11/8/2023 0 Comments Develop speedball emulsion![]() You’ll have to plan exposure days around the weather, which can be unpredictable. ![]() If you need to expose a screen, but the weather is cloudy, you can’t do anything about it. POTENTIAL ISSUES WITH THE SUN EXPOSURE METHODįirst and foremost, exposing screens with the sun requires, well, the sun. It can work really well, but it also has some issues. Using the sun seems like the perfect way to expose screens without breaking the budget. RELATED: HOW TO DIAL IN EXPOSURE TIMES USING AN EXPOSURE CALCULATOR You’ll want to get to a solid step 7 for best exposure and detail resolution. ![]() When you wash the screen out, the exposure calculator will tell you how well the screen has been exposed. This is a sign of unexposed emulsion.Īnother way to test exposure times is to grab an exposure calculator and set it on the screen during exposure. Check for detail resolution when rinsing out your screens, and check for scumming emulsion. You’ll be able to see which time worked best for your screen. When six total minutes are up, take the screen to a washout booth and wash it out. Let two more minutes go by, and then cover the next third. At the two minute mark, place the cardboard over the top third of the screen. To discover which length of time is best for exposing a screen, grab a piece of cardboard, a book, or something else that won’t let light through. However, you can test exposure a couple of ways. There isn’t a sure-fire way to dial in your exposure times, as weather conditions sadly aren’t controllable. Set the glass on top of your screen to create positive contact.ĭepending on the sun conditions, you might only need two minutes to expose the screens. Remember that piece of glass mentioned earlier? You’ll need that now. If you’re exposing screens on blacktop, place the screen on a piece of cardboard so the light doesn’t bounce up from the dark surface. As long as the screen is safe from any light while you’re transporting it outside, you can be as creative as you want. You can put it in a cardboard box, wrap it in a black trash bag, or find another creative solution. When leaving your darkroom, wrap the screen in something that won’t let light through. You don’t want to start exposing the screen before you get outside. You may have to plan jobs around the weather. If you live in a rainy climate, this may be difficult to plan. Make sure that the sun will be out when you’re ready to expose. Underexposure is most common, and you’ll lose a lot of detail. If you expose screens without enough sunlight, you won’t get good results. Here’s four steps to expose your screens to the sun. He followed a YouTube video, and eventually was able to get his exposure pretty well dialed. Joey Avila, owner of Avila Design Co., used to expose his screens in the sun. Now that you’re prepped, you’re ready to expose it. RELATED: HOW TO GET THE BEST COMPRESSION ON AN EXPOSURE UNIT WITH NO LID It isn’t perfect, but you’ll get a better screen with contact than you would without. Instead, use something transparent, like a piece of glass, to create some positive contact with the screen. That would block the sunlight from reaching your screen. If you’re using the sun to expose screens, you obviously can’t place weight on top of the screen, like you would with a compression unit. Having that tight, strong contact results in a clean, sharp image on the screen. Exposure units come in either compression or vacuum form, which create positive contact between the light source, glass, film, and emulsion. Positive contact is important to properly expose a screen. It’s more forgiving, and you’ll be able to expose a good screen without needing the perfect environment. When using the sun as an exposure unit, it’s best to use a dual cure emulsion, like Baselayr Long Lasting. Take notes on the days you expose screens so you’ll have a log to reference. The higher the UV percentage, the brighter the exposure “bulb” will be. Check the UV index on your weather app to coordinate the best days to expose your screens. Make sure that you choose a sunny day to expose your screens, or you’ll get disappointing results. You’ll get the most concentrated sunlight at that time. The best time to expose a screen using the sun is at noon on a sunny day. Make sure the sun is out at full strength when you go to expose. This seems pretty obvious, right? If you live in a sunny place, you’ll have better luck at planning days to expose your screens. ![]() To use the sun to expose screens, here are the factors you’ll need to look at to set yourself up for success. But should you? Let’s go over how to expose a screen in the sun and potential issues you might encounter. You can use the sun as your exposure unit. There’s one option that many printers turn to: the power of the sun. Purchasing an exposure unit can be pricey. Proper screen exposure is vital to getting that perfect print.
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