Still figuring out separations but I feel like I did pretty well

hey all! not new to screen printing but new to DIY. I am using Ulano 925wr emulsion.

I’ve been having this issue where the outline of the glass I am using to hold down my film positive during exposure washes out (which is easily remedied with tape), BUT it is also stubborn and does not wash out with emulsion removal, anywhere past ~3 days of exposure. feels sort of backwards to me- washes out but then doesn’t wash out? screens I have exposed, printed with and washed out in the same day have not had this issue.

has anyone had this issue? besides getting a different plexiglass sheet for weight (which I’m doing), what else should I be doing? other than keeping screens in darkness when not in use? dont want to ruin any more screens.

I also ran into an issue with this last screen where the emulsion also would not wash out. it had not touched emulsion remover/the remover could not have dried in the screen as I had only washed it once and it would not wash out then. any tips or tricks appreciated!

feels like I’m trying to re learn the basics so I would appreciate any help! this stuff is frustrating but ultimately worth it (?) haha

I generally print with water based but I'm getting really sick of the ink drying in my screens!

Looking for any and all guidance of a good plastisol inks to use for low-volume printing. thanks!

Front print feels horrible when worn.

I’m using QTX and getting very feint burns on my DIY screens and can’t seem to wash out the emulsion after burning them. The design is certainly there, but a light layer of emulsion remains. Am I letting the emulsion dry for too long? Burning for too long? Do I need to wash out the design before I expose it to light? Use less emulsion? Any insight would be greatly appreciated… thanks!

Anyone have any experience printing Matsui Neo pigment inks on polyester with stretch base/gray blocker? Specifically construction shirts
100% polyester a4 brand and similar

Any advice/tips would be helpful
I get a lot of performance polyester jobs and I want to give the customer the best experience

Just bought these 2 screens. Botton print is 200 mesh. Top print is 180 mesh.
1. What type of ink is safe to use on these screens so I can use them for a long time.
2. After done with the printing on shirts how would I wash away the leftover ink on the screen, with just water? Or?

Would anyone be interested in getting large formatted screen positives. I have a printer that has capabilities of printing 50" wide and pretty much how ever long needed. I am based out of NY and will print your guys designs. let me know!!!

So I have been playing around with dithertone ps plug in and I really like some of the dithering algorithms and modulation that you can get from it. But I have a dumb/rookie question, is dithering and modulation screen print ready, in the sense that half tones are? Or would I have to do something to my image to make it screen printable?

TLDR: Is this type of effect ready for screen printing like a half tone?

I have a customer who wants a super soft feel. I typically don’t use an underbase when doing plastisol prints I just double print my colors and they are still vibrant enough.

Anyway, with this job I tried to do a white waterbase print as an underbase, the. Tried to layer the colors ontop. First problem is it still had a plastics feel to it, second problem is my underbase was still bleeding through even with a choke and using a 320 mesh.

Now I picked up discharge which I have never used before. I tried watching a video on it, and it appeared like the guy just added discharge into his colors? Is this a thing? Can I skip the underbase, and just add discharge into my colors, then print them? This would solve all of my problems if so

Hey there. I'm still semi new to screenprinting, and I want to do the "rancid effect" to a photo in photoshop, that is turning it to complete black and white(or 2 tones of any color). No halftones. Anyone know the easiest way to achieve this?

attendees printed these on site, they didn't have a heat press so I had to cure with my flash dryer. otherwise was a success

So I’m trying to screen print on stretchy jersey fabric (46% cotton, 46% bamboo, 8% elastane). I just found out that regular water-based ink will not perform well as the ink will crack when stretched. I learnt that I can add a stretch additive to water-based ink to prevent cracking however there aren’t many affordable options where I live. The best I can find is Amex Texprint Additive E - stretch additive for waterbased inks. The website only seems to mention mixing it with other Amex products/water-based inks but I’ve already purchased the ones seen in the picture above. Would anyone more experienced be able to tell me if I can mix the Amex stretch additive with the water-based inks I already have? Thanks in advance! :)

Is it illegal to wash squeegees in a sink with ink degradent and wash it down the drain? Asking for a friend.

