Screen Printing Terms

Black Light - Trade name for a fluorescent tube manufactured by the GE company. It produces light emission rich in ultra-violet radiation, and is some times used to expose photstencil emulsions

Block Out - A thin paste that is spread over the cured emulsion to fill any pin holes or other imperfections in the emulsion, that may leak ink onto the substrate.
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Bridging - Crossing by the edge of the stencil of one or several threads of the fabric. The print quality may be effected by the way the stencil image bridges the mesh.

Calendered Fabric - Fabric that has been passed though a set of cast iron cylinders, that produces flattening of one or both sides of the fabric>

Capillary Film - Pre-sensitized film made of a synthetic emulsion coated onto a uniform base, adhered by capillary action of the wet surface of the screen.

Diazo - Organic compound derived from aromatic hydrocarbons forming the basis of a large group of dye-stuffs. Sensitizer used in a large number of photostencil emulsions.

Direct Emulsion - Emulsion that is applied to the screen after being sensitized

Direct Stencil - Photostencil is processed on the screen rather than separately from the screen..

Durometer - Instrument used to measure the hardness of the squeegee blade. The unit of measure is the degree shore.

Frame - A wood or metal frame with out mesh

Indirect Stencil - Pre-sensitized photostencil film that is exposed and prossed prior to being adhered to the screen.

Pin Hole - A hole left in the exposed emulsion, that would leak ink through to the fabric. It can be found after washing out the stencil or during the printing process

Recycle - See Remesh

Remesh - The process of replacing the old or ripped mesh on a frame, with new mesh.

Screen- A wood or metal frame with mesh

Scoop Coater - A trough that holds emulsion, and is used to spread a uniform thickness of emulsion over the mesh.