# Capillary films instead of liquid emulsions?



## rustwerx (Feb 7, 2006)

Just curious if anyone here is using Capillary film for their screens instead of coating with liquid emulsion. Heard alot of good things about it in terms of consistancy and low-mess.


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## identityburn (Feb 24, 2006)

I'd like to know this as well as I'm planning on using capillary film. I've heard you get a cleaner print. Also I read somewhere that image detail for liquid emulsions depends on mesh count, while not so much with capillary film because the film is thicker and holds a cleaner edge.

I'll be created a preprinted line so won't be cleaning out screens until I have to so cost isn't that much of a factor. But if you plan on doing custom work reusing screens quite a bit liquid emulsion I've heard is a more cost-effective way to go.


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## identityburn (Feb 24, 2006)

No one here use capillary film or have any suggestions? I've looked on the web, but I havne't been able to find much in the way of pros and cons.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

Lemme bug Jamie and see if he knows anything about it.


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## triplej (Apr 18, 2005)

rustwerx said:


> Just curious if anyone here is using Capillary film for their screens instead of coating with liquid emulsion. Heard alot of good things about it in terms of consistancy and low-mess.


I have been in the Biz for 20 years this August. We have 25-30 employees depending on the time of year. Our screen room is usually swamped so I get to see and hear alot of methods and opinions regarding both Direct emulsion and Capillary techniques.

Here is my humble opinion: We stick with Direct emulsion (The emulsion we prefer is Ulano QTX) because it's faster and if you have the proper equipment actually cleaner. We usually are using higher mesh screens for our production runs so the Emulsion is perfect. We do however keep the capillary film handy for things like high density printing. It's simply easier to lay 5-6 films on a screen then it is to coat and dry 5 times with emulsion.

I would have to say if you are just starting out and don't have a washout booth (other than your shower) you should start with capillary film because it will be easier for small runs. I would however ask for some free samples of the emulsion so you can at least play with it as your production grows you will want to switch to using primarily emulsion. I was able to find a good article that I hope will elaborate a little more.

I hope this helps.


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## identityburn (Feb 24, 2006)

Thanks a lot triplej. The reason I wanted to use capillary film is because I heard it yields a clean edge even on low mesh counts. Also I am starting out and don't have a washout sink so it seems less messy as you said. I am not doing custom designs, just a preprinted line so I won't need to wash the screen out until the film goes bad. I'll check out the article also.


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## fizz (Mar 4, 2006)

Hi ya
Heres my tuppence worth.
I used to use capillery film years ago for key lines for the exact reason you state.
But emulsion technology has moved on a great deal.
In my opinion you will get as good a result with a quality emulsion as you would with a film. Emulsions bridge better than they used to and can resolve as good detail as any film.
I only ever sell film to circiut board printers now who need a controlled build.
If you want to print high build gels or inks then you will need a film the best are from Chromaline or mirakami. You get consistant biuld across the mesh and a quicker dry time.
Emulsions can be messy but you get used to using them, just make sure the end caps are secure on your coating trough!!
Hope my ramblings make sense, i'm trying not to go into sales pitch mode.
Regards
Phil


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## identityburn (Feb 24, 2006)

cool, thanks for the input Phil.


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## Headhoncho (Jan 17, 2007)

Hey triplej,

who do you ask for free samples?

I'm interested.

-headhoncho


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

ALSO Cap film is way more expensive. We only use it for specialy ink printing


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## feilong (Jan 23, 2007)

I use Capilary film. But I print on Lexan Plates, Aluminum, and other substrates. I use an average mesh of 250-300 (non garment). I couldn't be happier with it. I use Ulano brand it saves so much time for clean-up. The one thing about capilary film it is the most consistent emulsion you can get laid on the screen, but if you are really experienced with a scoop coater you can get the amost the same quality. They are expensive but in the kind of business I work for, we print for (Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari, Jagaur, Audi, Maserati, tc.) it's woerth it. Now there are different capilary films for different Meshs counts CDF Capillary Stencil Film from Ulano


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## neato (Mar 21, 2006)

When I first started, it was recommended to me to use cap film.

It was a nightmare! I had a lot of issues with it not adhering to the screen properly. I'm not saying that it doesn't work, I was new and was no doubt making mistakes.

But I switched to liquid and never looked back. It's much faster and easier to coat a screen than to properly apply cap film. And it's much cheaper. I'm using Saati emulsion and burn perfect screens and halftones every time. It's VERY reliable. 

Don't let liquid intimidate you.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

I use capillary film and find it easier to get a good screen. I tried the liquid starting out and never could get a good screen. Once I switched to capillary, the quality of my screens were like night and day.

I would disagree that Capillary film is "WAY more" expensive. It may be a couple dollars more per screen. For a $300 order, $4-$6 is not much in the grand scheme of things.

Phillip you might have had problems with the film adhering to the mesh because you were not using the Ulano Mesh Prep. I also had trouble before I used it. You put it on the screen before applying the film and it causes the screen to hold all the water inside the mesh, so that it adheres very well when you apply the film.

I also think it's faster than using liquid. Cap film dries faster after being applied to the screen. And it also eliminates the step of letting the screen dry after degreasing. With film, you apply the film to the wet screen immediately after degreasing, which virtually eliminates any chance of foreign particles contaminating your screen during the drying process required by liquid emulsion. This is why pin-holes often experienced with liquid emulsion are non-existent with capillary film. And of course you also don't have to wait for the screen to dry before coating.

And lastly, you don't have to clean any scoop coaters!

But the main reason I like it better is because it produces rock solid screens every time (which is something I could not do with liquid).


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## feilong (Jan 23, 2007)

Ulano mesh prep? I have just been using water. I'll look into this.


