Ecotex® Beginner Screen Printing Emulsion, Ready to Use Photo Emulsion 8oz

I'm evaluating this strictly based on my results as an experienced screen printer, and the five-star rating reflects that. This emulsion performed as expected, and it's easy to use. Nothing to mix, no need to refrigerate, and it dries quickly. It's easy to expose with a cheap 30W UV Speedball light. Just follow the exposure chart and you're golden. I've made a couple of screens now, and it worked great. My only (minor) complaint is that the jar is too full, and the consistency is very thick, so it's hard to pour a small amount without making a mess. But I didn't see this as big enough a problem to deduct a star for. Now, all that being said, if I were evaluating this as a beginner, I could understand having a different opinion. I think the manufacturer could probably improve their Amazon ratings by including a detailed instruction sheet, because silk screening is tricky for beginners in general. So here are some beginner tips: Follow the exposure chart. It's really important to use the exact light source for the exact recommended amount of time. Distance from the screen is important too. You want the light source far enough away that light is distributed evenly across the whole screen, but not too far away. Screen printing can take some trial and error. After you expose your screen, it may take considerable effort to remove the unexposed emulsion from your design. I think it's clear from the comments that some people aren't aware of this. The unexposed emulsion probably won't just rinse out under your kitchen sink faucet. I've made large fine art prints on commercial equipment, and literally had to use a pressure washer on my screens. If you have trouble rinsing out your design, use the sprayer hose on your sink and turn it up full blast. You may need a scrub brush as well. I use a toothbrush to scrub emulsion out of the fine details. Hold the screen under running water, and start gently so you don't damage the screen. You can gradually increase the pressure you apply, once you get a feel for it. This emulsions is pretty durable once it's been exposed, so I was able to scrub fairly hard.

Once I got the timing down, this emulsion works really well. I’m used to using halogen light boxes and burning for a couple of minutes. I just built a 60 watt UV LED box at home and this emulsion burns almost faster than you can blink! I zoned it in at 6 seconds, which blows my mind. A lot of the reviewers here are having a hard time washing out their screens, and that’s because of overexposure. When the timing is done right, you will easily see the outline of your image before washing. I could wash the image out using just the water sprayer at my kitchen sink. No need to fire up the power washer here. Some other tips: Keep your coated screens in a very dark place while drying and before burning. Don’t even smile at it, because a sunny personality will expose this emulsion! I’m fitting foam covered with black felt on the back of the screen while burning. Make sure whatever you’re holding up to the back of the screen is dark so you don’t get reflection causing overexposure. Also, give your screen some distance from the light source. I hope this helps other people! It sure would be helpful for a so-called beginner emulsion to have some additional troubleshooting tips for users.

Good for beginners. Not for seasoned screen printers. I recommend using the entire 8oz right away, because the emulation is only good for about a week after you open it.

Good price and fast shipping.

Love this emulsion Stir it well. You might want to use a pair of gloves, and rubbing alcohol can be used to wipe around the top where the lid fastens so as not to have to struggle to uncap again. This is my bigger buy this time and the third time that I have purchased this brand. Kudos!!!