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Photopolymer Screen Printing Emulsion

Photopolymer emulsions (SBQ emulsions) are pre-sensitized for fast exposure and easy use. They are the most commonly used emulsions in screen printing, especially for plastisol printing and LED exposure systems.

These emulsions provide excellent detail for fine lines and halftones while improving production efficiency. A reliable choice for small to medium print shops looking for consistent results without mixing. Photopolymer emulsions are widely used in garment screen printing due to their fast exposure times and ability to produce consistent, high-detail stencils.


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Chromaline 10-Step Exposure Guide for screen printing exposure testing
Price: $14.95
Availability: Stock
Chromaline Item #: 2810SEG -

    The Chromaline 10-Step Exposure Guide is a compact exposure testing tool designed to help screen printers establish accurate exposure times for emulsion-coated screens. By exposing the guide alongside your artwork, you can evaluate exposure results and fine-tune your process for improved stencil quality and consistent print performance. Proper exposure is essential for producing durable stencils with sharp image detail and reliable reclaimability. The 10-step guide provides a simple and...

    Exposure Calculator for screen printing emulsion exposure testing
    Price: $75.00
    Availability: Stock
    Chromaline Item #: 28CEC -

      The Chromaline Exposure Calculator is an essential screen printing tool designed to help printers determine the correct exposure time for emulsion-coated screens. Suitable for both beginners and experienced screen makers, this easy-to-use calculator combines three quality checks into one convenient tool, allowing you to determine proper exposure time, evaluate print quality, and verify halftone reproduction before production begins. Proper exposure is one of the most important steps in...

      Blue Works Pure Photopolymer Screen Printing Emulsion Gallon
      Price: $59.95
      Availability: Stock
      Atlas Screen Supply Company Item #: ECONOPBW5 -

        Blue Works™ Pure Photopolymer Emulsion is a ready-to-use pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion formulated for use with plastisol screen printing inks. It features 47% high solids, fast exposure, fast drying, superior mesh bridging, very easy reclaimability, and is ideal for screen printing shops with humid environments. Blue Works™ requires no mixing before use and has a blue appearance. The 47% high solids formulation helps produce more screens per gallon, resulting in a lower cost per...

        Blue Works Pure Photopolymer Screen Printing Emulsion Quart
        Price: $27.25
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        Availability: Stock
        Atlas Screen Supply Company Item #: ECONOPBW2 -

          Blue Works™ Pure Photopolymer Emulsion is a ready-to-use pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion formulated for use with plastisol screen printing inks. It features 47% high solids, fast exposure, fast drying, superior mesh bridging, very easy reclaimability, and is ideal for screen printing shops with humid environments. Blue Works™ requires no mixing before use and has a blue appearance. The 47% high solids formulation helps produce more screens per gallon, resulting in a lower cost per...

          Orange Works Emulsion Gallon
          Price: $59.95
          Availability: Stock
          Atlas Screen Supply Company Item #: ECONOPOW5 -

            Orange Works™ Pure Photopolymer Emulsion is a ready-to-use pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion formulated for use with plastisol screen printing inks. It features 47% high solids, fast exposure, fast drying, superior mesh bridging, very easy reclaimability, and is ideal for screen printing shops with humid environments. Orange Works™ requires no mixing before use and has an orange appearance. The 47% high solids formulation helps produce more screens per gallon, resulting in a...

            Orange Works Pure Photopolymer Screen Printing Emulsion Quart
            Price: $27.25
            Availability: Stock
            Atlas Screen Supply Company Item #: ECONOPOW2 -

              Orange Works™ Pure Photopolymer Emulsion is a ready-to-use pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion formulated for use with plastisol screen printing inks. It features 47% high solids, fast exposure, fast drying, superior mesh bridging, very easy reclaimability, and is ideal for screen printing shops with humid environments. Orange Works™ requires no mixing before use and has an orange appearance. The 47% high solids formulation helps produce more screens per gallon, resulting in a...

