Baselayr Complete Emulsion

STAFF PICK

• The emulsion works for all ink types, so printers do not need to stock several different kinds of emulsions.
• Baselayr Complete exposes rapidly, reducing time spent in the darkroom.
  
• Its high solids formula strengthens the emulsion's adhesion to the mesh, providing better on-press longevity.

For customers that need even greater details in their designs, want to push the boundaries of resolution, or require greater initial stencil durability, try using Baselayr Complete with Diazo. With the addition of diazo, exposure times will increase about 3x but image resolution will be greatly enhanced. Plus, the longer initial exposure time will greatly improve the stencil's longevity on press, exemplifying a similar performance to a long post exposure/leaving your screens in the sun to dry.

For long run water-based/discharge production, use Baselayr Emulsion Prep — a screen mesh degreaser and adhesion promoter.

• Water-resistant and solvent-resistant.
• No emulsion hardeners needed.
• Durable for long print runs using aggressive water-based and discharge ink systems.
• Holds great detail while printing on both the manual or automatic.
• High solids concentration allows for superior bridging of mesh.
• Extremely fast exposure time for quicker screen burning.
• Pre-sensitized
• Diazo is available as an option for those who desire more higher details or resolution.
• Color: Green
• Shelf Life: Opened: 6-8 month
• Shelf Life: If adding Diazo, see below for more details.
  • If kept in a cool environment around 40°F (in a refrigerator), you can extend your shelf life to ~12 weeks.
  • The hotter your environment is, the faster the diazo will break down. At 90°-100°F mixed emulsion has a pot life of ~1 week. At 70°F it's ~6 weeks.
• Add the appropriate amount of distilled water. Do not use tap water. Tap water contains minerals that can interfere with proper adhesion of the emulsion to the mesh.
• Diazo is sensitive to heat.

Baselayr Complete Emulsion is pre-sensitized and ready for use.

If adding diazo, please follow these steps:

1. Add 50% to 75% of distilled water to your bottle of diazo. Do not use tap water. Tap water contains minerals that can interfere with proper adhesion of the emulsion to the mesh.
2. Shake the container, completely dissolving the diazo into the water.
3. Add mixed diazo to the container of Baselayr Complete. Carefully stir in the diazo completely.
4. Let the emulsion sit for a couple hours to let the air bubbles settle out.
5. Apply emulsion to a clean, degreased, and dried screen mesh with a scoop-coater using appropriate application techniques. We recommend using Baselayr Emulsion Prep screen mesh degreaser and adhesion promoter whenever possible. Depending on your screen and stencil thickness needs, use either the sharp edge or round edge of the scoop coater and coat once or twice per side. More coats will make a thicker stencil. Be sure to rotate the screen so that you push the emulsion from both sides to bond around the knuckles of the mesh. Experiment to find what works best for you within your shop.
6. Allow your freshly coated screen to dry, shirt side down.
7. Expose your screen with the recommended light source. As with all emulsions, we recommend testing for appropriate exposure time for your unit before exposing the design. Use a Step Wedge Calculator to determine the proper amount of time needed to fully cure a stencil. If needed, you can harden your stencil by post-exposing it (make sure the stencil is completely dry), putting it back in the exposure unit, and exposing for 3x the initial exposure time (essentially replicating what adding diazo does). You can also place your screen in direct sunlight.
8. Reclaiming Baselayr Complete is easy and works with most stencil removers or reclaimers that are available in concentrate and ready-to-use formulas. Follow proper instructions for reclaiming.

Exposure variables depend on mesh count, mesh color, stencil thickness and moisture level in the coated screen. Keep humidity levels below 40% at all times. Use a dehumidifier to ensure proper darkroom humidity levels.

• Lower mesh = slower exposure / Higher mesh = faster exposure
• Thicker stencil = slower exposure / Thinner stencil = faster exposure
• More moisture = Under Exposed and difficult to rinse out
• Less moisture = proper exposure and maximum detail resolution.
• Yellow mesh = slower exposure and more detail resolution
• White mesh = faster exposure

• Mesh: 156 standard mesh color: White, Baselayr V & X Series Unit: 25-35s
• Mesh: 230 standard mesh color: Yellow, Baselayr V & X Series Unit: 25-35s
• Mesh: 156 standard mesh color: White, Baselayr Y Series Unit: 7-8s
• Mesh: 230 standard cmesh color: Yellow, Baselayr Y Series Unit: 8-9s
• Mesh: 156 Hi-Dro / Thin Thread mesh color: Yellow, Baselayr Y Series Unit: 10-11s
• Mesh: 230 Hi-Dro / Thin Thread mesh color: Yellow, Baselayr Y-Series Unit: 9-10s

To further dial in your exposure time, run the Step Wedge test with a Step Wedge Calculator.

• Store in a cool area. The emulsion will break down much faster in heat. Storing emulsion in a fridge can slightly extend the shelf life; however, emulsion that has gotten to the point of freezing will no longer work properly and must be replaced.
• Keep the emulsion lid on tight to preserve air and light leaks.
• Gently mix the emulsion each time before use to help extend the life.
• To ensure best results, date the emulsion if mixed with diazo and keep an extra container on hand once the emulsion is about to expire. Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity can cause the emulsion to expire quicker.

FREEZE WARNING: When ordering emulsion during the winter, please note that it's possible for emulsion to freeze during transit. Frozen emulsion is unusable. We recommend to plan accordingly when ordering so shipping is uninterrupted and to pull all delivery packages inside the building and store in a warm place immediately.

• Safety Data Sheet