Screen printing with RISO masters

How to make masters that aren't inked so you can use them for screenprinting.

 

Steps

Send a blank file to the machine.
Release and pull out the drum with the blank master.
Loosen the master from under the clamp (just a bit)
Carefully cut the part of the master that overlays the black foam strip.

this step tricks the machine into not detecting that there is still a master on the drum.

Tape the master to the drum using easily removable tape.

This step ensures that the blank master remains fixed when making the next master.

Re-enter the manipulated drum

Make sure to turn the drum into entering position first. The drum is now ready for the master making proces.

Make master - send your design to the machine.

This step puts the new master on top of the blank one, and will therefore not be inked.

Release and pull out the drum

You will see that there are now 2 masters on the drum. (Don’t wait too long to pull out the drum. Since the secod master is not inked and doesn’t stick to the drum,  thee master may hang loose and might get damaged while pulling out the drum.)

Take off the uninked master.
There it is!

If you want to make more uninked masters just go back to step 9. You can even leave the blank cutted master sit on the drum for a while and store it for another occasion. If you want to reset to regular printing, just remove the blank master and the tape from the drum before master making.

HAPPY SCREEN PRINTING

• the shiny plastic side of the master should face downwards
• we use greyboard to attach the master to with reposition-able spray glue.
• we use tape to stick the master to the greyboard, this also helps to pavoid ink slipping between the master and frame.
• of course, you could also use an actual screen printing screen to tape the master to.
• depending on the drying time of the ink (medium), the screen will start to dry up and no longer be usable.