Hunt The Moon Diazo Photo Emulsion Set
Contains either;
1x 250ml Hunt The Moon Diazo Photo Emulsion & Sensitiser
or
1x 1000ml Hunt The Moon Diazo Photo Emulsion & Sensitiser
This emulsion is great for exposing your screens at home or in the studio with a wide exposure latitude.
It is suitable for mesh counts 43T -120T and can be used with Waterbased inks or Plastisol inks.
It is not suitable for solvent inks.
Instructions for mixing.
Mixing:
1 Litre Tub:
Fill the sensitiser bottle to 50% with water (lukewarm is good, definitely not hot), replace the lid and shake until dissolved, then add this to the emulsion.
Then rinse the sensitiser bottle out a second time, filling to approximately 25% full, shaking and adding to the emulsion.
Stir the emulsion well until the contents are fully mixed. This takes a little time, make sure to mix right down to the bottom of the emulsion into the corns of the tub. It should be an even colour through-out.
After mixing the emulsion should be left for at least two hours to allow bubbles to disperse before pouring into your scoop coater. This is called de-gassing.
250ml Tub:
Fill the sensitiser bottle to 25% with water (luke warm is good), replace the lid and shake until dissolved, then add this to the emulsion.
Then rinse the sensitiser bottle out a second time, filling to approximately 25%, shaking and adding to the emulsion. T
Stir the emulsion well until the contents are fully mixed. This takes a little time, make sure to mix right down to the bottom of the emulsion into the corns of the tub. It should be an even colour through-out.
After mixing the emulsion should be left for at least two hours to allow bubbles to disperse before pouring into your scoop coater.
Note: For coarse fabric or lower mesh count, or for a thicker, more viscous emulsion, mix the diazo with a little less water. You still need to ensure all Diazo has been dissolved though.
This will create a thicker emulsion coat and may require a longer drying time and a longer exposure time.
Alternatively, for a thicker stencil, you can do more coats on your screen.
Remember to adjust your exposure times accordingly.
Screen Preparation:
Screens, new or used, should be de-greased. We recommend our mesh prep here to prevent static, to remove dust and to eliminate pinholes & fish eyes.
The screens should then be well washed and dried.
Coat the screens with 1 or 2 coats to the printside and 1 or 2 coats on the top side, wet on wet is recommended. To get an even coat, and to reduce wastage a scoop coater is really handy!
Dry the screens in a near horizontal position printside down in darkness or subdued lighting, be careful that dust does not settle on the screen surface. At normal room temperature, this will take anywhere between 12- 24 hours.
Exposure:
Correct exposure time is most important thing in obtaining the best results from our emulsion. This is where a 'Step Test' comes in handy!
Exposure times depend on the type of light source and the distance between the screen and the light.
Once your exposure time is found, you shouldn't need to vary it, but do check the times from time to time. You will need to do a Step test for each different mesh count.
Washing:
First wet the screen with cold or warm water, don't use very hot water.
After a few minutes the unexposed emulsion can then be removed using a gentle water spray, try to avoid using high pressure washing. Wash from the printside only. After washout give it a rinse on both sides and a good shake to remove the excess water.
Drying:
Lay the screen in a horizontal position with the printside facing down (but not touching anything) and dry for at least two hours, preferably overnight at room temperature.
And there you have it! One ready to print screen!
We have lots of useful guides on screen exposure in our blog section, and we're happy to help! Just give us a call.
Shelf Life + storage:
Once mixed Hunt the Moon emulsion has a shelf life of about 3-12 weeks. This will depend on how well it is stored.
If kept in the fridge it can keep for up to 12 weeks.
Extreme variations in temperature can have adverse effects. Do not allow it to freeze and we recommend not allowing it to reach temperatures lower than 4 deg celsius or in excess of 35 degs Celsius.
IMPORTANT: If you do store it in the fridge, allow it to come back to room temperature before using.
