Time to switch emulsion?

[goodnightsweetprints]

I had a job yesterday that required me to use 2 screens coated with TZ and one coated with Murakami. Though exposure time and held detail were very similar, the Murakami had a thicker stencil (probably because of less washout on the ink side). I did a job last week with TZ that was far more detailed than what I thought I could print and it came out really well too. This is probably a case of "everything works, you just need to find your favorite stuff and learn how to use it well"... I'll stick with the Murakami because it sounds exotic and costs less.

[Andymac]

one of the main diffs is Murikami is dual cure, and can be used with all solvent based inks (including plastisol, UV, vinyl, multipurpose, etc) as well as waterbased.

it has more solids and with the SBQ/photopolymer component added, will give you finer detail capture.

$17 a quart is super cheap, I pay twice that up here.

[edwardo_machino]

Hmm-- all I use is gallon buckets of Ulano 925WR- perhaps there's a cheaper/ better alternative? I'm paying like $60 a bucket.

I've found a way to get them for about $30 a gallon. I live in Chicago so I have access to Dick Blick art stores. Both the downtown and Lincoln Park location carry gallon buckets of 925WR, for some reason. Always in stock. I'm on their mailing list and get 40% off coupons in the mail about once a month or so. I use them on the 925WR.

Maybe you saw one of my other posts, which is buried now in some other thread somewhere, about separating the gallons into quarts. It works.

But yeah, 925 - in-fuckin-sane detail holder. I love it. Although I want to try Murakami.

[wormser]

i'm wanting to give the photocure pro a shot real soon and read that i would need the "MS hardener" to use with waterbased inks. So I just wanted to know if anyone else was using this material or if it was an additive that was simply being pushed. Any info would be appreciated and sorry if this is a dumb question...still getting my feet wet.

[Graphic D.]

You don't need the hardener, that stuff is so that you can catalog a stencil forever (nearly). It makes it impossible to reclaim the screen. I've been using the Murakami Pro for well over a year now and I've never used the hardener.

[miklay]

Murakami HV for the win. Can't really beat a 2 minute exposure time and washout with a regular plain old garden hose.

[wormser]

awesome...thanks fellas. Heading to their shop on Monday and didn't want to have to get the hardener if i didn't have to.

[boatdreams]

I wanted to chime in and say that Murakami is awesome. I use Photocure Pro or the 9500 with no complaints at all. It's about half what I was paying per gallon of QTX (which I also like). I think the Murakami dual cures are really forgiving emulsions that hold very nice detail, which works well for the tiny tipped film pen and scratchy details I always print. My studiomate has exposed and printed some incredibly fine halftones with it, too.

[dave welker]

Holden's Emulsion

Holden's Screen Supply Corp. | Manufacturer of Holden's Screen Printing Supplies - Diazo Emulsions