T-Shirt Forums banner
Cancel

Peeling Emulsion Image will not wash out

1219 Views 4 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  NoXid, 
A
Been troubleshooting screen printing in my home on and off for the past year and have had ZERO luck....
No idea where I'm going wrong....

I have the Ryonet 20x24 exposure unit - total 60 watts
200 count yellow mesh screens
Dual Cure WBP Hybrid Emulsion (from Ryonet)

I've tried every exposure time between 2:00-6:00 minutes.
When I spoke to customer service at Ryonet they suggested a 3:15-4:00 exposure time for 200 mesh count

Most of the time when I go to wash out the image....It appears to be there but when I start to spray it, it won't come out. The emulsion just starts to bubble up and peel away in big chunks. (I've tried washing out with regular water hose and pressure washer) I can provide pictures later. PLEASE HELP!!!!
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
TLK
Hello,

Post some pictures for us to see. It could be a number of things.

If the image isn't washing out then it sounds like it may be over-exposed. An exposure calculator will help to dial in the times.

What temperature are you drying the screens for? 30-35 degrees is about right.

Are you pre-soaking the exposed screen? It may help to wet the screen on both sides and leave it sit for a couple of minutes before washing out from the substrate side of the mesh. The unexposed emulsion should pretty much fall off with a little bit of pressure.

How thick is the coating of emulsion. I'd be tempted to coat on the thinner side with a low watt exposure unit.
Reply
Save
Like
O
TLK said:
Hello,

Post some pictures for us to see. It could be a number of things.

If the image isn't washing out then it sounds like it may be over-exposed. An exposure calculator will help to dial in the times.

What temperature are you drying the screens for? 30-35 degrees is about right.

Are you pre-soaking the exposed screen? It may help to wet the screen on both sides and leave it sit for a couple of minutes before washing out from the substrate side of the mesh. The unexposed emulsion should pretty much fall off with a little bit of pressure.

How thick is the coating of emulsion. I'd be tempted to coat on the thinner side with a low watt exposure unit.
Click to expand...
Also, are you using a degreaser on your screen after you remove the emulsion?
Reply
Save
Like
E
If you're using year-old dual cure emulsion, that could also be a source of your problems. Once you've mixed in the diazo the emulsion is going to have a shelf life of 2 months tops.
Reply
Save
Like
NoXid
Five things:

1. How are you printing your films? Sounds like they may not be opaque enough, and thus won't wash out.

2. Get a poly based emulsion, like Saati PHU. They expose much faster, contain no Diazo, and have a shelf life of at least a year from date of manufacture.

3. How thick is your emulsion coat? Thinner is better, if you want to ensure proper drying and exposure.

4. How are you drying the screens before exposure? Do you have a humidistat? You can get one at Home Depot, or the like, for $10.

5. Do a Step Wedge Test. Do NOT guess at exposure times. See the link in my sig.
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
T-Shirt Forums
A forum community dedicated to T-shirt merchants, professionals and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about graphics, commerce, dyes, prints, collections, guides, displays, styles, scales, equipment, accessories, reviews, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Screen Printing General T-Shirt Selling Discussion Graphics and Design Help Member Introductions Heat Press and Heat Transfers
Top