
Specifically designed for a 20×24 inch screen with an image not more than 16×20. What your budget is for an exposure unit.Buying Considerations for a Screen Printing Exposure Unit It’s a good way to get very similar results for a lot less money. This will prevent light bleeding around to the back side of the screen and also keep your screen surface pressed directly against your transparency. The cabinet still has a door that opens and closes, but rather than adhering to your screen to prevent light bleed you can cut a piece of black foam to fit inside your screens.īefore closing the door just stick the foam on the inside of the screen. If you’re not ready to commit to a vacuum unit or you just don’t want to spend the extra money, you can get an enclosed exposure unit without a vacuum. Cheaper alternative to Vacuum Exposure Units Another thing to consider is the noise, a vacuum unit is going to be much louder than a simple light setup. It will ensure that you get the very best burn possible and light bleed around your transparency will never be an issue again. This results is a really crisp image with a very well defined edge.Ī vacuum exposure unit adds complexity and a lot of mechanical parts with the potential to break down so if you’re not printing really intricate designs or you only burn a few screens a week it might be overkill. It ensures that your transparency will remain securely in place while the screen is burning.īecause the cover is non-reflective a vacuum exposure unit eliminates any light bleed around your transparency. Activating the vacuum sucks the cover down onto your screen so there is no space behind the screen. Vacuum Exposure units for screen printing are combination units that incorporate a cabinet housing the lights with a flexible cover. Vacuum Exposure Units For Screen Printing LED exposure units can often generate the same amount of light as a traditional fluorescent tube system but in a much more compact size. LED’s are very energy efficient but they can get hot when used for extended periods of time. The benefits are that you don’t ever have to worry about replacing bulbs. LED exposure units are the newest type of exposure unit available. I wanted to include this type of light for completeness but this is the type of light we’re generally trying to get away from. There are some commercial versions which refine the design and give you some additional perks like a dedicated timer and ability to re-position the lights. This is the type of DIY setup that most of us started with. That being said, they’re also the cheapest and can do a good job once you get used to your setup. Halogen exposure units are less efficient, take more time to properly expose a screen and tend to get hot with extended use. Halogen Exposure Units For Screen Printing It’s important to make sure you can get replacement bulbs but most units are built to take standard fluorescent tubes. Generally fluorescent UV bulbs are used which are energy efficient and don’t get hot during use. “UV” exposure units use special bulbs that deliver direct UV light. That’s what gives us the ability to press our ink through the screen in a specific pattern. Technically, all exposure units use UV light to cure or harden (develop) photo emulsion on a screen. What types of Screen Printing Exposure Units are available?Įxposure units fall into a couple of categories.Īne one of these can get the job done but before you pick one let’s go over the major differences. 9 Ready to try out one of the premium options?.7 Buying Considerations for a Screen Printing Exposure Unit.6 Cheaper alternative to Vacuum Exposure Units.5.0.1 Why would anyone spend the money?.5 Vacuum Exposure Units For Screen Printing.4 LED Exposure Units For Screen Printing.3 Halogen Exposure Units For Screen Printing.2 UV Exposure Units for Screen Printing.

1 What types of Screen Printing Exposure Units are available?.
