Make the screen
Emulsion & exposure
The stencil is where a lot of print problems start. Pick the right emulsion for the ink, coat it the same way every time, and test your exposure instead of guessing.
In short
- Match the emulsion to the ink. Water-based and discharge need a water-resistant emulsion or a hardener.
- Coat for consistent EOM. Write down a coating recipe for each mesh.
- Test exposure for every mesh count with an exposure calculator or step wedge.
In this guide
- 01Emulsion types
- 02Coating for consistent EOM
- 03Drying screens and the darkroom
- 04Exposure units
- 05Testing exposure
- 06Washout and blockout
- 07Reclaiming screens
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.