4 troubleshooting tips for burning and exposing screens | How to screen print 

PRINT LIFE..!! A tip: Make sure you run your exposure calculations across your different mesh counts. Your 180, 156, or 110 will tolerate a longer exposure time than your 230, 305, or 330 meshes with high detail or halftones which will require a shorter exposure time (Usually about 20-25 percent). Color of mesh, type of emulsion and their solid content, as well as the thickness of your stencil will also cause variations. Of course the quality of your film positive is of the upmost importance before a calculator will be an effective tool. For newbies a dual cure diazo emulsion will be the most forgiving. Anyway I be quiet now. Thanks Cameo..!!

You may be the only person that can make a 12 minute tutorial that I can watch and enjoy the whole time. I really appreciate the knowledge you dropping here. It has saved me headaches and feelings of desperation.

Idk how I missed this video but its an absolute godsend man. Ive spent like.. 5 weeks straight trying to get one small screen to expose properly. i tried an exposure test with no results-- i literally couldnt get any emulsion to wash out 3 whole tinmes. was using speedball inkjet transfer film, darkest possible ink setting.. still no exposure results with a test , my logo on the film, and using an overhead uv light. the part where you said 'your film might be letting light through and giving you a result that looks overexposed' is literally what the issue is. I'm actually tossing the film for the time being and gonna attempt to just cricut cut some thick vinyl for this next exposure because I did the dime test in my last attempt, and the dime circle/shape exposed flawlessly. maybe its the screen size too?? its like a 7 x 7. I genuinely thought I was going crazy, but you just confirmed it -- the film is letting light thru so I was getting 'fake' overexposure, and my films need to be high quality. all other channels havent mentioned this, they just act like paper or transparency sheet will always work. SO THANK YOU. you also explained what under and over exposure ACTUALLY looks like in detail instead of just saying the screen can get under/over exposed without explaining WHAT each result looks like, that HELPS so much, thats god tier of you I'll also eventually do a proper test once I somehow get this film working or buying a test film online.. because I'm just so tired from so much failure lol. I'll also be degreasing as youvsaid, again-- NO ONE has mentioned this in other vids idk if you're still around to read comments, but question-- do you think at least applying dark cut vinyl to a transparency sheet could work as a 'film' for the time being? I wanted to at least be able to re-use the design instead of breaking down the vinyl decal each time

Finally I've been having trouble with exposure this is going to help a lot thanks a lot this was the best lesson i've seen so far on how to expose screens.

You’ve been missed by many! Hope all is good and thanks for the video... so many things that can be causing me to not burn my screens right!

Great info on this subject! Let’s keep them rolling. 👊🏼

I never really took the time to understand these exposure calculators...that was good! Thanks man! Printfam

Thank you for the help! Your videos always save the day. Nice!

Had to go back and watch this today. This is what I will be doing this afternoon. You made it invaluable to watch your videos. This explains the exposure calculation process to the point where it doesn't sound like latin spoken by a drunk.

Good stuff Cam! Congrats on hittin 20K!!

Thanks for the video man! Just makes me that much more anxious to get out into the shop this morning! (EST)

Thank you Cam! Big help!

Thanks Cam for the video!

You always manage to sum up all the things that could go wrong in these videos. Either great planning on your part, or sheer genius... probably both.

Thanks Cam, yes that was very useful.

Really good video good to see you back

Your the best I’m new to screen printing and you make me confident I can run my business.

By far the most informative video I have watched on this subject. I am new to screen printing and having trouble getting all the halftones to wash out, this may have solved my problem. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge

Thanks a lot Print Life! Super useful info. Your videos are great. You've really helped me get started.

thanks for the great tips!This will help me in my troubleshooting of my emulsion falling off the screen

This video is very helpful for someone like me that's still starting doing screen priting

Just this week I noticed after washing out my screens and hitting it with compressed air to remove any emulsion in the image area, some of the image would come loose and flop around. At first I thought it was a degreasing issue but turns out I just had to expose it longer. I have the entry-level Ryonet 8 bulb exposure unit and I guess it will be time to replace the bulbs soon. Cost me a lot of time and a lot of money on account of all the beer I had to drink to cope with the issue because it happened when I was swamped of course. Live and learn! Thanks for the vid!

