Multi coating

[ZooCity]

I think the end result would be roughly the same.  In our testing we found no appreciable difference in EOM regardless of which side you coat more.  That final coat on the squeegee side just pushes it all back through the mesh to the print side.

Screen Dan, could one therefore assume that you could coat from either side of the screen without a difference?  i.e,  3/0 v. 2/1 

I've been mulling this over a lot lately, if we need to be flipping screen to coat or if we need to have an auto coater with dual troughs.  It seems like the answer is no if using thin thread mesh but old habits die hard.

[DannyGruninger]

Here's a 400 micron stencil from a job we printed yesterday. We use this to create a raised puck effect.

[Full-SpectrumSeparator]

I think the end result would be roughly the same.  In our testing we found no appreciable difference in EOM regardless of which side you coat more.  That final coat on the squeegee side just pushes it all back through the mesh to the print side.

Screen Dan, could one therefore assume that you could coat from either side of the screen without a difference?  i.e,  3/0 v. 2/1 

I've been mulling this over a lot lately, if we need to be flipping screen to coat or if we need to have an auto coater with dual troughs.  It seems like the answer is no if using thin thread mesh but old habits die hard.

In the limited experience I have in coated screens among other things at a small print shop in the last year and a half (before that was usually too busy in large shop art departments to get into much printing)... I wanted to get into the fun side of things for a change, get my hands covered in ink (and emulsion) ....  but in just my limited experience and with a lot of not-so-great equipment... at least a stable method for me is 1-over-1 coating, have not tried face-coating or coating more.... dont want to mess too much with the already-weak exposure times... but I have found a definite difference in whether it was coated squeegee-side first then shirt-side, or shirt-side them squeegee-side...    the coating is pushing it through to the other side... and then the direction they are layed to dry as well, perhaps even more of an effect.    So I prefer and it seems between me and the other guy that it does work best to have a thicker EOM on the shirt-side, and we achieve this with 1-over-1 coating using rounded edge of the scoop and coating shirt-side to push to the squeegee side, and then squeegee side to push it thicker back on the shirt-side, and then laying to dry in the rack shirt-side down so gravity pulls an even layer that is thicker on the shirt-side.     At least from my limited experience with these things I can tell it affects the prints and we don't usually run anything near high-volume numbers, just a manual and small runs, so no breakdown issues really even though the emulsion is pretty thin on the squeegee side.    But I haven't pushed for trying any extra coatings yet, so I don't know.. at least with 1 over 1 and the technique for which side you do and which way it lays to dry, seems to have the effect I want which helps a more even print and more ink get through on the shirt -- and also because of wash-out mostly from the shirt-side (weak exposure times and can blow-out emulsion from the squeegee side - because its not as mush mesh its adhered to as well there)... but the compromise I at least want on the shirt-side to give me more ink etc.... I can see usually and tell just looking at them where you see if waves of emulsion or uneven coating and drying caused it to be thicker on one side or the other in non-uniform ways,  I try for the shirt-side thicker, but I am replying to this and interested in this discussion, been reading it and also want to understand maybe would the drying-direction affect extra coats?    Or would coating and drying like doing the 1-over-1 and shirt-side down, then coating again later on the squeegee-side, that should add more there, another coat on the shirt-side would thicken that side.. but then if there is dried emulsion between them does the drying-direction matter then?   Or if you coat 3 over 3 and lay face-down there is a thick layer of emulsion maybe gravity pulls it and has the larger affect over the drying time, so you could coat 6 times on one side, and lay it the opposite direction and it dries thicker on the side that gravity pulls it toward?    I'm not familiar with other ways of drying screens after coating besides laying them level.   Great thread,  I'm just a printing novice but learning something new every day just like on the art side. 

[Screen Dan]

I think the end result would be roughly the same.  In our testing we found no appreciable difference in EOM regardless of which side you coat more.  That final coat on the squeegee side just pushes it all back through the mesh to the print side.

Screen Dan, could one therefore assume that you could coat from either side of the screen without a difference?  i.e,  3/0 v. 2/1 

I've been mulling this over a lot lately, if we need to be flipping screen to coat or if we need to have an auto coater with dual troughs.  It seems like the answer is no if using thin thread mesh but old habits die hard.

I think that would be a fair assumption...but for some reason I can't bring myself to coat only one side of the screen.

[Sbrem]

2/2 was my method for always, with a full coater, 2 on the print side, 2 on the squeegee side, up to 3 and 4 on the squeegee side as the coater had less in it, because I was trying to get the same "glisten" look as when the coater was full. This could be adjusted depending on the mesh too. And, sharp edge only, purely a personal preference. And it needs to be said, I don't make screens anymore, we have a full time guy for that.

Steve