High detail screen making issues

[fleetee2]

Unfortunately, I got logged out of my previous account Fleetee and cant get back in so I made a new account

Anyways, I am having issues with burning high detailed designs onto screens. The high detailed areas are either too thin to get burned and/or it just starts to come off when I go to wash out the unexposed emulsion.
The only reason I can think of as to why the detailed parts of the design is not being properly burned on the screen is because I don't have a lid and/or the vacuum function on my exposure unit. This is the exposure unit I am currently using: https://www.screenprinting.com/collections/exposure-units/products/ryonet-rxp-x-series-aluminum-digital-uv-screen-exposure-unit-25x36 (Ryonets RXP 25x36 without the lid), the emulsion I am using is also from them, cryocoat: https://www.screenprinting.com/collections/emulsion/products/green-galaxy-cryocoat-emulsion, and I am exposing for 1 minute

What do you guys think it is? Please help me out, anything ideas will help!
I attached pictures of the design on the film and the failed exposed design on a screen to give you guys a better idea if you issues.

Thanks guys!

[cbjamel]

What mesh count, with florescent its harder to detail.
Shane

[Frog]

Your problem is that light is getting through the space between the screens emulsion and the film's emulsion.
You can not hold detail without good contact between the film and the screen emulsion.
Really high detail and/or fine line halftones requires a vacuum lid.
Pretty high detail, and some halftone requires at the least, a compression lid.
Clunky stuff, a little weight.


I posted a pic of how to build a compression lid a month or so back.

[fleetee2]

What mesh count, with florescent its harder to detail.
Shane

i only have 110 and 160, would neither of these work?

[mk162]

Get yourself some 230 and 280 mesh screens.  They also work well for top colors over an underbase.

[fleetee2]

Your problem is that light is getting through the space between the screens emulsion and the film's emulsion.
You can not hold detail without good contact between the film and the screen emulsion.
Really high detail and/or fine line halftones requires a vacuum lid.
Pretty high detail, and some halftone requires at the least, a compression lid.
Clunky stuff, a little weight.


I posted a pic of how to build a compression lid a month or so back.

I forgot to mention that i am putting weight on it. a square foam that fits the size of the screen, a heavy box, and 3 gallons of water on top

For the kind of detailed design i am attempting to burn, would i need a lid and/or vacuum function? and/or a higher mesh count than 110 and 160?

[fleetee2]

Get yourself some 230 and 280 mesh screens.  They also work well for top colors over an underbase.

I order some 200 mesh counts, they are coming soon. i should've ordered some 230 and 280.....

[cbjamel]

160 would work if yellow mesh or close to holding it all 230 is the next jump i would do yellow mesh. but that makes it even harder with flo. tubes.
Shane

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Frog]

What mesh count, with florescent its harder to detail.
Shane

i only have 110 and 160, would neither of these work?

Be very suspicious of anyone who recommended 110's for everyday use. That is very, very, out of date practice from the days before white inks gained the printability they have today.
Not to say they won't see some action, but for most of us,  not often.

[fleetee2]

how long do you guys dry your emulsion before burning a design on it? I made my own screen rack and have 2 fans on one side and 1 fan on the either. i know the emulsion gets dried in 2 hrs but im wondering if i can shorten that drying time

[3Deep]

Try using a color mesh like yellow 230 and use an emulsion that is forgiving like a dual cure which you can burn longer and that holds great detail, Image mate 521 is a very unforgiving emulsion and it holds great detail with weak light boxes

[fleetee2]

Try using a color mesh like yellow 230 and use an emulsion that is forgiving like a dual cure which you can burn longer and that holds great detail, Image mate 521 is a very unforgiving emulsion and it holds great detail with weak light boxes

thanks for the recommendation! is this an example of the type of emulsion your talking about? https://discoverylancer.com/product/screen-printing-supplies-equipment/screen-print-supplies/stencil-making/dc-521-dual-cure-blue-photoemulsion/

[3Deep]

Yep that is it, I use it when I had a fluorescent tube unit, but I did have a lid on mine that held the film down tight, back before I bought a nice exposure unit instead of foam which I did use, I bought a nice piece of thick glass and covered it with some rubber, then I weighted it down.  The foam I was using didn't hold the screen and film tight enough for my taste and I was getting undercutting and lost of detail as your getting, but changing to a yellow mesh higher ct and DC 521 I was good to go.

[RICK STEFANICK]

I suggest you use a pure photo polymer with flou. tubes. Any dual cure as recommended will  increase your exposure time.  Go with chromaline Chroma- Blue for your plastisol designs. This stuff has a huge exposure window and will give you great results with the flou. tubes.

[Frog]

Just a note on exposure units.
In general, a fluorescent unit with a proper vacuum lid, will usually produce better detail than a single point light unit without.
It is the single most important component of an exposure unit doing high detail stuff.
I once saw the figures and the difference in pressure (which translates to contact) between vacuum and compression or weights was well over ten fold.

Maybe someone here can do the math comparing a vacuum lid's psi to fleetee's 30 lbs of water.

Now, fleetee, don't get me wrong, one can do a lot with a compression lid or even weights but...