Emulsion sensitivity?

This section is all about screen making. This would include stretching, mesh prep, and coating the screens with emulsion. All related topics such as screen storage and trouble shooting for getting screens ready to expose.

Moderators: Shamax, Leadfoot, ApeShirt, Catspit Productions

Meatsack
Screen Trooper
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2017 5:57 pm

Emulsion sensitivity?

Post by Meatsack »

Question. New to the hobby of screen printing and had a question I couldn't really find. When curing my fresh screens to dry in a dark room I have a shop area that has a few led items such as clocks red led for Internet router in the corner and battery charger leds. Not bright but my question is when drying unexposed screens will these tiny lights ruin the exposure from a distance of a few feet? Wasn't sure exactly how sensitive leds are to emulsion. Thanks
User avatar
Catspit Productions
Site Admin
Posts: 1995
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:47 am
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Re: Emulsion sensitivity?

Post by Catspit Productions »

That's hard to say. Probably not but if they have any amount of UV light in them, that will fog the screen after prolonged exposure. If it's bright enough for you to see in the room, then you may want to black them out just to be on the safe side. A lot of work goes into screen making and you don't want to render that useless from a preventable error.
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
Meatsack
Screen Trooper
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2017 5:57 pm

Re: Emulsion sensitivity?

Post by Meatsack »

Ok thanks. I kinda figured it was 1 of those kinda questions where it's a maybe yes or no kinda thing. I just didn't even know if that small of a light source could even be measured in uv.
User avatar
Catspit Productions
Site Admin
Posts: 1995
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:47 am
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Re: Emulsion sensitivity?

Post by Catspit Productions »

You're very welcome.

Yeah I agree. It's such a small light but we now use UV LED's for our exposure units so it is physically possible but those LED's are made to be high UV output of course.

Yours are probably negligible but better be safe than sorry.
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
Post Reply