Method and apparatus for making a painting screen using an ink jet printer for printing a graphic on the screen emulsion

An apparatus for preparing a printing screen, said apparatus comprising:

• means defining a support surface for supporting a screen, said screen having a printing surface with an unexposed light-sensitive emulsion layer applied thereto;
• printing means for printing a graphic on said emulsion layer, said printing means and said support surface movable relative to one another in X, Y and Z printing axes;
• means for orienting said screen with respect to the X, Y and Z printing axes;
• means for inputting, storing and processing data defining the graphic to be printed on the emulsion layer, data defining the dimensions of the screen, and data defining selected coordinates within the dimensions of the screen with which corresponding reference coordinates of the graphic are to register when the graphic is printed on the emulsion layer;
• means for aligning a selected location on said screen with a selected coordinate position relative to said X and Y printing axes so that said data defining selected coordinates within the dimension of the screen register with said corresponding reference coordinates of the graphic when the graphic is printed on the emulsion layer, and
• print control means for activating said printing means and moving said printing means and said support surface relative to one another according to said data to print said graphic on said emulsion layer.

An apparatus for preparing a printing screen, said apparatus comprising:

• means defining a support surface for supporting a screen, said screen having a printing surface with an unexposed light-sensitive emulsion layer applied thereto;
• means for providing said emulsion layer with an ink receptive material;
• at least one ink jet printing head for printing a graphic on said emulsion layer, said printing means and said support surface movable relative to one another in X, Y and Z printing axes;
• means for orienting said screen with respect to the X, Y and Z printing axes;
• means for inputting, storing and processing data defining the graphic to be printed on the emulsion layer, data defining the dimensions of the screen, and data defining selected coordinates within the dimensions of the screen with which corresponding reference coordinates of the graphic are to register when the graphic is printed on the emulsion layer;
• means for aligning a selected location on said screen with a selected coordinate position relative to said X and Y printing axes so that said data defining selected coordinates within the dimension of the screen register with said corresponding reference coordinates of the graphic when the graphic is printed on the emulsion layer, and
• print control means for activating said printing means and moving said printing means and said support surface relative to one another according to said data to print said graphic on said emulsion layer.