Mesh ratio. It's possible that your coat of 1:1 can be what is required, but more so, because you happen to lay much more emulsion in your 1 coat than average.

[jesterapparel]

I pfpf the white everytime

[sportsshoppe]

I pfpf the white everytime

Me toooo... I hate and will not see a dull white come out of my shop. Just me