

You can use either a regular garden hose or a pressure washer as a water source in your washout station.įor laying down prints, there are a few pieces of screen printing equipment you’ll need, including: A washout station gives you a place to rinse the stenciled area out of the screen after exposure and to reclaim screens after press runs. Emulsion-coated screens are placed in a special exposure unit that provides the UV needed to cure the stencils. Drying racks, whether you purchase screen drying racks or build your own, you will need a place to lay screens horizontally while the emulsion dries.Screens are coated with a special emulsion that hardens when exposed to UV light to create a stencil. Of course, you’ll need screens for your screen printing shop! There are a lot of screens options available, but you’ll want to stock a small supply of the most commonly used screens as you get started. You need a printer that will lay down an opaque black ink that will totally block out UV light when you expose your screens. To make stencils on your screens, you will print the graphics you’ve created onto clear film. A computer with design software to create graphics.The pre-press process involves preparing the artwork and screens you will use to lay down your screen prints.

In screen printing, there’s quite a bit to do before your products get to the press. While it’s true that a screen printing production floor can seem busy and crowded with machinery, there are actually only a few pieces you’ll need - from pre-press to printing to post-press - to start producing screen printed goods. Starting a screen printing business can seem overwhelming, but planning for the essentials can make it easier.
