# please help! emulsion keeps washing out no matter HOW long i am exposing it!



## marzaar3 (Mar 22, 2007)

Hello, 

i know there is a wealth of information on these forums so ANY information would be greatly appreciated.

sorry, this is gonna be a long one, but i have to explain my situation as best as i can.

i just purchased the *SaatiChem PS2 Blue *emulsion a couple of days ago and have had a HORRIBLE time exposing my screens this past weekend. i am somewhat of a beginner but i have exposed screens using Ulano QX-1 in the past and although for some reason it took a long time to expose, it still came out fine during the washout. and i have been using some of those same screens for almost 3 years without any problems at all. 

this is my set-up, nothing fancy...but it has worked in the past:

i have a dark room set up where i coat my clean, degreased and dry screens with a thin layer on both sides using a scoop coater. i let the screen dry with a fan on anywhere from a couple of hours to overnight (with the fan off). i make sure my screens are 100% dry before exposure. my exposure unit is just a 500 watt halogen floodlight about 12 inches from my image. i just replaced the bulb yesterday AND even took the safety glass off so the bulb is totally exposed. 

the place i purchased my emulsion from told me to expose for about 5 minutes with my 500 watt halogen....i tried that and the emulsion washed out almost immediately. then i tried 10 minutes...same thing. then 15, then 20 and it wasn't until exposing it for 40 MINUTES that it seemed to work. but then i started to notice the edges of my image curl up and warp during the washing. so i ran to my exposure unit and exposed both sides of the now washed out screen for about 10 minutes each side...in hopes that the image would set in the screen. after doing that it totally seemed to work and set in. 

then today i printed some shirts with my new screens and everything was fine...until i was washing the ink out of the screens. as soon as water hit the screen, the emulsion started to come off!!! the water barely had any pressure to it! and i hadn't even used the scrub brush yet or sprayed any plastisol remover! it turned to goo and basically reclaimed itself with water only.

those screens were exposed 12 inches under a 500 watt halogen floodlight for 30 minutes and another 20 minutes after being washed out...just so the image can set in. and the emulsion STILL washed off using plain water without pressure the next day!

i really don't know what I am doing wrong. like i said, i have used the same exact procedure with the Ulano QX-1 and have been using those screens for years now without problems. the reason i wanted to change emulsion was because the Ulano took a long time to expose for some reason, and i wanted something that worked faster...but at least the Ulano eventually worked. i keep reading how people expose their screens using 500 watt lights in just minutes, so i don't understand why it's taking mine so long.

i feel like i'm doing everything right, but somehow it's not working. out of exposing about a dozen screens this past weekend, only 3 worked...and those 3 turned to mush the next day when coming into contact with water.

it is sooooooo frustrating to say the least!

if you have ANY information that might help me out, i would love to hear from you.

thanks in advance! 

-m


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## Fauxfax (Aug 7, 2008)

Coat a part of a screen and take it out into the sunshine. If it sets hard then it is probably your light that is at fault. If it still washes out then it is the emulsion. 
I wonder if you have ruined the emulsion - maybe by letting it get hot.
Or maybe the light spectrum of your bulb is seriously out of wack with your emulsion.


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## tpitman (Jul 30, 2007)

One thing I do anyway when I can is post-expose all screens after washout by setting them outside in the sun to dry after I use a window squeegie to scrape the excess water off and a quick blot in the open areas.


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## InkedApparel (Mar 18, 2009)

is the ps2 blue a dual cure or diazo emulsion? if so have you mixed in the sensitizer? I know it is a silly question , but you wouldnt believe how many people dont add the sensitizer in before coating the screens....... I use the saati pc blue ..a direct emulsion....I burn for 1 minute ...never have any problems.shelflife is 1yr. I love the stuff

Inked


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## Fauxfax (Aug 7, 2008)

So Inked is saying that that particular emulsion takes about one minute to expose. There's no way it would take anywhere near the length of time you describe. 
Have you activated it? Have you stirred it?
If it's washing out after you've post exposed it, it must be the emulsion or you haven't cleaned the screen properly of previous ink or grease.


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## marzaar3 (Mar 22, 2007)

Fauxfax said:


> Coat a part of a screen and take it out into the sunshine. If it sets hard then it is probably your light that is at fault. If it still washes out then it is the emulsion.
> I wonder if you have ruined the emulsion - maybe by letting it get hot.
> Or maybe the light spectrum of your bulb is seriously out of wack with your emulsion.



no, my emulsion is 2 days old and has been stored in a dark and cool room since i've had it. i'm not really sure if anything is wrong with my light source, especially since i changed the bulb and took the protective glass off.

thanks for the info...i'll try the direct sun test today.


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## marzaar3 (Mar 22, 2007)

InkedApparel said:


> is the ps2 blue a dual cure or diazo emulsion? if so have you mixed in the sensitizer? I know it is a silly question , but you wouldnt believe how many people dont add the sensitizer in before coating the screens....... I use the saati pc blue ..a direct emulsion....I burn for 1 minute ...never have any problems.shelflife is 1yr. I love the stuff
> 
> Inked


yeah it is the ps2 dual cure pre-sensitized one that is ready to use.


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## marzaar3 (Mar 22, 2007)

Fauxfax said:


> So Inked is saying that that particular emulsion takes about one minute to expose. There's no way it would take anywhere near the length of time you describe.
> Have you activated it? Have you stirred it?
> If it's washing out after you've post exposed it, it must be the emulsion or you haven't cleaned the screen properly of previous ink or grease.



the ps2 is pre-sensitized and ready to use, but i do stir every time i use it. my screens were all cleaned with heavy duty degreaser, dried and coated in a dark room soon after. some of the screens are brand new...and also degreased.


i will take it out to the sun today and see what happens.

thanks for your help!


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## Fauxfax (Aug 7, 2008)

You'll will crack this. And don't think you are alone in struggling with obscure problems it happens to everyone. In my experience just when you solve one, another one pops up to replace it. It's a test of your stamina.
Tape a coin to the screen and expose it to bright sunlight for 5 minutes and then take it from there.


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## Dan K (Nov 15, 2006)

Where are you located? Are you in a humid area? Are you using a dehumidifier after you coat? All these things may affect the emulsion. Even if you have 'dry' to the touch emulsion, if it is really humid, there is still water in that emulsion. Try putting them in your small room with a heater of some sort on and a dehumidifier, then try exposing and washing the next day...


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## Troyt (Oct 6, 2021)

Hi, I know this is a pretty old thread, but did anyone get a solution to this? My problem is exactly the same. 40 minutes to expose but the emulsion is still basically unstable on the screen.


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