What are pinholes and fisheyes and How can I prevent them?Updated 2 hours ago
What are Fisheyes and Pinholes?
- Fisheyes occur when oils and chemicals are left on your screen after the reclaim process. They appear when oil becomes trapped under the emulsion, separating it from the mesh and leaving small holes on the covered screen. Often, these are caused by simple finger print.
- Pinholes are little holes that pop up on your exposed screen when dust or lint get on your mesh before coating or from when grime is left on your exposure unit glass. For example, if dust or debris is on your screen when you apply emulsion, pinholes will appear when you wash it out. You can usually detect them by holding the screen up to a light source and looking for light holes. Small holes in the mesh can cause this issue too!
Having trouble with pesky pinholes or fisheyes in your emulsion? We've got a few solutions for that.
- Clean your dark room - Oftentimes the dark room can be the dirtiest part of your set up, after all, it likely has a washout booth and maybe your inks and so many other things that can create dust, dirt, and grime. Dusting your dark room and cleaning it up can make a world of difference in this aspect. If you find this to be near impossible in your space, a drying cabinet can go a long way to protecting your screens while the emulsion cures.
- Clean your exposure unit - The glass on your exposure unit will get dirty with use. Fingerprints, dust, dirt, and adhesive can block the light from the exposure unit. Use a glass cleaner and a rag to remove any debris. Be careful not to scuff or otherwise damage the glass.
- Degrease your screens - Degreasing is not a step to be missing in the reclaim process. Degreasing removes any oils, dust, and dirt from the mesh, all of which can cause issues in the adhesion of your emulsion.
- Use a water filter - Hard or soft water residue can cause issues with emulsion sticking to a screen. Mineral deposits left on the mesh can lead to pinholes and issues with durability. Find out whether your tap is hard or soft and pick up a filter to minimize the mineral deposits
Already got a pinhole in your screen and want to use the screen anyways?
Even in the best of shops, you'll eventually get a pinhole or a fisheye. The best way to fix pinholes is to use screen tape or a blockout pen. If you are using water-based inks, try clear nail polish.
Backlight all newly created screens in your dark room so you can find any defects with the screen before you go into production. This way, you can easily fill in pinholes to fix issues before they show up on your garments.
To learn more about preventing pinholes, watch this video.