Apologies to the internet—I respect headlines and everything, but I really hate writing them. Hello from the upstairs screen printing studio! This week’s update is about reclaiming screens. It doesn’t feel like an interesting or productive thing to do, but it needs to be done every once in a while. And you can do it at home!
Reclaiming screens means removing the emulsion (Ulano LX-660 used to be my fave)/screen filler/whatever substance you’ve used to create the image in the screen so that you can reuse the screen for a different image. I am using screen filler to create screens these days, so that’s what I’m removing. I used to reclaim my screens in locations that weren’t my house. When the pandemic started, I had to figure out a home reclaim situation so I could keep printing and reusing screens.
Basement reclaim station.
I reclaim screens in my basement (despite what it looks like, I promise it’s not a dungeon). For any aspiring home screen printers out there, here’s what I use and how I do it:
I use a power washer hooked up to a utility sink with a 10-foot hose. The sink provides the water to the power washer, but because it’s too small to hold my screens, that’s its only function.
I use EasiStrip Supra as a cleanser—Greased Lightning also works on screen filler, if it’s easier to pick up a household cleanser. The Supra works better, though, and it also works on photosensitive emulsion.
Because my utility sink is too small, I use a storm window I found in the basement to support the screen while I reclaim it. This stabilizes the screen and prevents some of the water from spraying everywhere.
I scrub the Supra into the screen and blow the screen filler out with the power washer. I do this over the floor drain, which is right next to the utility sink. My basement isn’t “nice,” so it’s ok if the process is a little sloppy.
EDITED TO ADD: Ear and lung protection! I wear safety earmuffs because the power washer is loud, and I wear a half-mask respirator with vapor cartridges so I don’t breathe in the Supra.
Someday I’d like to get a utility sink or some other thing large enough for the screens to fit inside. If you’ve got that, then you don’t have to worry about the drain situation and water getting everywhere. When I graduate to a large enough utility sink/thing, I’d like to also implement some kind of catch system to filter any screen filler solids from going down the drain and into the sewer.
If something in the basement is not possible, you can also power wash year-round outside if you live in a pleasant climate. It seems like winter 9 months of the year in Detroit, so that’s not a practical option for me. I have heard of screen printers that take their screens to the car wash to reclaim them. The main thing you need is a powerful spray to blow out the emulsion or screen filler. Unfortunately regular hose or shower spray isn’t powerful enough for that.
If you don’t want to DIY and you’re Detroit-local, both Ocelot Print Shop and Screentek reclaim screens (and provide a lot of other great services!).
Let me know if you have any questions about reclaiming screens!