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HI, I'm very new to screen printing. I am curently using PVA glue rather than emulsion to make my screens which works just fine but it washes out as soon as it sees water. Is there another material i can use that has a longer lasting time than PVA but is cheaper than Emulsion? Any help would be greatly apreciated. It doesn't really matter if it doesn't wash out as I'm making my own screens for cheap cheap cheap.
P.S. If you could avoid using brand names that'd be ace as i live in england and everything here has differn't names than stuff in the states.
Cheers, Dan.
P.S. If you could avoid using brand names that'd be ace as i live in england and everything here has differn't names than stuff in the states.
Cheers, Dan.
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Re: An alternative to photo emulsion
Fri, November 3, 2006 - 4:57 PMdepends on how long your print runs are but i have a vinyl cutter so have been cutting stencils for small runs and sticking the vinyl on the screen.
Book covering plastic and a craft knife will work the same.
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Re: An alternative to photo emulsion
Sat, November 4, 2006 - 1:34 PMmod podge works great, it blocks out the screen and doesn't wash out even if you scrub it. it's cheap, and last's a long time! good luck! -
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Re: An alternative to photo emulsion
Wed, January 17, 2007 - 3:56 PMYeah..i second both these methods..i have tried them both.
I also like to make cardboard stencils and tape them to the screen with blue painters tape...that way you can use the same blank screen and the design is interchangable...albiet fragile...
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Re: An alternative to photo emulsion(the answer)
Tue, January 16, 2007 - 10:57 AMYuo have to mix your glue with a sensitizer. That's the reason the glue washes out. If you mix them correctly(no light) and use it, you will be able to burn designs without it washing out.
Spend the little extra change and get it done properly or it's just a waste of time. -
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Re: An alternative to photo emulsion(the answer)
Wed, January 17, 2007 - 3:57 PMoh cool..i didn't know there was a way of using a type of glue mixed with sensitiser instead of emulsion...crazy... -
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Re: An alternative to photo emulsion(the answer)
Wed, March 28, 2007 - 9:15 PM1 tsp of Ammonium Dichromate -> 1 oz. Water
Dissolve and mix with 8 oz. Elmer's Glue
Fairly flexible open time, decent exposure times (10-20 minutes under daylight), rinse with water, and a bulletproof stencil is yours.
Add pigment (gouche), and you've got instant Photo emulsions as well (I used to put photos on any piece of sculpture that would sit still long enough... :)
Hey all, first time poster here, glad to see some other people nutty enough to do this stuff in the garage... :) -
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Re: An alternative to photo emulsion(the answer)
Thu, March 29, 2007 - 9:21 AMYou know, the more I look at my post, the less sure about the ratios I feel. I used to do this stuff off the cuff (believe it or not, I carried around the dischromate, glue, and pigment everywhere I went, and would do this when and where the mood struck... :) , and my ratios may be off, but it's fairly flexible, there is no wrong way. Experiment, please.... :)
For what it's worth, I think I ran as high as 1:2 to increase the sensitivity, and give it more flow, but I was also applying it with an airbrush in some cases.
I also got better tack with the Elmer's Carpenter's Glue, as the Alpha-Phenol resin gives it some real grip.
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Re: An alternative to photo emulsion
Sat, January 20, 2007 - 7:51 AMHi Dan, why dont you try to coat it with sensitizer before using it. Use a ball of cotton to apply the sensitizer evenly, then wipe the excess sensitizer on the stencils with a clean rag at the other side. Blow dry, then relight it for at least 5 minutes each side (500 w halogen lamp at 18 inches distance). The sensitizer will harden the photo emulsion, though reclaiming it will be a lot harder... I'm using mostly Ulano greenfilms as stencils for spot printing... I only use photographic stencils when the designs have half tones or very fine details... >Eric
