Murakami T9

[SkullOnFireStudio]

Hi guys I am fairly new to exposing my screens on a old Ryonet RXP Aluminum UV Screen Exposure Unit w/ Lid  25x36in and I am using Murakami T9. The main issue is I have done a test strip and for the best results I should be exposing for 130seconds with 160Mesh. I have tried doing actual jobs with that exposure time and the emulsion is not coming out of the screen at all. I either have to rub it slowly by hand or gently scrub it till I either rub to much off or I ruin the screen. I was just curious what you all think would be the next step. I have also lowered the time to about 1 minute and the emulsion did come off easier but it didn't hold up on the screen. It's not a huge issue but it is killing my work time! Any help would be greatly appreciated! Hopefully the info I provided made sense.

Thanks,
Skully

[Frog]

First off, welcome Skully.
So, if understand correctly, the test exposure, using a commercially manufactured test strip, washed out fine.
However, the problem arose when you tried one with your own film?
So, something is different. First guess would be that the black of the films you make and used are not as dense as that of the test strip.
That is called the d-max, and is crucial. Some exposing light may be getting through areas you thought were blocked.
How are you making films? If you hold one up to the light, can you see through it?

[Maxie]

On Youtube there is a video of Ryan demonstration the unit, he exposes for 225 seconds.
I suggest you get a Stouffer 21 step test strip and make sure that you are drying your screens in the dark a environment that is not too hot.

[screenxpress]

Following up on Andy's thoughts, I'm betting he's not getting black enough image printed on the films.  An image that is not black (opaque) enough on film would push someone to keep reducing the exposure times just to get the image to rinse out which then leads to other problems, such as image breakdown when printing.

At the end of the day, given the little info presented so far, it could be any of a number of things.

Just my thoughts.

[SkullOnFireStudio]

Hey guys so it was the image not being black enough! I went over all my lines with a sharpie! I am using a canon 100 printer. Any recommendations on what I should do to get a darker black?
Thanks all for the helpful hints!

[mimosatexas]

Sharpie ink isnt very good at blocking UV. In factvit may even make a film worse to go over the printer ink with sharpie. If your transparency is so light that the sharpie seems to make it better, the darkness (actual UV blocking, not just how it looks) is probably very bad.

[mikee440]

A quick thing to do is to check your printer settings.  When you go to print, make sure your printer is set to Best photo and that you are printing on high quality photographic paper.  This should help with basis artwork, if not one of your printer cartridges might be low and should be replaced

[Frog]

Hey guys so it was the image not being black enough! I went over all my lines with a sharpie! I am using a canon 100 printer. Any recommendations on what I should do to get a darker black?
Thanks all for the helpful hints!

Mikee beat me to it suggesting settings, but here's my whole post anyway

First question would be what film are you using? There are many products now available that are designed for just this purpose (not the generic transparencies for overhead projection)
I assume that you are using the stock Canon ink, which is probably a pigment based ink, similar to the stock Epson or HP which can get usable results when laid down heavily enough.Most films for this type of ink (and most films in general nowadays) have a slight "frosty" look and are not completely transparent (d-min). They still can work great! There are also refillable cartridges available for your printer that would then also allow you to use cheaper bulk inks, many of which are also tried and true when used for this purpose.
You are likely to have to experiment with your printer settings, finding the one that best works. (it's unlikely that they have one specifically for screen printing transparencies). On my Epson WF1100, I believe that I have it set for Photo with Premium Presentation Paper Matte. Your printer, of course, may have different choices.
In a pinch, you may want to call Canon Tech, explain your intended use, and see what they think.

[Prince Art]

Just to add my agreement to this: 1) Check your films, 2) check your settings.

As for films, I get good results from Fixxons. (Which is sometimes rebranded by some supply houses.) And fyi, films are NOT all about the same. I've used some that give terrible results.

As for settings, I use similar settings as Frog on an Epson WF-7620. I've also gone into the extended settings, and tweaked everything for maximum ink deposit. But here's my recommendation for you: Create a test image, like a 2x2 square w/ solid fill. Output multiple times using different settings. Make sure to note which settings were used for each output. (I add a line of text describing the settings each time I print a new variation, so that it prints with the test image.) You can even do this all on one piece of film, if your image file is the size of your film - just move the graphic over or down 2.5" each time, and reload the film. Once you've got several good contenders on film, hold the film up to a light & see which option is most opaque. Then burn a test screen for confirmation, and you should know the best settings to use. If you can, save that particular version as a user setting in your printer settings, so that it's easy to use each time you output. The you're good to go.

[screenxpress]

I found this youtube post using a Google search for -
"canon 100 printer settings for darkest prints for screen printing" just to give you an idea of what you can do yourself on the open internet

Anyway, this was not for a Canon 100, BUT it IS for a Canon printer.  A wide format 6820 printer (and a really cheap price for a wide format printer) used for screen printing.  Be sure and watch to the middle where he shows the controls he uses to get dark prints on his Canon 6820.  I know they are different model printers, but I'm hoping your 100 may have the same set of controls, or similar.  Anyway, check it out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG-3KwLz1SU

Bottom line.  If you can see through the image.....so can the light bulbs see through to the emulsion 

[Maxie]

Don’t want to harp on the same thing but get a Stauffer test strip.
It this exposes well you’ll know it’s your film.
You’ll get the correct exposure time set for the exposure unit and emulsion you are using.
You straight away eliminate a lot of possible problems.

[Frog]

Don’t want to harp on the same thing but get a Stauffer test strip.
It this exposes well you’ll know it’s your film.
You’ll get the correct exposure time set for the exposure unit and emulsion you are using.
You straight away eliminate a lot of possible problems.

Maxie, he started out telling us that he established his exposure times with a test strip. Although it may not have been the Stauffer 21, it apparently worked fine as opposed to his own films which he has since discovered were not opaque.

[easyrider1340]

Yes, get the Stauffer Strip.  I taped mine to the glass, so every screen I burn is”tested”.  This allows me to further dial in times as I go, AND allows me to judge bulb performance over time.

But this sounds like you have a film output problem to solve.

Don’t want to harp on the same thing but get a Stauffer test strip.
It this exposes well you’ll know it’s your film.
You’ll get the correct exposure time set for the exposure unit and emulsion you are using.
You straight away eliminate a lot of possible problems.

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