Screen printing problems.

[foxalive]

Okay, so I'm at my wits end here, searching practically everywhere for an answer but unable to find even a definition of what's going on. I've been screen printing for just under a month now, with hardly a problem, until it started getting colder in my town, so I'm not sure if it's partially due to the weather, but every time I make a print, tiny hair like patterns appear on the sides of the prints. I thought it was the screen, so removed the emulsion, put on a new coat, set, and then burned, but the same problem is still occurring.

I'm using water-based ink, taping my fabric to a chunk of wood I found (low-tech, but it worked for all my other prints), all on top of my carpet at home. Some people told me that it's static string and that I should stand on a bucket of water to ground myself, but I was hoping someone here may be able to help.

Please and/or thank you.

[Former_Member]

could be the ink you're using.... sometimes the ink dries in the can leaving a thin relatively unnoticeable dried layer. When you apply it it leaves a "hair like pattern" on the print. The next time you print, try skimming off the top layer of ink. Unless you've already mixed it all into the rest of the batch the last time you printed.. In which case the ink is ruined, and you'll continue having this problem each time you print. Luckily, ink's not that expensive...