When comparing capillary film to liquid emulsion, capillary film offers many benefits. Capillary film requires less space, is cleaner than coating with liquid emulsion, creates uniform thickness, saves time, and is extremely easy to use.
What is a capillary film?
Capillary film is direct emulsion coated at the factory onto rolls of ultra smooth clear polyester film. The factory dries and re-coats the film until the desired thickness is achieved. They have very special equipment to dry the film so there is only enough moisture to keep it from breaking when it ships.
How long does capillary film last?
While some printers claim that films create less durable stencils because the emulsion is only applied to one side of the screen, capillary film manufacturers report that stencils made with their products can last for tens of thousands press runs.
What is liquid emulsion in screen printing?
Screen printing emulsion is a light-sensitive liquid substance that creates an ink-resistant border around your image. Since all liquid emulsion and emulsion sheets (capillary film) are light-sensitive, application should be done in a darkroom or under ultra-violet (U.V.) safe lights.