Silkscreen application of Platinum emulsions?

[eli griggs]

Has anyone here tried applying platinum emulsion by using a silkscreen?

If so what were the results, pros and cons?

Eli

 

[Jeremy]

Con: ridiculous waste of emulsion adding up to $$$$$$$.

When coating an 11"x14" screen with emulsion in silkscreening I use ~4 oz. When coating paper for an 11"x14" pt/pd print I use ~1.5mL.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're asking. The only thing I can think that would be similar is the photo-resist emulsion on the screen. If you're talking about applying the pt/pd emulsion through a screen that has already been prepared for printing then you'd waste even more emulsion.

Silkscreening is done the way it is because the constituents for the process are so cheap.

 

[Steve Smith]

The only thing I can think that would be similar is the photo-resist emulsion on the screen.

It's basically a potassium bichromate/dichromate emulsion.

We have gallons of it here at work but I have never tried it for photographic use. I must try it out one day.

I have also thought about coating emulsion with a screen. I think one of our fine stainless steel meshes without a stencil would produce quite a thin coat.


Steve.

 

[eli griggs]

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm asking as I'm curious as to which would waste less emulsion, a paint brush applicator or a fine screen process? As a painter, I see how much material a good brush will pick-up, lay-down and what washes out in the clean-up.

A screen used to coat a number of sheets at one time would seem to be a better choice but real world experience is often different than theory.

While I'm asking questions, does anyone here think an inkjet could be modified to lay-down emulsion?

 

[richard ide]

Why not use a fine spray gun or airbrush. There might be a toxicity problem with aerial droplets.

 

[rdbkorn]

The bad news - the pt/pd sensitizer doesn't have the viscosity of silkscreen inks, so unlikely to work. However, the good news is that many people use a "puddle pusher" to spread sensitizer onto paper. It's made of a glass tube with "handle" and is similar to a silkscreen squeegee in terms of operation. No screen necessary, the sensitizer is spread directly on the paper with the puddle pusher.

 

[Steve Smith]

The bad news - the pt/pd sensitizer doesn't have the viscosity of silkscreen inks, so unlikely to work.

Is it too thin to remain in a flooded screen?


Steve.