screenprinting - making the perfect screen

there are many tutorials on the web instructing home-based screenprinting techniques, but most fail to mention the two most important tips for creating quality, affordable prints at home. The first is the importance of how taught or tight the mesh must be, the second involves something called the "snap". This instructable shows how to make adjustable screens to ensure the tightest of screens, and then explains the "snap"

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Step 1: Go shopping!

This is what is required for this tutorial:
1 pine strip (1.8m long) and 22mm x 22mm.
4 x bolts (70mm x 6mm) with their accompaning nuts.
a drill (with 6mm bit).
staple gun.
wood glue.
mesh ( i've sourced mine from screenprinting suppliers and is a 55 mesh count)

SABIOLOCO says: Jan 13, 2011. 2:39 PM

WOWWW ABSOLUTLY GENIUS AND SIMPLE

MatrixRage says: Dec 23, 2010. 10:32 PM

Dude, that is F%$I% Genius. Great idea.

22killzz says: Aug 1, 2010. 7:45 PM

this is a great idea ive screen printing for some time and i always pay to have my mesh glues to the frame this will save me lots of cash! :D

M4industries says: Feb 14, 2010. 3:45 PM

Whoa whoa whoa.

I like the idea of a gap between the substrate and the screen, but how do you support it? Blocks of wood?

familycanvas (author) in reply to M4industriesFeb 14, 2010. 11:28 PM

i find that if you glue 5mm nuts to the 4 corners of your screen, this gives you a nice even snap. the reason its not included in the instructable is because i've now gone a step further and i am fitting my screen to a hinge system so you can lift the screen and, if need be, place it back if the print is not perfect. this hinge system stands 5mm higher than the board it is built on. make sense? it works on the same principle as a screenprinters carousel, good luck

Barrettkg in reply to familycanvasMay 3, 2010. 3:12 PM

We use a hinge system at my school. Except instead of making the hinges permanent, we use a nail to slide in and out of the two pieces of the hinge. That way we can change the screens with much ease

M4industries in reply to familycanvasFeb 16, 2010. 3:41 PM

Yeah. You might want to add that piece in there somewhere. Anyhow, I saw a 4 color carousel on eBay for $300. I don't know how cheap that is relatively, but if you want a carousel, eBay is your place.

rogeromc in reply to M4industriesApr 28, 2010. 11:19 AM

You should see in built it your self, if you have the time and desired ( goole the video on how to built a silk press machine), but if dont have the time buy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5zbnV6OUj4