Emulsion getting damaged when revealing or printing

▶  Description of the problem

The emulsion peals off your screen during revelation or when starting to print, damaging the design.

▶  Possible origins

There are 2 main possibilites: 

  • The coating was not perfectly done: it was too thick, or it wasn't dry enough when exposed.
    • The exposure was not done right: time was to short or the lamp was set to far from the screen.

      ▶  Solution

      1. If the emulsion layer is too thick, it won't dry well, and won't cure completely during exposition.

      So if you are begining, it might be a lack of practice in the coating process, and you'll need to try again. 
      The emulsion must be applied in a steady, constant upwards movement to have a thin even layer all over the frame. This movement requires a few tries to master, don't lose hope!

      2. The screen wasn't cleaned and degreased before applying the emulsion.
      This can cause a bad coating even if you applied it well and in thin layers. 
      Always clean and degrease a screen before coating!

      3. In "bad coating", we may include emulsion's drying:
      Make sure your screen is perfectly dry before exposing it.
      Try touching it gently after the drying time: it should not by sticky at all!

      Usual drying times goes from 4 to 12 hours depending on your room temperature and humidity (it may need to be extended to 24 hours).
      Tip: You can put a fan and/or heater in the room (or even better, in a small cabinet) to help it dry completely.

      When in doubt, wait a bit longer: an emulsion is never too dry!

      4. You can also verify the distance of your exposure lamp to your screen.
      With Mekanika's exposure kit, it should be around 60 cm.

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