
A Beginner’s Guide to Making Screens for Screen Printing

If you're new to screen printing, one of the fundamental steps you need to master is coating a screen with emulsion. This process lays the foundation for successful and precise prints.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps of properly coating a screen using Chromaline Screen Print Products' premium emulsions. We'll also explore how Chromaline's Integrated Screen Chemistry (iSC) screen printing chemicals can help you maintain top-notch screens throughout the entire printing process.
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WATCH VIDEO: How To Make A Screen For Screen Printing (start to finish)
Choosing The Right Emulsion for Coating Screens
Emulsion is a light-sensitive liquid that's applied to a screen mesh, which is then exposed to light. This exposure hardens the emulsion in the areas that are not blocked by your design, creating a stencil. When the emulsion is washed away, it leaves behind a pattern that ink can pass through during the screen printing process. Choosing the right emulsion is one of the most important steps in screen printing, especially for beginners. There are two main types of emulsions: diazo-based emulsions and pure photopolymer emulsions, each with its own benefits.
Diazo-Based Emulsions
Diazo emulsions are ideal for beginners because they are more forgiving during the exposure process, offering a wider exposure latitude. This means there's more room for error when determining the correct exposure time, which is helpful if you're still fine-tuning your setup. Diazo emulsions require mixing a sensitizer into the emulsion before use. For beginners, we recommend CP Tex, which can be used with water-based, plastisol, or discharge inks.
Pure Photopolymer Emulsions
On the other hand, photopolymer emulsions are pre-mixed and ready to use, making them a convenient option for those who want to skip the mixing process. They expose much faster than diazo emulsions, which can save time, especially for higher-volume shops. However, photopolymer emulsions are less forgiving, requiring precise exposure times and controlled environmental conditions. For beginners using plastisol ink we recommend ChromaBlue, our most popular emulsion. If you are using water-based ink, we recommend Hydro-X Blue.
Recommendations for Beginners
If you're just getting started, a dual cure emulsion is often the best choice because of its forgiving nature and ease of use during the learning process. As you gain experience and confidence with your setup, you might want to experiment with photopolymer emulsions for their efficiency and sharp detail reproduction.
LEARN MORE: Choosing An Emulsion System with Mick
LEARN MORE: Difference in Emulsion Types with Kevin
LEARN MORE: Dual Cure vs. Pure Photopolymer Emulsion
How To Coat A Screen For Screen Printing
Coating a screen with Chromaline's premium emulsions is a crucial step in achieving high-quality screen prints. With the right techniques and the use of Chromaline's Integrated Screen Chemistry (iSC) products, you can ensure your screens remain in top shape for consistent results.
1. Prepare Your Screen: Choose a clean, dust-free environment for coating your screens. Use Chroma/Wet iSC degreaser to ensure your screen is clean and free from any dust, debris, oils and/or residue. To degrease your screen, work up a lather on both sides of mesh to degrease. Be sure to use only a high-quality mesh degreaser, designed specifically for this purpose. Rinse thoroughly.
WATCH VIDEO: How To Degrease Your Screen with Chroma/Wet iSC
2. Mix the Emulsion: If you are using a dual cure or diazo emulsion, you will need to mix in a sensitizer before using. Date your bucket the day you mix the emulsion (shelf life will vary, but it is about a month). If you are using a pure photopolymer emulsion you do not need to mix in a diazo, but you do want to slowly stir the emulsion to ensure none of the solids settled on the bottom of the bucket. Note: Your emulsion should be room temperature before coating.
3. Coat Your Screen: Starting with the print side of the screen, use a scoop coater to apply a thin layer of emulsion onto the screen. Hold the scoop coater at a slight angle and make one pass with the coater's round edge, starting at the bottom. Flip the screen around and make another pass on the squeegee side of the screen. This ensures an even and thin coat. Be patient! This will take practice to ensure a smooth, even coating. Note: Most Chromaline emulsions only require a 1:1 coating (1 coat on each side of the screen), but depending on the emulsion, your artwork, and your print run needs, you may need additional coats. If a thicker stencil is required, apply additional wet-on-wet coatings from the squeegee side.
