At 10:35 AM 8/12/02 -0500, you wrote:

>You can slso buy silkscreen kits at your local art supply store.  I had
>one that you could use a photosensitive emulsion and expose the silkscreen
>just like a PCB.  Never actually used it, but it looked relatively simple.
>So simple, in fact, that I seem to recall the developer for the exposed
>emulsion was water.

That's correct. You do need good contact between the film and emulsion to
get fine lettering to come out well. Usually a vacuum frame is used, but
it's possible to just use foam rubber etc.

The printing process itself is messy and takes a bit of practice, and the
screen drying out while fiddling can be very frustrating for beginners.
I usually waste a lot of paper every time I get things going.

You can have the screens made (we do), but the cost is around US75-100
so a bit much for a one-off (though we do use them for important one-offs).
Beware that there are silk screen makers who do a nice professional job
and a much larger number of others who do hack jobs for T-shirts etc.
If they can do "halftones" they will be good enough, if you get a deer-in-
the-headlights look from that word, then move on. Any large city will have
a couple of the good ones, and scores of the not-so-good-ones.

Best regards,

Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..."            "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com
9/11 United we Stand

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