Author Topic: Which side??  (Read 1150 times)

Offline farmboygraphics

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Which side??
« on: September 09, 2024, 02:30:51 PM »
I've always rinsed out my exposed screens from the shirt side, for some reason I was under the impression that I'd blow the image
out if it went from the squeegee side. Have I been doing it wrong all these years?
Tees and Coffee


Offline balloonguy

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Re: Which side??
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2024, 04:41:50 PM »
I wet both sides but usually mainly use the shirt side too.
When you dig grave will you make it shallow so that I can feel the rain?

Offline Dottonedan

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Re: Which side??
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2024, 04:51:14 PM »
I can't tell you that I'm right as I don't remember what I've read on that but in my mind, if you wash out with a high-pressure sprayer on the shirt side, you may eat away at the edges of what should be your perfectly formed stencil image. If it's going to be beat up, then the squeegee side would make sense to spray out. Having said that, It's not what I did. LOL. I've always wet boyther sides, let it set for 30 seconds to a minute...and sprayed out from the shirt side.  Not sure why since again, I don't remember what I've read on that to confirm.


Sorry. I don't think I helped much with that. LOL.
Artist & high end separator, Owner of The Vinyl Hub, Owner of Dot-Tone-Designs, Past M&R Digital tech installer for I-Image machines. Over 35 yrs in the apparel industry. e-mail art@designsbydottone.com

Offline Evo

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Re: Which side??
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2024, 05:06:59 PM »
I always did a clean water dip tank soak for a couple minutes, then rinse lightly from the squeegee side followed by a final rinse from the print side. Squeegee side first because you are pushing the emulsion out from the thinner side of the EOM to the thicker print side, instead of pushing all of the wet emulsion from the thicker side through the mesh.

A pressure washer on LOW pressure and a 25 degree tip can speed it up a bit.

Just be consistent from screen to screen, especially with halftones.
There is scarcely anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse, and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey.
John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

Offline whitewater

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Re: Which side??
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2024, 12:53:55 PM »
We wet screen, sit for 30 sec-1 min while we go tuen on the lightbox for the next screen, wash from shirt side, flip[ then go through it again from squeegee side.

In my mind, blowing through from squeegee side last makes anything there under the screen and will not affect the squeegee stroke. I know I am imagining that something could be there and it doesn't make a difference, but its just what I did

Offline 3Deep

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Re: Which side??
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2024, 02:55:29 PM »
Same here wet the shirt side first then the squeegee side, sit for about minute and soft wash it out
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