How to choose a suitable screen printing photo-sensitive emulsion

Choosing a suitable screen printing photo-sensitive emulsion for yourself requires comprehensive consideration of multiple factors. The following are some key points:
Printing material characteristics
Material type:
If the object to be printed is a plastic product, such as plastic toys, plastic containers, etc., because plastic products may be subject to more friction and may come into contact with some solvents during subsequent use, it is more appropriate to choose a solvent-based photo-sensitive emulsion. The film layer formed by the solvent-based photo-sensitive emulsion after curing is relatively hard, with high wear resistance and solvent resistance, which can ensure the integrity and durability of the printed pattern on the plastic product.
For textiles, such as various types of clothing, curtains, etc., and leather products, such as leather shoes, leather clothes, and leather bags, these materials will bend, stretch, and deform in daily use. At this time, you should choose an emulsion-type photo-sensitive emulsion, because its cured film layer is relatively soft, has good flexibility, can better adapt to the deformation of the material, and will not cause the printed pattern to crack or fall off due to excessive stiffness.
Surface roughness:
When the surface of the printing material is relatively rough, such as some wood that has not been finely polished, some plastic products with special textures, etc., you need to choose a photo-sensitive emulsion with stronger adhesion. Generally speaking, diazo photosensitive adhesives, acrylic photosensitive adhesives, etc. have good adhesion and can be firmly attached to rough surfaces to ensure that the printed pattern is clear and complete.
Printing requirements
Pattern accuracy:
If the printing business involves making very fine patterns, such as electronic component logos, high-end cosmetic packaging, etc., then low-sensitivity photosensitive adhesives are a better choice. Although it is relatively insensitive to light and requires a longer exposure time to complete curing, it can often form finer patterns with higher resolution.
For some conventional printing businesses that do not require particularly high pattern accuracy, such as ordinary paper packaging, simple plastic product printing, etc., high-sensitivity photosensitive adhesives can greatly shorten platemaking time and improve platemaking efficiency, and are a more appropriate choice.
Printing color:
In some special cases, printing color may affect the choice of photosensitive adhesive. For example, when it is necessary to use visible light of a specific color for exposure (such as to avoid the impact of ultraviolet rays on certain special materials or processes), it is necessary to choose visible light photosensitive adhesive instead of conventional ultraviolet light photosensitive adhesive.
Platemaking equipment conditions
Light source type:
If the platemaking equipment is equipped with a UV light source, then UV photosensitive adhesive is a natural choice, because it is mainly sensitive to UV light (usually in the wavelength range of 200-400nm) and can efficiently complete the exposure and curing process under the existing equipment conditions.
If the platemaking equipment has the ability to provide visible light of a specific color, such as blue light, green light and other light sources, then the corresponding visible light photosensitive adhesive can be selected to meet special platemaking needs.
Exposure time limit:
If the platemaking process has strict restrictions on exposure time, such as in mass production and urgent platemaking tasks, high-sensitivity photosensitive adhesive can quickly respond to light of a specific wavelength and complete the exposure and curing process in a shorter time, thereby improving platemaking efficiency. High-sensitivity photosensitive adhesive should be given priority.
Cost considerations
Photosensitive adhesive price:
The prices of different types and brands of photosensitive adhesives vary greatly. Generally speaking, some special types of photosensitive adhesives, such as visible light photosensitive adhesives and photosensitive adhesives with special chemical compositions, may be relatively expensive. If cost is an important consideration, on the basis of meeting printing needs, you can give priority to more common and relatively cheap UV photosensitive adhesives, diazo photosensitive adhesives, etc.
Supporting equipment and consumables cost:
In addition to the price of the photosensitive adhesive itself, you also need to consider the cost of the supporting platemaking equipment and consumables. For example, although some high-sensitivity photosensitive adhesives are relatively expensive, due to their high platemaking efficiency, they can reduce the use time of platemaking equipment, thereby reducing the operating cost of the equipment. Or, choosing a certain photosensitive adhesive may require the replacement of specific developer, fixer and other consumables, and these additional costs also need to be considered comprehensively.
Environmental protection requirements
Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions:
Solvent-based photosensitive adhesives may produce a certain amount of volatile organic compound emissions during the curing process, which has a certain impact on the environment. If the area has high environmental protection requirements, especially in indoor printing or areas with strict environmental protection supervision, give priority to relatively environmentally friendly photosensitive adhesives such as emulsion-type photosensitive adhesives to reduce VOC emissions.
Recyclability or degradability:
Some photosensitive adhesives may have environmental protection characteristics such as recyclability or degradability. On the basis of meeting printing needs, choosing photosensitive adhesives with these environmentally friendly properties will help achieve green printing and meet the requirements of sustainable development.