When you’re just starting out in screen printing, people tend to get the necessary equipment and supplies to make it work. There’s always more equipment to try, more upgrades to make. But do you really need it all? Like a pressure washer; is that an absolute must?
In order to start your screen printing journey, you need some equipment. You buy all the essentials: a screen printing press, exposure unit, chemicals, ink, squeegees, and more. Other, non-essential equipment may sit on the back burner for a while. One of these pieces of equipment is a pressure washer. Depending on your shop space and reclaim needs, you’ll want to invest in one.
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WHO SHOULD USE A PRESSURE WASHER
A pressure washer is a great addition to many shops. It speeds up the cleanup and reclaim process, giving you a cleaner screen. On top of that, it’s just fun to use. Shops that benefit most from having a pressure washer in their arsenal are shops with the right equipment and a higher production volume.
If you’re just starting out, odds are you can get away with just a high pressure faucet in your home. Many DIY printers start this way. Most DIY printers use their garden hose to clean and reclaim screens. If your showerhead has decent pressure and/or a removable showerhead, this can work in a pinch as well. While you can reclaim screens using a hose, a pressure washer will get the job done faster.
The more jobs you do, the more screens you reclaim. The more screens you reclaim, the more you’ll want a pressure washer. If you’re ready to get a pressure washer, you’re probably ready to upgrade the space where you rinse and reclaim screens. You may consider getting a washout booth as well.
HOW TO USE A PRESSURE WASHER
Virtually all emulsion removers will give far better results with a pressure washer to blast away the eroded emulsion. Position the screen with the top edge against the back wall of your washout booth. Leaning the screen against the washout booth will provide support for the screen when you blast it with water. You’ll want to apply emulsion remover to both sides of the screen, scrubbing it in circles with your scrub pad. Once the emulsion looks like it’s starting to loosen up, it’s time to put on the pressure.
Be sure the print side of the screen is facing you. A high pressure spray directed at the squeegee side of the screen can hit the inside edges of the frame and ricochet. The point where the mesh meets the inside edge of the frame is also one of the most vulnerable points on your screen—the last place that ought to be hit with a high pressure jet of water.
WHERE CAN I FIND A PRESSURE WASHER?
Finding a pressure washer isn’t hard. Head to your local hardware or home improvement store (or shop online) to find one. Find one capable of at least 1200psi, though 1600psi is the most common. Both the power and width settings of spray can be adjusted on most pressure washers.
Depending on your price point, you’ll have a few options. The highest-end pressure washers have different nozzle attachments, so you can get that perfect fan shape every time. Less expensive models have one nozzle that allows adjustments to fine-tune the spray.
BEST PRACTICES TO USING A PRESSURE WASHER
Use a broad, fan-shaped spray to reclaim screens. If you have a pressure washer with an adjustable nozzle, get into the habit of aiming the wand away from your screen the first time you pull the trigger. This way, you can adjust the width and power of the spray without harming your screen. A narrow spray delivered at full power can blast right through fine meshes. A wider spray will almost always serve you better, unless you have small spots of old, hard-to-remove emulsion. In these cases, using a narrower, stronger stream around the edges of the problem areas should work, as if you are using the water to ‘scrape’ the emulsion spot away.
One mistake many printers will make when they first introduce a pressure washer into their shop is using a strong, concentrated stream on freshly exposed screens. When you’re rinsing out your design, slow and steady wins the race. Turn the power down, widen the spray, take a step back, and take your time with it. It’s important to keep in mind that your emulsion is pretty soft at this stage, so too much pressure can risk knocking out your design’s edges or finer details, forcing you to reclaim and start all over.
DON’T HAVE A PRESSURE WASHER? GET CREATIVE!
Not every printer has the budget, space, or equipment for a pressure washer. If you’re not ready to take on a pressure washer, get creative! Many DIY and beginner printers use their imaginations when it comes to rinseout and reclaim.
Trey Woodward of Heritage Press Print Shop and Jerome Haygood of Aerogant Printing Company both used garden hoses to rinse and reclaim screens when they started. Trey threaded the hose through his bathroom window, while Jerome carried his screens outside to use the hose. Joey Avila of Avila Design Co. used to reclaim screens at his local car wash. Screen printing is all about creativity. Why should that only apply to designing?
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Ultimately, having a pressure washer in your shop can streamline your process and make you more efficient. Once you get comfortable with best use practices and adjusting the settings as necessary, you’ll find that a pressure washer can be a screen printer’s best friend in the darkroom. Instead of spending all of your time trying to reclaim your screens, blast them with your pressure washer and move onto the next job.
