![]() |
![]() ![]() |
Home | Site Map | Buyer's Guide Search |
![]() |
Event Calendar | ![]() |
Article Archive | ![]() |
Message Boards | ![]() |
Classifieds | ![]() |
Product Showcases | ![]() |
News | ![]() |
Advertise | ![]() |
Search | ![]() |
Join Now | ![]() |
![]() |
![]()
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() Your Film Career
You, too, can be a film star! No, Hollywood isn't about to come knocking. The film we're talking about is the kind that produces easy-to-create and versatile screenprinting stencils. The good news is that even if no producers waving million dollar contracts are in your immediate future, your career in films can still put money in your pocket.
![]()
There are really only four different kinds of film used in making screen stencils and they all work in slightly different ways. What they all have in common is that they are basically two-part systems, some sort of emulsion layer or plastic material lightly bonded to a layer of clear polyester. The clear layer's sole function is to serve as the support for the top layer. There are four types of film:
An easy way to break them down is by function: masking films and stencil films.
HANDCUT MASKING FILM All masking films belong to the category of handcut films. The term handcut has become somewhat misleading because, while some patient souls still cut these films with a swivel knife, today most are done on a computer-controlled plotter -- read vinyl cutter. The one drawback with masking films is that you still need to apply them to a photosensitive material and you still need to expose that material. You need an exposure unit.
HANDCUT STENCIL FILM You cut handcut stencil films with a knife blade in exactly the same way you cut your design into masking film. But instead of plastic, the top layer of a handcut stencil film consists of a non-photosensitive emulsion that will adhere to the fabric of a screen. After weeding, this film can be applied directly to your screen. It actually becomes the stencil you print with.
![]()
The next thing you need to do is transfer that design into your screen. You place the weeded film, emulsion-side up, on a flat hard surface of about the same size as the film. On top of that, place a clean, degreased screen with an inside dimension a bit larger than the film. The next step is to adhere the stencil using either water or a manufacturer’s recommended solvent. Then, all you need to do is fill in around your stencil with screen filler and you are ready to print. You have created a perfect screen stencil without an exposure unit! The only real difference between preparing a handcut masking film and a handcut stencil film comes at the weeding stage. With a stencil film you weed out the areas you do want to print! Some screenprinters scoff at handcut film because it can’t hope to compete with some of the complex artwork that can be reproduced by a photosensitive emulsion. A lot of handcut’s detractors, however, are thinking back to a time when handcut meant exactly that, before the computer-controlled plotter gave all types of handcut film a new lease on life. For signmakers, handcut film offers a way to create screenprinted artwork every bit as good as the vinyl signs they produce. There is just one serious drawback to handcut stencils films: mess up in the adhering process and you have to cut the whole thing all over again right from scratch. This does, however, provide some excellent motivation to get it right every time. Almost all problems with stencil films come from a poorly bonded stencil pulling away from the mesh. The root of such a problem usually lies with insufficient degreasing of the screen. Even degreased screens that have been sitting around for a while should be redone. You can eliminate most of these difficulties by starting with a perfectly clean screen and taking a little extra time to make sure the film has been properly adhered before you begin to print.
PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS All photographic stencil films do, however, have one thing in common: they consist of a layer of photosensitve emulsion lightly bonded to a layer of clear polyester. There is one more difference to keep in mind: The entire stencil film family is divided into two types. Some family members create stencils impervious to solvent-based inks; others have been designed to resist water-based inks. Both handcut and photographic films have members in both camps. So, apart from your choice to either handcut or photographically reproduce your artwork, the film you select for any particular job will be determined by the kind of ink you’ll be printing with. If films have an Achilles’ heel it is in the area of solvent resistance. Even die-hard film buffs become cautious when printing with inks containing more aggressive solvents. Photosensitive stencil films offer a number of advantages over direct emulsions, especially in their ability to reproduce sharp detail. Because they transfer a uniform layer of pre-sensitized material to a screen, direct films excel at applications where printers need to lay down a consistent ink deposit. This ability has made them the medium of choice for reproducing printed circuit boards. Indirect films, on the other hand, offer almost identical features and may have a key advantage for a signmaker just getting into exposing his or her own screens. Indirect films are exposed before being adhered to the screen so you can get by with a much smaller exposure unit than one capable of accepting an entire screen. Direct films, on the other hand, require an exposure unit comparable to those used to expose direct emulsions, and they are more expensive. The temptation to just go with direct emulsion is strong, because direct liquid emulsions stand up better to strong solvent inks like vinyl inks, for example. Direct emulsions also boast a good reputation for durability, especially when print runs number in the thousands rather than the hundreds.
RECLAIMING
IS THERE A FILM CAREER IN YOUR FUTURE? Although most screenprinters prefer to stick with either film or direct emulsion, both methods offer clear advantages on certain jobs. Even a die-hard direct emulsion printer can find it profitable to experiment with film. The easy reclaims and razor-sharp imprints can prove highly seductive. So, is there a film career in your future? Well, there just might be.
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
© Copyright 1999-2021, All Rights Reserved. |