Creating a dark film positive is essential to getting a good screen and a good print. If your film is too light, it won’t expose correctly and you’ll lose valuable detail. Sometimes, the film your printer creates isn’t dark enough. How do you solve this issue? Here are three ways to create a darker film.  Photo by Symm

Aligning film transparencies is a vital part of the pre-production process. If your films aren’t all in line, your print may appear off-center, crooked, or misplaced. Nobody wants that (unless it’s intentional). There’s one sure-fire method to make sure your films are lined up. In the video, Ronald Peters shows you how

Whether you’ve just coated screens with emulsion, cleaned them up, or reclaimed them for a new job, having a safe, storing those screens in a dry environment is important to the process. Finding the perfect space for those screens may be complicated. Why not build your own? Darkroom guru Colin Huggins shows you how to

Reclaiming screens has to be one of the most tedious parts of screen printing. Who hasn’t procrastinated and left screens sitting by the washout booth without reclaiming them? With the right cleaners and good habits, your reclaim process can be super easy. WHAT YOU’LL NEED To start the reclaim process, you’ll need the

Both emulsion and emulsion removers can and will freeze. Most emulsions are not Freeze/Thaw stable. Depending on your emulsions chemistry you can see a number of different results when opening your container. I touched base with Ross Balfour of Saati to help fill in the details.

You’ve coated a screen for screen printing, exposed it, and rinsed it out. You might notice tiny holes in the screen where there shouldn’t be. Why is this? In this video, Ronald Peters touches on why pinholes and fisheyes happen, and gives tips to stop them before they cause problems on your screen.  WHAT ARE FISHEYES

Prepping a screen for water-based inks can be a little more tricky than plastisol. The print deposit is thinner, the ink dries on the screen over time, and the ink can potentially break down emulsion faster than plastisol ink would. Because of this, you need a good screen to get a good print. Let’s go through the proce

When you’re just starting out in screen printing, people tend to get the necessary equipment and supplies to make it work. There’s always more equipment to try, more upgrades to make. But do you really need it all? Like a pressure washer; is that an absolute must? In order to start your screen printing journey, you nee

Eliminating the space between your exposure unit glass, your film, and your emulsion is key to capture the most details on a burned screen. If you have an exposure unit without a lid, knowing how to apply compression correctly is especially important. Let’s go over the proper technique to get a good screen with a compr

Aligning the film to your screen can be tricky. If it’s not done correctly, it can slow down your process. To avoid that, you need a way to align your screens correctly every time. Here’s a few tips on how to make the most out of your screen creation process. Photo by Symmetree THE PROCESS The process of aligning your

Do you want to experience faster exposure times? Do you wish your stencils were more durable? Are you having trouble capturing details? You’re going to want to take a look at the Baselayr X1620 LED Exposure Unit: a new, improved unit for entry level printers. This exposure unit has new technology that will improve prod

You demand the most from your emulsion. Why should you expect anything less from your darkroom equipment? Check out Baselayr Exposure Units, equipment designed to perform. Is there anything different with Baselayr’s exposure units? While one unit did get a bold upgrade, the rest are rebranded units from your favorite e

Many printers exclusively use plastisol ink. If this sounds like you, check out Baselayr Plastisol emulsion. The high performance emulsion will streamline production by exposing faster, rinsing out quicker, and reclaiming with less effort. Want to get the most from this emulsion? Expert Colin Huggins walks through prop

Advanced screen printers. High production print shops. We’re talking to you. If you’re pushing the limits of your emulsion, check out Baselayr Complete. Wondering how it'll work in your screen print shop? Screen printing expert Colin Huggins addresses what kind of darkroom you need for this emulsion, guidelines for coa

Emulsion Prep… Is it necessary to use? As much as you love spending time cleaning screens, Emulsion Prep is an extra step that can be a game changer. Let’s take a look at what Emulsion Prep is, when to use it, and how to use it. WHAT’S EMULSION PREP? Emulsion Prep is a high-tech degreaser. The solution improves the lif