# What kind of Ulano Emulsion should I use!?



## RACKNRUIN (Sep 15, 2009)

I need your recommendations of what kind of Ulano emulsion I should use. I've been printing as a hobby for more than 10 years and I've always used either Ulano TZ, or just the Speedball diazo stuff that's in most small art supply stores.

I've just recently started to step things up a little. I bought a 4 color press and a flash dryer and I'm just starting to work with plastisols (not sure how I like them yet) Up until now, I've just always printed with Speedball or Versatex water-based inks.

So I just wanted to get some suggestions of what type of emulsion I should buy now. There's a commercial screen supply store near me that sells all different types of Ulano emulsions.

At the moment, I'm still printing at home, so I don't have a dark room to prep screens in. I also would like an emulsion that is ok both for plastisols and water based inks. And I don't yet have an exposure unit. I'm still just burning screens with a flood light bulb from the hardware store.

These things considered, should I just stick with the TZ? Or is there a type that would be better suited for my printing conditions?

I'm also considering ditching the plastisols and going with more professional grade water based inks. Since I'm doing this stuff in my basement/kitchen/bathroom plastisols are a pain in the neck to clean up. It's so much easier when I can just use water to clean my screens.

thanks so much for your help!

~Rack'N'Ruin


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## buttton (Jul 27, 2009)

depends on what your using for an exposure unit...If it is homemade with something like a 500watt bulb then I would go with Ulano QTX, Its made for low UV level light.


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

TZ is a traditional diazo sensitized emulsion with excellent water resistance from the 80's. Faster, more modern and even a few dollars cheaper is 2006 QT-Discharge.

Plastisol is like salad dressing - any stencil will resist it. There is no reason for you to convert to plastisol except to make it easier to print on darks with your flash.

What IS critical, is your assumption that an incandescent photo flood lamp *has any invisible UV energy to cure your stencil*. Photo lamps are designed for photography which needs visible light and UV light is bad because it can make photos bluish. 200 watt lamps means 200 watts electricity in, nothing is promised out. 

Approximately 90% of the power consumed by an incandescent light bulb is emitted as invisible IR heat, rather than as visible light.

Sure, it can work, it's just that it is perhaps the poorest UV source there is. It could take an hour to properly expose a stencil and it is very important for water resistance that you cross link all the diazo sensitizer.

You will benefit by *at least* getting a 500 watt quartz halogen work light for US$20, remove the UV safety glass and upgrade to faster QT-Discharge.

QTX is for plastisols and not very water resistant.


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## Printer77 (Feb 24, 2009)

The best Ulano QTX


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## chasamax (Jul 12, 2010)

Not sure where to ask this so I figured an older post concerning emulsions would be appropriate. Has anyone used Ulano EZ-FILM Textile Capillary Film ? Seems it would be a quick application/less mess(cleanup).. thoughts?
Thanks.


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