Screen printing for Date's coat symbol pt.3

More progress on the screen printing!

Last time I finished all preparations needed for the symbol.. so now I had to get it over to the frame itself. I had kept the frame since last time, treated with photographic emulsion, in a dark room so it wouldn't get ruined by being exposed to light. Okay, so to get my chosen symbol traced over to the frame I put it next to the frame's "outside" (make sure the design will be the right way for how you want the final print to be on your fabric) and then put it inside an UV-light cabinet with a thick glass plate on top of it. I put my screen printing frame with the symbol transparent paper in there, put the UV-lights on, closet the doors and took time: 5 minutes.

UV-light cabinet (photo taken after I had removed my frame and lights were off)

After 5 minutes I took my frame out and it still looked totally... greenish. I couldn't see in the semi-darkness that anything had changed... except that not it wasn't light sensitive anymore. I held up the frame towards the door that was ajar (art classroom consists of two main rooms, I was in the non-main room were the heavier/special equipment is) and when I looked close enough I could see the symbol in a slightly fainter greenish shade along all the other... greens. Now to get it visible.. with the help of a high-pressure water jet thingy-whatever-it-is!

It looked like this ~

I put my screen printing frame into that.. err.. whatever it is called... to start "cleaning" my frame.. or well, to get the symbol visible. I find it a bit funny because that box I sprayed inside looked like something from a horror movie lol. I put earmuffs on because this water jet thingy makes very high sounds.

I just sprayed all over the frame in quick circle-ish motions.. making sure not to spray on the same place too long. I alternated the sides of the frame so that I would "clean" both sides evenly.

When I had sprayed once or twice.. you can see the symbol becoming visible (lighter green)

After I had sprayed more (notice the symbol turning transparent)

After I had sprayed enough to have the symbol turned fully transparent I took it out and attacked it with the blow dryer because.. well.. obviously it was soaking wet. I kept some distance with the blow-dryer, art teacher told me not to have it too close.

Speed drying for the win!

When my screen printing frame was dry I took it out into the light.. aka over to the main room of the art class. I taped around the frame's edges just to be sure of no paint leaking when printing.

Started reinforcing the edges with tape

I then held my frame up into the lights above me; I had to check for small holes and other faults (aka places were the paint could get through) and tape over them on the frame's "outside".. otherwise I would get small spots when printing on the fabric.. not cool. You have to be very careful when checking for holes, you don't want to miss any.. even if they are barely the size of a needle prick. So look many times to make sure there are no holes whatsoever.

Taping over all holes..

And that was all progress for today. My frame is now ready for a test printing!