hell yea great tips brotha i feel em its all about the print life

Great video. I got some 225 and 150 S-Mesh that I'm pumped to try out

Had an issue, jump to a The Print Life video. Cam always coming in clutch, I’m under exposing lol

Best screen printing videos. I dont even screen print but i will still watch.

awesome I was having some of this problems my self. I have to make many corrections. thanks brother

Odlične preporuke za snimanje sita. Pozdrav iz Srbije.

Great video! Very informative :)

Ommmggg thank you! Actual help. Thanks so much!

Ordered that LED light today at your recommendation. Thank you.

Excellent!!!

Ah thanks for this dude! I've been burning screens successfully with the sun since January 2021, its now June 2021 and I now am using a light (50w led) which I experienced breakdown of emulsion because the light was to close. I now know how to fix that! Bless you'll at Print Life! Keep at it soldiers

Thanks boss. I think this was a much needed video.

Good Job dude!

Awesome video brother, ima bout to start my trials or test, im new on this and this video is a great help. Thx a lot and wish you all the blessings on your business.

Fantastic video!

Good stuff my friend thank you for your videos

Thank you for ur videos bro!

Ur one of my Favorite printers keep it fly guy!

Dude, thank you! BlackMax was the tip I needed! I was trying to figure out how to get deep, solid, saturated black art on my films. I was about to get out quill pens & India ink and do it old school. But BMax sounds like the answer

Awesome videos as always Cam! Can't wait for that Anatol press review.

Super legit help. That troulbeshooting stencil is awesome, and I'm excited to try that instead of just trail and error some more screens... RIP my 5 screens that my newb ass killed.

This was a very big help I’m using that exact point light and pwr emulsion and haven’t had any luck I definitely to close gonna back it away and try again

i took your advise and picked up a simple setup for our one colour jobs, Now im watching this video again

Oh yes thanks for this

this is really smart, thanks!

Nice advice!

I use the anthem test to get close, then use a stouffer test on every screen. That way I can make adjustments on the fly, when conditions like temp or humidity change.

DUDE! Thanks for this video, saved my life. Nearly decided to quit but man this kept me going! Keep killing it, new subscriber!

Great video man! Thx.

Let me know if I missed any other tips in the comments below.

Very technically informative. Thank you bro

Thx for the video

U got t best videos dude Love'em

Thanks for tips from France bro, i have à few difficult for understand what you say 😅 but video talk more than words. God bless man 🙏

Great video! Thanks!

Thank you

thank you dude

very good

Thanks man! Woop Woop!

Your videos are amazing!

Nice cut-ins on this one in the beginning there Cam

Awesome tips and really great info 👌👌👌

Thanks

“Dicking the dog!!!!” Bro you are absolutely HILARIOUS!!!! Great video!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good video! I started just cutting my designs out on vinyl, sticking them to glass, and using them to burn the screens. With the vinyl being completely opaque, there's no worrying about overexposing through a bad transparency print. I've only done this once thusfar though, so YMMV

who are the 30 people who gave this a thumb's down? This is one of the better videos out there. Come on, man.

That's what's up very helpful #younglife 🤙🏼

FINALLY a video that mentions why I couldn’t wash out my design. Overexposed!! 8 mins at 16 inches away wasn’t the move I guess

I tried burning a screen at just 7 seconds, as you stated in another video. Total wash out. I think the times will depend on the mesh, the emulsion, and the exposure unit being used, which creates so many variables, it will depend on each person's set up as to what works, and what doesn't.

Thanks Bro.......

Hey Print Life! Just gotta say I think you deserve more views cause this some good sh*t haha thanks for all the great info and tips ect. It's awesome to have genuine smart content to learn from. Thanks much and keep up the awesome work! #printlife

wow i never knew exposure light could be so technical like this

This video was so helpful thank you 😀😀. I have been trying to my my own RU-vid channel t shirts but I’m having problems to finish that process of exposing and washing it.