4. Dry Your Screen: Dry screen thoroughly in horizontal position with print side down, using a completely clean and dark drying cabinet. Temperature should not exceed 110ºF (43ºC). Drying with the squeegee side up and print side down allows gravity to pull emulsion to the print side for a smooth print.
WATCH VIDEO: 5 Tips for Drying Screens for Screen Printing
How To Expose A Screen For Screen Printing
Now that your screen is prepped and coated, you are ready to expose your screen and make your stencil.
1. Print Artwork: Use RIP software, such as FilmMaker, our all-black set of AccuInk, and AccuBlack transparency film to print your artwork as dark as possible. We recommend either the Canon Pixma iX6820 or Espon T3170x inkjet printers. Note: If you want to skip this step, our Laser-To-Screen auto exposure units offer a direct-to-screen option that doesn't require printing your artwork.
2. Expose Your Screen: Place your artwork on the squeegee side of the coated screen and secure it with tape. Place the screen in an exposure unit, such as the Quick Image tabletop unit, squeegee side up. The exposure unit will emit UV light to harden the emulsion. Note: Exposure times will vary, depending on the emulsion. You can refer to the Chromaline emulsion's user guide for recommended exposure times, but we recommend using the 10-Step Exposure Guide to determine the proper exposure based on your exact screen room setup.
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3.Develop Your Screen: After exposure, remove the transparency and gently spray both sides of screen with lukewarm water. Wait 30 seconds then gently wash the print side of the screen until your image is fully open. The emulsion will wash away where the light was blocked by your design, leaving a stencil. Rinse both sides thoroughly. Dry the screen completely and you are ready to print.
4. Reclaim Your Screen: After your print job is complete and you are done with the screen, you can reclaim the screen to get it ready for the next run. Chromaline's premium emulsions are easy to reclaim. Apply a high quality screen reclaimer, such as Chroma/Strip iSC to both sides of the screen. Scrub the area to be reclaimed with a stiff nylon brush to ensure entire surface is wet. Let the screen sit until the stencil begins to dissolve. Remove any remaining stencil residue with a pressure washer, then rinse both sides of the screen with a hose sprayer. Note. Do NOT let relcaimer dry on your mesh. Dried reclaimer will lock in your emulsion and you will need to cut out the mesh and re-stretch the screen.
Integrated Screen Chemistry for Screen Cleaning and Maintenance
Chromaline's Integrated Screen Chemistry (iSC) screen printing chemicals are designed to support your screens throughout the entire printing process. Here are our top four that we use on a regular basis.
- Screen Wash: After you're done printing, card off all excess ink from your screen. Then use Chroma/Screen Wash iSC to break down any remaining ink.
- Emulsion Remover: When you're ready to reclaim your screen for a new design, Chroma/Strip iSC makes the process efficient and easy.
- Haze Remover: Sometimes you may encounter a stubborn stain that won't come off your mesh with Chroma/Strip iSC and a power washer. In that case we recommend using Ghost/Buster iSC to remove and haze or stains from your screen.
- Degreaser: Use Chroma/Wet iSC to remove any residues or contaminants from the screen before coating. This ensures proper emulsion adhesion. Depending on your screen room setup, you can either do this right after you reclaim your screen or right before you coat your screen.
WATCH VIDEO: 4 Steps To A Clean Screen with iSC Screen Chemicals
Contact Chromaline Screen Print Products
Remember that when it comes to coating screens for screen printing, practice makes perfect. Eon't hesitate to experiment with different emulsions and techniques to find what works best for your unique screen room and print shop. Contact the Chromaline team if you have any additional questions about choosing the right emulsion or how to make a screen for screen printing.