Many questions are asked about the method and number of passes when applying emulsion. A scoop coater has two sides, a smooth (dull) side and cleaner (sharp) side. Obviously, they lay down different amounts of emulsion. Some folks use one side through the entire process of coating while others will use the smooth side for initial coating passes then use the sharp side during final clean up passes. Depending on your emulsion style, exposure unit and need you will find what works best for your needs.
Do what you need to do to get an even smooth coating making sure your last cleaning pass is made on the squeegee side, forcing the heavier coating to the print side as discussed previously in the article about screen drying.
Capillary emulsion films do not use a scoop coater, they are applied directly to the mesh on the print side of the screen. This also shows you how thin an emulsion layer can be while remaining strong and durable for deep print runs.
When using traditional spread emulsion with a scoop coater don't apply too much emulsion as a little applied and dried the proper way does the job expertly.
(c) Freehand Library Article / AccuRIP / Separation Studio NXT / Spot Process / Dmax / Amaze-Ink / DarkStar
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