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Blew out my first screen after 14 prints, rookie mistake | DIY Screen Printing - Guest Forum

Blew out my first screen after 14 prints, rookie mistake

Was doing a small batch of tote bags for a market stall this weekend. Everything was going smooth, 14 prints in and the design looked crisp. Then I pushed too hard on the squeegee and the emulsion just gave up in the middle of the lettering. No warning, just a chunk of it floating in the ink. Had to stop, tape off the damaged area, and shave the design down to a simpler version just to finish the last 6 bags. Lesson learned about pressure control. Anyone else wreck a screen mid-run and have to improvise on the fly?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_foster1mo ago

Wait, did you check if your screen was actually tensioned right before you started? That tension thing is the real culprit a lot of times, I've had it happen where the mesh gets loose and the emulsion cracks from the flex, not the pressure alone. Taping off and shaving the design is a smart save though, I once had to turn an intricate sunburst into a plain circle just to get through a craft fair. Might be worth picking up a cheap tension meter if you're doing this regularly, it catches the problem before it ruins your whole run.

joseph4551mo ago

Did you actually blow out the emulsion, or did the screen just lose tension? Usually when the mesh goes slack mid-run it looks like the emulsion fell apart but it's really the screen stretching from too much pressure. I've had that fake-out happen before, where I'm blaming the emulsion but the screen was just tired. Either way, taping it down and simplifying the design is a solid move for finishing a market order. But you might want to check your screen tension before your next run, pushing hard on a loose screen can wreck a good design real fast. That pressure lesson is real though, I've been there too.