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Emulsion & exposure · 2 of 7 · 1 min read

Coating for consistent EOM

EOM (emulsion over mesh) is how much stencil sits on the print side. It affects edge sharpness and ink deposit, so it should be the same every time.

  • Coat slowly with firm pressure so the emulsion flows through the mesh. Keep the scoop coater at least half full.
  • Write a coating recipe for each mesh: emulsion, coater edge, speed, number of coats, mesh count and thread diameter. One Murakami example gives 8–12% EOM on 110–200 mesh with a specific emulsion and coat pattern.
  • Fast, careless coating can swing EOM from about 8% at the edges to 20% in the center (Murakami).
  • “Coat in a swamp, dry in a desert”: open troughs evaporate and thicken the emulsion, and screens need dry air to dry fully (Screen Printing Magazine).
Sources for this guide (22)
  1. Davis International, Emulsions
  2. Vastex, Emulsion information
  3. Dalesway, Screen printing emulsion
  4. Murakami, Emulsion coating tips (PDF)
  5. Murakami, Successful emulsion coating
  6. Ulano, QT-750 tech data sheet
  7. Screen Printing Magazine, Stencilmaking in the age of CTS
  8. Screen Printing Magazine, An update on UV LED screen exposure (2014)
  9. ScreenPrinting.com, Compression vs. vacuum exposure units
  10. Printavo, Exposure calculator
  11. ScreenPrintingNow, How to use an exposure calculator
  12. ScreenPrinting.com, 4 steps to consistently reclaim screens
  13. Chromaline, Causes of pinholes during screen making
  14. Chromaline, Underexposed screen tech tip (PDF)
  15. Chromaline, 10 common reasons for stencil breakdown on press
  16. ScreenPrinting.com Help, How do I figure out exposure times?
  17. ScreenPrinting.com Help, Over- vs. under-exposure
  18. ScreenPrinting.com Help, Which emulsion should I use?
  19. ScreenPrinting.com Help, How long do screens need to dry?
  20. ScreenPrinting.com Help, Making a darkroom at home
  21. ScreenPrinting.com Help, Do I need a pressure washer?
  22. ScreenPrinting.com Help, How do you reclaim screens?

Ranges are starting points from these sources. When a source and your ink’s tech data sheet disagree, follow the tech data sheet.