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Debate: Should you wash your screens before reclaiming or just spray them off?
I was at a community print shop in Austin last month and watched two old timers almost get into it over this. One guy swears by washing the screen with water and drying it before applying any chemicals, says it saves him 15 bucks a month on emulsion remover. The other dude just sprays it off quick and goes straight to the reclaim tank. I tried both ways and the dry method was way messier for me, but I'm curious what you all do. Do you wash your screens first or skip that step?
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sageburns19d ago
Leave the screen wet overnight first and see how much easier the emulsion washes off. Saves time and chems at my shop. Did you notice any difference in how long your screens lasted with either method?
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Wait, are you telling me wetting the screen overnight actually makes a difference? Because I used to be in the "just spray and go" camp, and I was stubborn about it for years. But @sageburns, your comment got me curious enough to try leaving a screen wet overnight last week, and holy crap the emulsion practically fell off the next morning. It was way less scrubbing and I didn't have to use nearly as much chemical, plus the screen came out cleaner with less ghosting. So yeah, I think I'm switching sides on this one (and saving myself some elbow grease in the process).
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