Many printers exclusively use plastisol ink. Check out Baselayr Plastisol emulsion. The high performance emulsion will streamline production by exposing faster, rinsing out quicker, and reclaiming with less effort.
WHAT IS BASELAYR PLASTISOL EMULSION?
Baselayr Plastisol Emulsion is a pre-sensitized, high performance, high solids emulsion. Presensitized emulsion is highly sensitive. It can capture intricate detail and burn quickly. This type of emulsion also has a longer shelf-life.
Printers who primarily use plastisol ink should use Baselayr Plastisol Emulsion. Baselayr Plastisol emulsion is a pure photopolymer emulsion, while other emulsions such as Baselayr Complete, made for water-based and plastisol printing, are SBQ emulsions. Baselayr Plastisol emulsion is designed to hold up during long plastisol print runs when correctly exposed. For larger runs, it’s recommended to create a thicker stencil or post-expose the stencil for greater on-press durability.
Baselayr Plastisol Emulsion is high-solids, meaning it creates a thicker stencil. By creating a thicker stencil, printers can use fewer coats to create a good screen, or more easily build up a thick stencil.
The emulsion is sensitive to solvents, and printers using a solvent cleaner can see the emulsion become more difficult to reclaim. While printers can use water-based ink with Baselayr Plastisol Emulsion, it’s formulated for plastisol printing only.
To use water-based ink with Baselayr Plastisol Emulsion (for extremely short runs, and only in a pinch), either post-expose the screen or use Baselayr Emulsion Hardener to make it work. To post-expose, dry the screen and expose it again at three times the rate it was first exposed at. If using Emulsion Hardener, the stencil will be permanent and should last through the job. Since emulsion hardener creates a permanent stencil, it will be impossible to reclaim.
With the application of Baselayr Hardener, printers can easily print 100-300 shirts. Quality of the coating, exposure, squeegee pressure, and the amount of time the hardener sat on the screen will determine the actual amount of shirts printed. For printing large water-based runs, use Baselayr Long Lasting or Baselayr Complete.
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HOW TO USE IT
When trying any new emulsion, test multiple coating techniques. Remember that all emulsions have a difficult time resolving detail as the emulsion layer gets thicker. A thinner layer of Baselayr Plastisol emulsion will work best on screens with higher mesh counts to resolve super fine details.
To capture fine detail, use a 1X1 coat. Other than that, the standard suggestions apply. Use a 1x2 or 2x1 for plastisol inks or a 2x2 for inks requiring a heavier ink deposit, like puff or stretch inks.
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DRYING SCREENS
Dry screens in a dark, dry space with air flow. Box fans work well for moving air over the surface of the screens. Many DIY options exist for a drying rack, such as a baker’s rack or even a custom DIY system utilizing a closet. The screen drying area can be small, as long as it’s dark and dry.
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EXPOSURE
The exposure unit is an important facet to any darkroom. An exposure unit with a vacuum and higher wattage LED bulbs or Metal Halide lamp systems is your best bet. The emulsion can work with weaker light sources like halogen, fluorescent tubes, or black-lights. Keep the following factors in mind:
Quality of light source. Weaker light sources (mentioned above) will produce a decent screen, but the stencil will be softer. Long print runs can suffer premature stencil breakdown.
Detail resolution. Multi-tube light sources can cause light scatter. It would be difficult to maintain good detail.
Lack of proper compression. Without a vacuum lid, maintaining tight contact between the film and the emulsion is hard.
Use an exposure unit with higher wattage like the V2331 LED Exposure Unit or Y3942 LED Exposure Unit. Baselayr Plastisol emulsion also works well with Metal Halide lamp systems. Remember: creating optimal positive contact is difficult without a vacuum exposure unit.Instead, try Baselayr Long Lasting.
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DIALING IN EXPOSURE TIMES
Exposure times will vary depending on the type of thread, color of mesh, and exposure unit used. Utilize a 21-step calculator to dial in the exposure. Once the calculator has been rinsed out, printers can check to see how well the screen was exposed. A step 7 rinsed out equals a perfectly-exposed screen.
Here are a few general guidelines that’ll help dial in exposure times:
- Lower mesh counts/thicker stencils will need longer exposure times.
- Higher mesh counts will have faster exposure times.
- Yellow mesh will need longer exposure yet will produce more detail resolution.
- White mesh will have speedier exposure times.
- Thicker stencils need longer exposure.
- Thinner stencils will expose quicker.
- Coated screens with more moisture will result in under-exposure. It will be difficult to rinse out.
- Coated screens that are dried properly (with humidity levels below 40%) will result in proper exposure and emulsion durability.
PRO TIP: Keep humidity levels below 40% at all times in the darkroom. Use a dehumidifier to make sure the darkroom stays dry.
SUGGESTED EXPOSURE TIMES
Below are suggested exposure times for different mesh counts. Screens were tested on the V2331 LED Exposure Unit and the Y3942 LED Exposure Unit. For exposure units with a weaker light source, it will take longer to expose the screens.
- 156 White Mesh with the V2331— 0:25-0:35
- 156 White Mesh with the Y3942 — 0:06-0:07
- 230 Yellow Mesh with the V2331 — 0:30-0:40
- 230 Yellow Mesh with the Y3942 — 0:07-0:08
- 156 Yellow Hi-Dro/Thin Thread — 0:35-0:45
- 230 Yellow Hi-Dro/Thin Thread — 0:30-0:40
Great prints need strong foundations. Take charge in the darkroom. Streamline your process with a high quality, high performance plastisol emulsion. Baselayr – emulsion made simple.