              ChromaBlue Emulsion Pure Photopolymer Screen Printing Emulsion Quart
              MSRP:  $33.17
              Price: $32.14
              Availability: Stock
              Chromaline Item #: 28CBE2 -

                Chromaline ChromaBlue Emulsion is a premium ready-to-use pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion developed for textile printers who want fast screen production and exceptional stencil performance. Formulated specifically for plastisol inks and silicone inks, ChromaBlue eliminates the need for diazo mixing while providing extremely fast exposure and drying times that help improve productivity in busy screen rooms. Its blue color offers excellent stencil visibility for inspection and...

                Chromaline ChromaBlue pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion gallon
                MSRP:  $109.58
                Price: $79.00
                Availability: Stock
                Chromaline Item #: 28CBE5 -

                  Chromaline ChromaBlue Emulsion is a premium ready-to-use pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion engineered for textile printers seeking faster screen turnaround without sacrificing stencil quality. Designed specifically for plastisol inks and silicone inks, ChromaBlue requires no diazo mixing and delivers exceptionally fast exposure and drying times to help improve productivity in demanding screen printing environments. Its blue color provides excellent stencil visibility for inspection...

                  ChromaLime pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion gallon
                  MSRP:  $110.82
                  Price: $79.00
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                  Availability: Stock
                  Chromaline Item #: 28CLE5 -

                    ChromaLime® Pure Photopolymer Emulsion is a lime green ready-to-use pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion formulated for use with plastisol inks and UV inks. Optimized for UV LED and traditional UV exposure systems, it features very fast exposure, improved resolution and definition, optimal translucency for easy registration, and excellent reclaimability. ChromaLime® is designed to eliminate or greatly reduce sticking to inkjet films, remains non-tacky in high humidity conditions, and...

                    ChromaLime pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion quart
                    MSRP:  $33.83
                    Price: $32.14
                    Availability: Stock
                    Chromaline Item #: 28CLE2 -

                      ChromaLime® Pure Photopolymer Emulsion is a lime green ready-to-use pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion formulated for use with plastisol inks and UV inks. Optimized for UV LED and traditional UV exposure systems, it features very fast exposure, improved resolution and definition, optimal translucency for easy registration, and excellent reclaimability. ChromaLime® is designed to eliminate or greatly reduce sticking to inkjet films, remains non-tacky in high humidity conditions, and...

                      Chromaline CT-R Red photopolymer screen printing emulsion gallon
                      MSRP:  $107.42
                      Price: $79.00
                      Availability: Stock
                      Chromaline Item #: 28CTECHR5 -

                        Chromaline CT-R Red Emulsion is a premium ready-to-use pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion developed specifically for textile printers seeking faster screen turnaround without sacrificing stencil quality. Designed for use with plastisol inks, CT-R eliminates the need for diazo mixing while providing exceptionally fast exposure and drying times that help maximize productivity in busy screen rooms. Its distinctive red color also provides excellent image visibility, especially on...

                        Chromaline CT-R Red photopolymer screen printing emulsion quart
                        MSRP:  $33.17
                        Price: $31.51
                        Availability: Stock
                        Chromaline Item #: 28CTECHR2 -

                          Chromaline CT-R Red Emulsion is a premium ready-to-use pure photopolymer screen printing emulsion engineered for textile printers looking to maximize efficiency while maintaining exceptional stencil quality. Designed specifically for plastisol ink applications, CT-R requires no diazo mixing and delivers rapid exposure and drying times that help streamline screen production. Its bright red color offers excellent contrast on white mesh, making stencil inspection and registration easier...

                          Hydro-X Blue Water-Resistant Hybrid Photopolymer Screen Printing Emulsion Gallon
                          MSRP:  $77.76
                          Price: $73.87
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                          Availability: Stock
                          Chromaline Item #: 28HYDROX5 -

                            Hydro-X (BLUE) is a water-resistant hybrid photopolymer screen printing emulsion formulated for use with plastisol inks, water-based, and discharge inks. Optimized for LED exposure systems, Hydro-X delivers very fast exposure, increased durability, and excellent resistance to humid environments. Its ready-to-use formula does not require diazo addition, helping simplify screen preparation while delivering dependable stencil performance. The preferred coating method is 1x1. Hydro-X (BLUE)...

