Ecotex® Screen Printing Photo Emulsion Starter Kit for Plastisol T-Shirt Printing

Benefits: 

• Everything you need to work with emulsion 
• 21 Step Wedge eliminates the exposure time guessing game 
• Coat your screen evenly with a dual-edge coater

Ecotex® Screen Printing Photo Emulsion Kit for Plastisol T-Shirt Printing by Screen Print Direct® is essential if you are just getting started or experiencing issues with your current emulsion. Creating an excellent stencil is the foundation of a quality crisp print. Ecotex® Textile Red Emulsion is ready-to-use emulsion that easily exposes on all units; DIY exposure units and professional units. Our scoop coater is equipped with a sharp edge that allows you to coat the screen evenly. Dial in your exposure time using the Step Wedge Exposure Calculator and eliminate the headache of trial and error.

Photo Emulsion Kit Includes:

• (1) Pint Of Ecotex® TEX Red Emulsion
• (1) 15-inch Scoop Coater 
• (1) 21-Step Wedge Exposure Calculator

Trying to figure out if you really need to get that scoop coater? Visit our blog - Scoop Coating For Dummies! 

Emulsion screen printing can be tricky even with a photo emulsion kit, if you still need help trying to find out which is right for you take our emulsion quiz.  This quiz will help you determine which emulsion you need for the project at hand. If you want to learn more about emulsion types and decipher for yourself which emulsion is better take a look at our emulsion guide - Which Emulsion To Use?

Emulsion Instructions: 

1. Apply Tex Red Emulsion to clean, degreased, and dried screen with a scoop coater. Be sure to use appropriate application techniques.

Note: Keep in mind you need to eliminate any UV light from entering the room. Work under yellow or red light to ensure the screen print photo emulsion does not start the emulsion process early. 

2. Allow the emulsion to dry on the screen, shirt side down, until dry to the touch. We recommend letting the screen print photo emulsion dry overnight.  Drying specifications can be found below. 

3. Expose Emulsion. Time will vary depending on the unit, we have recommended times below. If not using the units mentioned below we highly recommend using an exposure calculator to help dial in exposure times faster than a trial and error method. You can find exposure calculators here.

4. Once you have printed with your screen clean the ink off the screen with Plastisol Press Wash or Plastisol Screen Wash, differences are detailed below. If you plan on reusing this stencil do not reclaim it. If you are done with this stencil, reclaim the screen with Ecotex Emulsion Remover. Do not leave remover on the screen longer than a minute or the emulsion will lock onto the screen. For more instructions on emulsion remover please visit the listing. 

Tex Red Emulsion Exposure Time:

Exposure times may vary, start using the times provided below and make adjustments to time if needed.

• 10 – 12 seconds with 80W LED Light
• Light source 2-3 inches away from the screen 
• Light source under the screen and artwork 
• 6.5 - 7 minutes with 500w Halogen Light
• Light 14-15 inches away from the screen
• Light source suspended above the screen

Elements that affect exposure time: 

• Humidity - When handling emulsion keep levels of humidity under 40%, if the climate doesn't allow for this, use a humidifier. 
• Mesh Count
• Low mesh exposes slower. High mesh exposes faster
• White mesh exposes faster. Yellow mesh exposes faster 

Drying:

• 86 ° to 104 °F (30 ° to 40 °C)
• 30% to 50% humidity
• Good Air Circulation

Shelf Life & Storage:

• 12 months if not exposed to extreme weather conditions or exposed to light
• Mixed with diazo for water-based Inks: 1 week

✔️Pro Tips:

• Prep your screen before coating with Ecotex® Hyper Haze
• Eliminate any UV light from entering the room and work under a yellow light.
• Use the sharp edge of your scoop coater
• Make sure the screen is completely dry before coating the emulsion
• Make sure emulsion is completely dry before printing
• Keep the emulsion lid on tight to preserve air and light leaks
• Gently mix the emulsion each time before use to help extend the life
• Write down the day you opened the emulsion on the bottle to better keep track of your chemicals.
• Keep in a cool area, emulsion will break down much faster in heat. Keeping emulsion in a fridge can help to give a slightly extended shelf life, however, emulsion that has gotten to the point of freezing will no longer work properly and must be replaced

Click Here For Safety Data Sheet

21 Step Exposure Unit Instructions: 

Place the exposure calculator on the screen as you would your regular image and run the exposure time you think is correct. When you wash out your image, you want your step to have 7 solid steps left. 

Don't know where to start? Try plugging in these numbers go from there:
Pre-sensitized emulsion with 500watt halogen light.
Try starting with 10 minutes.

2-part diazo emulsion with 500watt halogen light.
Try starting with 15 minutes.

Pre-sensitized emulsion with multiple UV fluorescent bulbs.
Try starting with 3 minutes.

2 part diazo emulsion with multiple UV fluorescent bulbs.
Try starting with 6 minutes. 

If you still need a little more help trying to figure out how to use one visit our blog - How To Use A 21 Step Wedge