Ecotex® Beginner Screen Printing Emulsion (8 oz.) - Pre-Sensitized Ready to Use Photo Emulsion for Silk Screens and Fabric - for Plastisol Ink and Water Based Ink, Screen Printing Supplies

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.

Let’s goooooo I finally got it to work!🗣🗣🗣 It took some trial and error, but this emulsion does work once you get the process right. My first mistake was using a putty knife instead of a proper scoop coater, and I had the light too far away which led to overexposure.🦧 On my second try, I used an actual scoop coater and moved the LED light closer. I exposed the screen for 10–30 seconds and it came out great.

I use the whole thing trying to burn screens one after another. I ended up doing like four screens total, just using it to the last drop. Every one of them ruined. Waste of money and all the time and effort it took to do all the coating and drying and rinsing and all the stuff... I can't believe they're calling this for beginners. I'm not a beginner but it's been a while so I thought it would be nice to use this. I also liked the fact that you didn't have to mix it with anything and it was cheaper than some of the others so I was trying to get a good deal. But it's not a good deal when you waste all of it. I'm so mad at it! I'm reading these other reviews though and I see where other people say it only took like 12 seconds to expose or whatever. I can't even believe that it does not say that on the instructions. I went by what they said. There's a possibility that I could make it work if I try more things but I can't afford to waste that much emulsion trying to get it right. This one just made me so angry that I don't ever want to try it again. So now it's gone and I have to buy more (of a different kind because I have not been able to get any of my shirts done).

Lovely product. High viscosity, but longer drying time unless using a fan in room. Fast exposure time! I print with a 125w flood lamp and I've found 2 mins and 40secs is perfect!

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.

I wish the instructions for a little bigger but it goes on smooth and even.

This is easy enough to use. The product is as described but in my personal opinion being a “beginner” screen printer and trying to figure out photo emulsion- just get the speedball Diazo kit or better yet the entire beginner kit with the screen lock frame. It’s almost easier to apply than this and has a much quicker dry time. There is nothing wrong with this product and I appreciated the lessons learned while trying it out.