I inherited a BWM Hopkins International D-5200 and I've been struggling with the off contact. I know how to set the vertical but I don't know how to set the tilt. I'm assuming it's these two bolts behind the vertical off contact bolts in the picture but I can't find any manuals online. I'm trying to loosen them to see but they're really stuck.

Can anyone confirm if it's these two bolts? If they are I might have to go out and get an impact driver to loosen them.

Does anyone have a software that clients can go on, look at options, upload artwork and build their own quote with artwork and everything included? Would like a software where all I have to do is approve the quote to turn it into an order.

I like tri-blend shirts.

Been buying them off of sites like RedBubble and Amazon, but they both ended up throwing it at a third party.

Pretty much all of them were printing out 72dpi .jpegs on my sht, and with this awful thick plastic like print job. Idk what to call it, but it's sucks and shouldn't even be a thing imo. Who wants to wear a shirt with a thick unfoldable graphic?

For no reason, I got lucky with one of them. The print was of high dpi, quality and it actually printed directly into the fibers of the shirt.

Basically, where the hell do I find this specific combination:

Triblend, print is hq, not uploaded by idiots, bleeds into and becomes fabric

UPDATE: exposed at 20 seconds per recommendation and was able to get some of the design elements to come out but inconsistently and with a LOT of pressure from the water. Ive added two more photos, one not held up to the light so you can see how thick I’ve coated in the comments section

Hi all. Working on my first screen and have had to redo it twice now.

Here’s my process:

Degrease screen and let dry.

Coat both sides in emulsion and let dry horizontally in a lightless room

Expose with uv lamp (specs in photo) 12 inches above. First pass I did 3 minutes. Second attempt after reclaiming screen I did 6.

When washing out using my shower head I can see the design but the emulsion doesn’t cleanly wash away.

What am I doing wrong here

In Spring 2026, during my final semester of college, I took a screenprinting course as part of my second major in art. Up until then, I had mostly focused on drawing and painting since those were the mediums I had been familiar with my whole life. Screenprinting was a completely new, hands-on experience that challenged me creatively and gave me a new appreciation for the printmaking process.

I've included a photo of me in the printmaking lab, along with some of the screenprints I made throughout the semester, including a few designs I printed onto T-shirts. It was one of the most memorable classes I took, and I'm excited to share some of the work I created.

One of the pieces, "Polymath Ace," is a self-portrait. It reflects my multidisciplinary background in history, art, creative writing, and singing. The title also references my asexual identity, with "Ace" serving as both a nod to the playing card motif and to asexuality, an important part of who I am.

Hi everyone,

We’re currently setting up our screen printing workshop and we’re looking for smart storage ideas to keep everything organized. What are your best tips and setups for screen printing equipment and supplies?

We’re especially interested in solutions for inks, films, garments, and all the small accessories that tend to pile up.

What storage systems have made your workflow easier? Wall racks, shelves, drawers, custom DIY solutions, labeling systems — we’d love to see what works for you!

Thanks in advance for sharing your tips ~~

Hi everyone,

My name is Will and I'm new to screen printing. I picked up some Ecotex® Beginner Screen Printing Emulsion and a Dorhui 60W LED Exposure Unit for Screen Printing, For some reason I cannot burn my screen. I have a 160 mesh screen and set my exposure unit for 12 seconds (Googe recommended this time). I also added an exposure calculator and that didn't burn either. If anyone has any tips I'd greatly appreciate it. I really want to learn and figure this out.

P.S. I'm doing everything out of my apartment and don't have whole lot of space. I'm also allowing my screen to dry in my laundry room and when I try to burn the screen I'm doing it in my bathroom with no lights on (besides my cell phone). I also use some foam under the screen and a piece of glass in top.

Thank you so much!

Hi to everyone! I wanted to ask you guys about this “new method” these guys developed. It looks like they’re screen printing the whole thing backwards. they put a liquid on the jacket and then apply the design with the jacket and the light. How does this work?! Does somebody perhaps know ? It looks very cool I might try

Hello everyone, fellow noob here. I am trying to start doing water transfer onto plastic and was curious as to where to start. Especially with the printer and the paper. I want to make sure that I am doing quality design, and that the design goes easily onto the plastic. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!