Wow this helps out a lot.. Im doing it all wrong . I got a poor man set up .. and I’m over exposing but it can also be my film . What’s a decent film printer ? Something that’s not gonna too expensive.

Safe light what's used thanks ... I'm a learning a lot from you fella ...UK.

awesome video I had screen break down I use chroma blue emulsion and wasn't degreasing good enough but watching your video helped me out a lot, I have the 8 20watt uv bulb and burn for 7 min and have no break down at all. 1 question how long do you let the screen sit in the dip tank and is it just water that's in there cause when you wash out the screen it looks like it doesn't take long to wash out. Thank you

Great tutorial Cam. This video is missing one thing, Gigi

Hye cam. im from Malaysia. been watching your videos for a few months back. great videos and advises too. i wonder if you could make a video on what kind of printer did you used to print out the film positive. Kindly need an advice before purchasing one. 🤟🏼

Hey man I really appreciate how far you’ve got me with the video, but I’m stuck at finding big enough transparencies and can’t find a third party printer. Any recommendations

Hi. Saw others had asked but never saw what type of emulsion you use. I’ve been using a photopolymer for several years and debating changing.

Hi print fam, wanted to know what you might advise someone who is starting off with a Riley 150 no micro when it comes to exposure unit size.. would you spring for the 20x24 or save $200 and pick the 16x20 to be used with 20x24 sized screens ?

Thanks for the video! What is that machine you use in the video? What are this metal frames you are using?

“Burn Burn Yes Your Gonna Burn” 💡🖼⚡️🤘

@theprintlife I love your stuff. Im new to the game but had a question about emulsion running when Im washing out an image. It seems to run down when drying and fog up some areas of the image, causing the ink to not be able to pass through clearly when I am attempting to print. Any experience with this issue? Thanks!

Great videos fella ! I haev a problem you may be able to help me with. My screens seem dry and my burn times are fine, when i burn a screen i am starting to get water marks and blocking of parts of the mesh from the emulsion on the inside of the screen flowing down into the graphic. I dont have a dip tank i wet the emulsion and let it soak a little before i blast the graphic out. Are you able to help me understand why the screen is blocking ?

great info ! and do the exposure times change for higher or lower mesh counts?

nice to have you back cam. Question 1, what emulsion do you use. I have the 80 watt version of your light and with my emulsion (ecotex crap) it took 7 minutes, the light is 14 inches away from the glass. I am guessing it is the emulsion i am using causing me problems with exposure times. at 7 minutes it still lost some small details on a 200mesh.

Any suggestions on what to use for diy silk screen sheets? I ask because I am going to attempt to make my own "chalk Couture" (a self adhesive screen stencil sheet craft product) sheets.

Your videos are very good. Thank you. My question is , how do I get started on a graphic software that I can afford and still design great tshirt designs?

I am going to print text with sharp edges. The screens I have now is "48T". Will they do the job? Is there any printer you recommend for printing transparency papers? I don't need any large ones though. Thanks for the great tips btw!

great video, what printer do you recommend ?

so don't go to like office max or anything to get my prints made? also can you recommend a printer? doing this from my house. Thanks

I allways print doubles with my canon pixma ix6850.. otherwise it indeed blows out or over exposes. I need to do a calculation like you cam.. it’s on my to do list ;-)!

Ok sorry if this is a stupid question, I’m just getting started with printing. If I wanted to make permanent screens; like screens I could potentially reuse so I could make prints and shirts per order, is there a way to ensure that the print is really stuck on the screen regardless of if I wash off the paint or not? Hope that makes sense. Any advice would be extremely appreciated. Thank you!

thanks cam for a great vid was wondering about the dip tank you use is it water and how long do you dip the dip for .thanks for a reply

🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

does the temperature of the room you’re letting your screen dry in matter? I coated a screen and let it sit for 6 hours and it was still wet so when I tried ti burn it it the emulsion just came off after washing