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Making a Screen
Making the stencil Before you can make a print, you need to have a screen that has been coated with photopolymer emulsion. It is your responsibility to clean, prepare, and coat your own screen.
Preparing the screen for photopolymer emulsion 1. Choose a screen that looks clean and free from clogged areas. 2. Put your screen in the large sink and spray it with degreaser. 3. Using a clean scrub brush, scrub the screen and try to work up a bit of lather. Let the degreaser sit on the screen for a couple of minutes. This step removes any oil, dirt, or other impurities from the screen so that the photopolymer emulsion will stick to it. 4. Rinse the screen thoroughly. Rinse it again, and then rinse it some more. Make sure all of the degreaser is off.
Coating the screen 1. Open the photopolymer emulsion and pour it into the scoop coater. 2. Carefully coat the screen making sure not to make any drips or excessively thick areas. 3. Place your screen in a light tight cabinet screen side up so that it does not stick to the surface of the cabinet. 4. Allow the screen to dry overnight.
Pouring photopolymer Emulsion into the scoop coater.
Coating the screen
Exposure 1. Place your art that has been printed on the vellum onto the exposure unit. Make sure it is right reading. 2. Get your screen from the light tight cabinet and immediately place your screen over the art so the art is centered in the middle of the screen. Do this step being careful not to damage the glass. 3. Place the rope so that it falls over the frame but does not interfere with your image. 4. Close the top of the exposure unit and close the latch. 5. Turn the toggle switch to “on.” And wait for the rubber material to tighten over the frame. 6. Turn the timer to 30 seconds 7. Press the start button. 8. When the exposure is finished, the timer will beep. Remove the screen from the exposure unit and put away your artwork. 9. Take your screen to the sink and rinse it until the image is completely washed out. Exposure
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