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

> I would disagree that Capillary film is "WAY more" expensive. It may be a couple dollars more per screen. For a $300 order, $4-$6 is not much in the grand scheme of things.


We burn and reclaim about 40 screens daily. Cap film in both terms of cost and time applying is way more expensive than liquid emulsions. learning to get a good coat is not that hard, just takes a little time and practice. I can coat a frame in about 20 seconds. Drying a freshly coated frame in our dark room takes about 5 min.

CAP film is good I just do not believe it is cost effective in a fast paced production environment. Again we do use cap film for all our specialty ink prints.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

Fluid said:


> CAP film is good I just do not believe it is cost effective in a fast paced production environment. Again we do use cap film for all our specialty ink prints.


Yeah, I can understand that. I would take some time to try to figure out liquid if I were in a hi-volume shop. I probably will try it again at some point when I have a lull in business.


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## martinwoods (Jul 20, 2006)

rustwerx said:


> Just curious if anyone here is using Capillary film for their screens instead of coating with liquid emulsion. Heard alot of good things about it in terms of consistancy and low-mess.


 
Cap film is the only thing I have ever used. I have never had a problem with an image. I have heard good things about emulsion but have been scared to try it, so for now I will continue to use the cap fim


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## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

Only issue with regular emulsion is you cannot get a smooth coat like cap film. its a trade off for sure. They both have their place in our industry and always will.


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## shadowfax (Apr 4, 2012)

Thanks for the useful info.


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## latitude42 (Sep 26, 2007)

I was using Ulano EZ film for over a year...after a few hundred screens I got a batch that would start to fail when I did an ink color change, ordered another batch from different supplier... same problem... new batches had sticker "improved"... tried to contact Ulano about the problem... no responce... I went back to liquid emulsion, from another company..
Latitude42


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

latitude42 said:


> I was using Ulano EZ film for over a year...after a few hundred screens I got a batch that would start to fail when I did an ink color change, ordered another batch from different supplier... same problem... new batches had sticker "improved"... tried to contact Ulano about the problem... no responce... I went back to liquid emulsion, from another company..
> Latitude42


I had a problem with a batch and called Ulano and they told me the batch was old, so they shipped me a new batch right away. That was a couple years ago.


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## alwilson (Jan 26, 2013)

I am new to this and I tried emulsion to start with and I just got some cap film from Ryonet to give it a try. 

Can anyone tell me about how long after applying should i remove the carrier sheet?

Also when I remove the sheet should the emulsion still be wet and sticky or dried already?


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## kitaen (Dec 3, 2012)

When film is ready and dry you will hear a specific noise when you peel off the carrier sheet.You don't have to force it off and have to be carefull not to overheat the film on the screen as you will have problems with exposure time.When you peel it don't have to be wet.You start with one corner and if you don't hear this noise don't proseed,leave it a little more time to dry. With practice you'll get better results.Good luck.


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## chuckh (Mar 22, 2008)

When the film is dry, it will peel w/o any sound. You can peel while there is still some moisture and that is when you have some noise. You can expose a this point.

We have a 6' x 6' room with a rolling drying rack, space heater, and dehumidifier. We run the dehumidifier in the spring and summer because the drying room is in our basement and it gets very damp/wet during that time of the year. With or without the dehumidifier, we are ready to expose a new screen after 40 minutes.


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## alwilson (Jan 26, 2013)

I am new to the biz and I used emulsion with success when starting. I thought I would try cap film to cut down on drying times. 

I am using 230 yellow mesh. The recommended time Rynoet gave me for my exposure unit was 4:15-4:45 so I exposed right in the middle at 4:30. At first the stencil was very hard to wash out so I thought I had over exposed. After a minute of spraying with a regular hose nozzle set to "jet" (not a pressure washer) it began to wash away but then parts of the stencil that should not wash out began too and it was ruined. My films are a rich black with no light showing through and I have positive contact on the exposure unit. Can anyone give me any more advice as to what else to try?

I then tried exposing for the full 4:45 and again very hard to wash out at first but then it all washed out at once and ruined the screen. BTW I am using 30 micron Ryocap Film from Ryonet. PLEASE HELp


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## chuckh (Mar 22, 2008)

You need an exposure calculator. Whenever using a new brand of emulsion or film, whenever changing your light source, and just occasionally checking on your process/procedure, you should run a test with an exposure calculator. I am sure your supplier carries them. They are inexpensive and save you time and money!


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## alwilson (Jan 26, 2013)

chuckh said:


> You need an exposure calculator. Whenever using a new brand of emulsion or film, whenever changing your light source, and just occasionally checking on your process/procedure, you should run a test with an exposure calculator. I am sure your supplier carries them. They are inexpensive and save you time and money!


Yes I realize that but I need to get this screen burned ASAP. 

From what I said does it sound like I am under exposing? If so why is it so hard to wash out at first but then blows completely out?


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## chuckh (Mar 22, 2008)

It does seem like you are under exposing. I let my screens sit for about a minute after I have soaked them and then once the film has absorbed the water, they wash out well. Wash out from the substrate side or outside of the screen. After you have wash the screen, then run a quick hit form the ink or inside.

Here's what i would do........

Let's say your image is 10" wide. Expose your screen for 5 minutes. Then, using a piece of opaque film or cardboard, cover 2" of your image and expose it for one minute. Then, move it 2" and expose for another minute. Repeat two more times. Now you have a screen with various parts exposed from 5-9 minutes. That should give you a better idea of the exposure time you need.


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## ArtbyTati (Dec 5, 2012)

Does any one know if capillary film is suitable for printing with water based inks?
Is there an photo emulsion and/or capillary film that someone can recommend specifically for use with water based inks?
Not sure if the ink makes a difference, but thought I'd ask.
Thanks


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