                            Hydro-X Blue Water-Resistant Hybrid Photopolymer Screen Printing Emulsion Quart
                            MSRP:  $38.33
                            Price: $36.41
                            Availability: Stock
                            Chromaline Item #: 28HYDROX2 -

                              Hydro-X (BLUE) is a water-resistant hybrid photopolymer screen printing emulsion formulated for use with plastisol inks, water-based, and discharge inks. Optimized for LED exposure systems, Hydro-X delivers very fast exposure, increased durability, and excellent resistance to humid environments. Its ready-to-use formula does not require diazo addition, helping simplify screen preparation while delivering dependable stencil performance. The preferred coating method is 1x1. Hydro-X (BLUE)...

                              Hydro-X Red Water-resistant photopolymer screen printing Emulsion Gallon
                              MSRP:  $77.76
                              Price: $73.87
                              Availability: Stock
                              Chromaline Item #: 28HYDROXR5 -

                                Hydro-X (RED) is a premium water-resistant photopolymer screen printing emulsion featuring dual-cure technology in a ready-to-use formula. Compatible with plastisol inks, water-based inks, and discharge inks, Hydro-X (RED) delivers outstanding water resistance, improved crosslinking, superior stencil durability, sharp image detail, and very fast exposure. The preferred coating method is 1x1, and the emulsion is optimized for LED exposure systems. Hydro-X (RED) has a red appearance, 46% solids,...

                                Hydro-X Red Water-Resistant Photopolymer Screen Printing Emulsion Quart
                                MSRP:  $38.33
                                Price: $36.41
                                Availability: Stock
                                Chromaline Item #: 28HYDROXR2 -

                                  Hydro-X (RED) is a premium water-resistant photopolymer screen printing emulsion featuring dual-cure technology in a ready-to-use formula. Compatible with plastisol inks, water-based inks, and discharge inks, Hydro-X (RED) delivers outstanding water resistance, improved crosslinking, superior stencil durability, sharp image detail, and very fast exposure. The preferred coating method is 1x1, and the emulsion is optimized for LED exposure systems. Hydro-X (RED) has a red appearance, 46% solids,...

                                  Polycol Crossover Emulsion - gallon
                                  MSRP:  $80.19
                                  Price: $76.18
                                  Availability: Stock
                                  Kiwo Item #: 37CROSSOV5 -

                                    POLYCOL® CROSSOVER is a medium-high viscosity, pre-sensitized SBQ-photopolymer screen printing emulsion formulated for printing with plastisol, UV-curable, and mild solvent-based ink systems. It provides excellent resolution, very good mesh bridging, and great exposure latitude, making it suitable for fine detail and 4-color process printing. POLYCOL® CROSSOVER also develops quickly and easily, offers good coating ability on all common mesh counts used for garment printing, and has an exposure...

                                    Polycol Crossover Emulsion - quart
                                    MSRP:  $26.78
                                    Price: $25.44
                                    Availability: Stock
                                    Kiwo Item #: 37CROSSOV2 -

                                      POLYCOL® CROSSOVER is a medium-high viscosity, pre-sensitized SBQ-photopolymer screen printing emulsion formulated for printing with plastisol, UV-curable, and mild solvent-based ink systems. It provides excellent resolution, very good mesh bridging, and great exposure latitude, making it suitable for fine detail and 4-color process printing. POLYCOL® CROSSOVER also develops quickly and easily, offers good coating ability on all common mesh counts used for garment printing, and has an exposure...

                                      Ulano QX-7 Emulsion Gallon - Red Bucket
                                      MSRP:  $89.51
                                      Price: $85.03
                                      Availability: Stock
                                      Ulano Item #: 36QX75 -

                                        QX-7 is a universal SBQ dual-cure emulsion with excellent resolution for industrial graphics and electronics printing (PCB and conductive traces), compatible with UV, virtually all solvent-based inks and some water-based graphic inks. QX-7 is formulated for sensitivity to UV and near-UV-visible blue light, by means of UV LED and laser-based computer-to-screen exposure. It can be also exposed with traditional metal halide light sources. QX-7 features very fast exposure speed, while offering...

