Tack Cloth

[ZooCity]

Does anybody use it for a quick wipe on the imaging side of the emulsion before exposure or on the mesh before coating?

We have air knives that we hit the mesh with before coating and before placing film.   Obviously that's just blasting any contaminants back into the environment in the screen room.  Was looking to make our approach a little smarter.

[Frog]

I used to have much more of a pinhole problem than I do now, and used to use and recommend them.

Somehow, I must have gotten cleaner in my shop, but darned if I know what changed.

[jsheridan]

ive used them over the years. work really well to.get lint off the screen. As do a broom and a mop on friday afternoon cleanup to get everything off the floor.

[ZooCity]

I know that shop cleanliness is a big part of this but it's a tough go in an older, wood floored building despite my best efforts.  How great would it be to have a near clean room situation in the screen areas? 

I'll grab a box of the cloths and see how it goes.  Thanks for the replies.

[jsheridan]

gotta vacumn wood floors to get in the cracks.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I would say experiment with one screen only. Some tack cloths may leave behind some "tack" residue that may possibly cause other issues.

[Frog]

I would say experiment with one screen only. Some tack cloths may leave behind some "tack" residue that may possibly cause other issues.

That sounds like a poor quality one since they are usually used on high quality auto paint jobs, where residue wouldn't be welcome either.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Right, but why experiment with a whole rack of screens and find out you got a crappy tack cloth that left fish eyes in all of them. Better safe than sorry is all.

[jsheridan]

if you push to hard with a new cloth you can leave some residue on the mesh but generally no they do not leave tack all over the screen.

[Frog]

if you push to hard with a new cloth you can leave some residue on the mesh but generally no they do not leave tack all over the screen.

Yep, literally no pushing at all. This is like dusting not buffing out or polishing.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

I use to use them A LOT also, but like Frog I have fewer problems now and don't really know why.

When I had a sign shop in another life, we liked Gershon WHITE tack cloths before the paint booth.... but that exact style seems to have disappeared. (Less sticky, less finicky.)

Yes, you can wipe very gently with any of them, but if you are careless or push TOO HARD just before coating with emulsion, you can transfer adhesive. I still use them on occasion, if it has been windy and dusty, or they have to sit too long before coating with emulsion. It does seem to help on those special occasions, and they get less tacky after a few uses.