Capillary films instead of liquid emulsions?
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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.
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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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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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.rustwerx said:
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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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.
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
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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cool, thanks for the input Phil.
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Hey triplej,
who do you ask for free samples?
I'm interested.
-headhoncho
who do you ask for free samples?
I'm interested.
-headhoncho
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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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.
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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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).
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).
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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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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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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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..
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