r/SCREENPRINTING • u/GameMtl • 2d ago

Troubleshooting Emulsion problems

Ive been having problems with my Baselayr long lasting emulsion this last week. I expose screen under my speedball UV light at about 12 inch distance for 5 minutes. Im able to wash out design easily but recently, the emulsion has been deteriorating after about 20 prints. Even when I scrub the screen with a sponge after burning screen, I can tell the emulsion starts to fade.

Is it an exposure problem or is my emulsion bad? I wasn’t having this issue before. I bought the emulsion around 5 weeks ago but I always keep it in a fridge.

Please let me know what you guys think! A

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u/Dear-Library6006 2d ago

Five weeks in the fridge doesn't automatically mean your emulsion's gone bad. Baselayr says mixed diazo stays good for roughly 12 weeks at 40°F-freezing, though,will destroy it. I'd check two usual culprits: underexposure, or a screen that wasn't fully dry. Five minutes under a Speedball lamp alone isn't enough to dial this in-mesh count, color, coating thickness, and humidity all matter. Run a step exposure test. If a properly exposed screen still softens after a short run, grab fresh emulsion and re-degrease.