Emulsion & exposure · 4 of 7 · 1 min read
Exposure units
- Metal halide: a single strong point source with good detail. Bulbs degrade and are usually replaced every 12–24 months.
- Fluorescent: common in startups; multipoint light can undercut fine detail.
- UV LED: fast and low power, and the chips don’t fade the way bulbs do. Debate continues about resolution and narrow spectrum with some dual-cure emulsions. The fair advice: test with your own art and emulsion.
- Vacuum vs. compression lids: ScreenPrinting.com recommends vacuum for halftones, CMYK, sim process and fine detail; compression is fine for many spot-color jobs.
Sources for this guide (22)
- Davis International, Emulsions
- Vastex, Emulsion information
- Dalesway, Screen printing emulsion
- Murakami, Emulsion coating tips (PDF)
- Murakami, Successful emulsion coating
- Ulano, QT-750 tech data sheet
- Screen Printing Magazine, Stencilmaking in the age of CTS
- Screen Printing Magazine, An update on UV LED screen exposure (2014)
- ScreenPrinting.com, Compression vs. vacuum exposure units
- Printavo, Exposure calculator
- ScreenPrintingNow, How to use an exposure calculator
- ScreenPrinting.com, 4 steps to consistently reclaim screens
- Chromaline, Causes of pinholes during screen making
- Chromaline, Underexposed screen tech tip (PDF)
- Chromaline, 10 common reasons for stencil breakdown on press
- ScreenPrinting.com Help, How do I figure out exposure times?
- ScreenPrinting.com Help, Over- vs. under-exposure
- ScreenPrinting.com Help, Which emulsion should I use?
- ScreenPrinting.com Help, How long do screens need to dry?
- ScreenPrinting.com Help, Making a darkroom at home
- ScreenPrinting.com Help, Do I need a pressure washer?
- 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.