Business: Screen Press Printing: Looking at the process

Screen Press Printing: Looking at the process

Written by Marlon D. Ludovice

Screen printing also called silk screen print also called serigraph was invented in repparttar

Far East around 2000 years ago. No supplemented data on when or where exactly it originates, but originally used to make repparttar 102825

screen printer's screen. A paper stencil was stiched onto repparttar 102826

screen to control repparttar 102827

print area.

Around a hundred years ago screen printing was reinvented in repparttar 102828 west and it has become a common method of printing on textiles. Most common, repparttar 102829 custom t-shirts. The screens used for screen printing custom t shirts, are made with a mono filament mesh. Photopolymer emulsion is used to make repparttar 102830 stencil. Thus, silk screen is coated with repparttar 102831 liquid emulsion, and allowed to dry and harden. The emulsion is light sensitive. The stencil is made in repparttar 102832 "silk screen" by placing a positive of repparttar 102833 print over repparttar 102834 coated silk screen then exposing repparttar 102835 screen to light. The areas of repparttar 102836 screen shielded from repparttar 102837 light remain water soluble and can be washed out of repparttar 102838 screen. The light affects repparttar 102839 emulsion in that once repparttar 102840 dried emulsion has been exposed to light, water will not dissolve it. Take a look at repparttar 102841 photograph to repparttar 102842 left. In this case repparttar 102843 positive for repparttar 102844 screen print is hand drawn.

The availability of repparttar 102845 screen printing products can be purchased locally from screen printing process supply stores. An "emulsion cup" is used to coat repparttar 102846 silk screens with emulsion. The emulsion cup is a trough like cup that holds repparttar 102847 liquid emulsion and allows it to be spread evenly across repparttar 102848 screen. The screen is held vertically and repparttar 102849 emulsion is spread from bottom to top with one smooth motion. After repparttar 102850 silkscreen has been coated with emulsion it will be left to dry. Ambient or soft light can expose repparttar 102851 screen but it would take hours or days. Even so care should be taken that repparttar 102852 silk screen is kept in a dark place.

To "burn" a screen, repparttar 102853 positive must make tight contact with repparttar 102854 screen. A four inch thick foam rubber pad is placed under repparttar 102855 screen with repparttar 102856 glass placed on top. Sunlight can now expose repparttar 102857 silk screen. It can take anywhere from around two to fifteen minutes. After repparttar 102858 screen has been exposed it is taken to a wash out area usually a metal bathtub like trough or large sink. The screen is set in repparttar 102859 trough and sprayed with a garden hose. Rinsed with water, after a second repparttar 102860 design will be visibly lighter in repparttar 102861 emulsion. After a minute or so of rinsing repparttar 102862 design area should be free of emulsion. Rinsing is continued for another minute or so to wash away emulsion scum that if allowed staying in repparttar 102863 screen and dry will clog printing areas. The washed out screen is then allowed to dry.

How You Can Avoid My Data Recovery Nightmare

Written by John R. Barker

Many subjects related to your work might be more fun, more sexy. Who wants to talk about data backups, disaster preparedness and data recovery?

I sure didn't.

But, a disturbing thought kept popping into my head for days . . .

"You better spend Wednesday . . . Thursday . . . Friday . . . backing up your hard drive."

Did I listen to that intuition?

Just a couple of weeks prior I begrudgingly sat through a presentation on disaster preparedness for small businesses.

It was a great presentation, actually. I learned a lot. I knew it was a weak spot in my business. But priority number one?

So back to present past time:

It was 12:30 AM on Saturday night / Sunday morning. Sitting on my couch in repparttar living room, I closed repparttar 102824 lid on my laptop - repparttar 102825 core of my business and family income.

Five hours later, at 5:30 AM, I woke to repparttar 102826 frantic screams of my wife. "John, repparttar 102827 kitchen is on fire! Oh my god, our house is on fire!"

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