                                        Ulano QX-7 Emulsion Quart
                                        MSRP:  $28.88
                                        Price: $27.44
                                        Availability: Stock
                                        Ulano Item #: 36QX72 -

                                          QX-7 is a universal SBQ dual-cure emulsion with excellent resolution for industrial graphics and electronics printing (PCB and conductive traces), compatible with UV, virtually all solvent-based inks and some water-based graphic inks. QX-7 is formulated for sensitivity to UV and near-UV-visible blue light, by means of UV LED and laser-based computer-to-screen exposure. It can be also exposed with traditional metal halide light sources. QX-7 features very fast exposure speed, while offering...

                                          Ulano Trifecta Emulsion - Red Bucket
                                          MSRP:  $77.62
                                          Price: $73.74
                                          Availability: Stock
                                          Ulano Item #: 36TRIFEC5 -

                                            TRIFECTA is a ready-to-use, extremely fast exposing and durable, violet-colored SBQ-dual cure direct emulsion for imprinted sportswear printing with water-based, discharge and plastisol inks, including post-phthalate formulations. Properly prepared, TRIFECTA stencils do not require any sensitizers or hardeners to withstand the most aggressive textile inks on the market. All the TRIFECTA stencils require to obtain durability is sufficient UV-light for exposure and post-exposure. TRIFECTA is...

                                            Ulano Trifecta Emulsion - Quart
                                            MSRP:  $33.75
                                            Price: $32.06
                                            Availability: Stock
                                            Ulano Item #: 36TRIFEC2 -

                                              TRIFECTA is a ready-to-use, extremely fast exposing and durable, violet-colored SBQ-dual cure direct emulsion for imprinted sportswear printing with water-based, discharge and plastisol inks, including post-phthalate formulations. Properly prepared, TRIFECTA stencils do not require any sensitizers or hardeners to withstand the most aggressive textile inks on the market. All the TRIFECTA stencils require to obtain durability is sufficient UV-light for exposure and post-exposure. TRIFECTA is...

                                              Ulano Orange Emulsion Red Bucket
                                              MSRP:  $73.19
                                              Price: $69.53
                                              Availability: Stock
                                              Ulano Item #: 36ORAN5 -

                                                Orange is a ready-to-use SBQ-photopolymer direct emulsion formulated for imprinted sportswear printing. It is formulated with a “masking color” that reduces light scattering—the major cause of loss of resolution. With Orange, it is possible to use less costly white mesh without the closing up of fine lines and details. Despite its anti-halation color, Orange is ultra-fast-exposing! It is perfect for shops with high stencil making throughput, as well as shops with fluorescent tubes or other...

                                                Ulano Orange Emulsion - Quart
                                                MSRP:  $25.51
                                                Price: $24.23
                                                Availability: Stock
                                                Ulano Item #: 36ORAN2 -

                                                  Orange is a ready-to-use SBQ-photopolymer direct emulsion formulated for imprinted sportswear printing. It is formulated with a “masking color” that reduces light scattering—the major cause of loss of resolution. With Orange, it is possible to use less costly white mesh without the closing up of fine lines and details. Despite its anti-halation color, Orange is ultra-fast-exposing! It is perfect for shops with high stencil making throughput, as well as shops with fluorescent tubes or other...

                                                  Learn More About Photopolymer Emulsion

                                                  When to Use Photopolymer Emulsion

                                                  Photopolymer emulsions are best suited for:

                                                  • plastisol ink printing
                                                  • LED exposure systems
                                                  • high detail artwork and halftones
                                                  • shops looking for fast exposure and easy workflow

                                                  They are less forgiving than dual cure emulsions, so proper exposure control is important for consistent results.

                                                  Photopolymer vs Dual Cure Emulsion

                                                  Photopolymer emulsions expose faster and are easier to use since they require no mixing. However, they have a narrower exposure latitude.

                                                  Dual cure emulsions expose more slowly but provide greater forgiveness and can handle a wider range of ink systems, including water-based and discharge inks. Dual cure emulsions are often preferred for water-based and discharge printing where additional durability is required.

                                                  Choosing between the two depends on your exposure setup, ink type, and production needs.

                                                  For more options see our full selection of screen printing emulsions. Selecting the proper size scoop coater is essential for proper coating.

                                                  Not sure which emulsion is right? See our Screen Printing Emulsion Guide for a full breakdown.