I knew learning how to screen print was going to be a difficult process to learn on my own. But I really didn’t know how thick I was until 3 weeks into the process.

It all started with coating the screens. Something was wrong from day one. I was seriously laying down about .25 centimeters of splotchy, uneven emulsion goop onto the screens, and even as my technique improved, the results didn’t. Not with practice, not with multiple passes- not even an occasional dumb lucky stroke.

My screens looked terrible! Worse They didn’t work right! They were too thick in areas to expose evenly, and because emulsion thickness was so inconsistent on all of the screens, I couldn’t gauge the proper exposure time. I had a two color registration job looming before me for 15 whole T-shirts (my first job!). I was already into day two of the job, and I hadn’t successfully burned one screen, nor had I coated a screen that I felt would do the job amiably

That night, as God would have it, I was watching a video on youtube (surprise!) and the lady demonstrating the proper coat method just happened to be using my same exact scoop coater! And she was using it upside down! Since her screens looked outstanding, and her technique seemed better than mine… I figured I would give her method a try. I turned my scoop coater upside down coated the screen, and it slid on like smooth, razor thin gravy. I was in.

My screens burned. The image was on the wrong side of the screen for the left chest but they burned. That said, Here’s your youtube primer on coating screens.

The first method is from Sean at Ryonet. Now I love the guys at Ryonet. Sean, Don, Nick, and the rest of you guys have been beyond helpful. When they say they’re in it with you for the long haul they really mean it. I have never, not even once, had them fail to return a call for tech support. I love them.I would take a bus in the chest for Nick (Sup bro, it’s me Beau). That said, I hate Sean’s coating method. Correction. I loathe it. Every time I try it the emulsion explodes out the bottom all over my screen frame. I hate that.

It also doesn’t help that every time Sean comes onto the screen I keep waiting for him to break into Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy back”.

Here’s the method.

This method is the one I use, and is the one that taught me the proper method with my scoopcoater. And it is the one I vastly prefer to the “against the wall” method.

I like this method because it gives you complete control over the force involved from two angles: force from your hand on the screen, and your hand on the scoop coater. Once you master this technique you will not want to use another.

The bottom line is choose the method that works best for you, and if you find you’re having trouble coating the screen consistently… turn your scoop coater upside down, or right side up depending on how stupid you may be.