Do you want to experience faster exposure times? Do you wish your stencils were more durable? Are you having trouble capturing details? You’re going to want to take a look at the Baselayr X1620 LED Exposure Unit: a new, improved unit for entry level printers. This exposure unit has new technology that will improve production. What’s so special about this exposure unit? Let’s find out.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT?
Remember the Small UV Exposure Unit? It had two, spiral UV black lights. While the black lights worked, they didn't produce results like LED bulbs do. Something needed to change.
That’s where the Baselayr X1620 comes in. Instead of the spiral UV bulbs, the exposure unit has been upgraded to three, high output, customized LED bulbs.
Why are LED bulbs so good? Their spectrum of light output and wattage speeds up the screen-making process and improves the quality of the stencil. Printers will experience cleaner stencils, more durable screens, and low power consumption. Exposure times are 3-5 times faster compared to the spiral UV bulb units. Faster exposure times mean printers can speed up their darkroom process. LED bulbs improve efficiency and the quality of the end product.
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WHO SHOULD BUY AN X1620?
The X1620 is built with entry level screen printers in mind. If you’re looking for a great place to start or upgrade from your current DIY exposure unit, look no further. The X1620 the most cost-effective unit for printers starting up their shops on a budget.
Struggling with dialing in exposure times? Having difficulty getting good detail? Are your screens breaking down on-press prematurely? If you’re running into any of these issues with a DIY exposure setup, it’s time to invest in a new exposure unit. With the X1620, you won’t have to sacrifice time or quality. You get an excellent piece of equipment at a fantastic price.
Please note that the X1620 exposure unit is a compression unit. You will have to manually apply pressure onto the screen to create strong contact between the film, glass, and screen. You can achieve proper compression by placing a piece of foam on the squeegee side of the screen. Place a piece of plywood on top of the styrofoam to disperse the weight evenly across the screen. Weigh it down with something, like a gallon of white ink. Do not exceed 15 lbs.
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BEST PRACTICES
This exposure unit is designed for 16X20 screens. If you have larger screens (like 20X24), don’t worry: you can still use them. The further away from the middle of the exposure unit, the less exposed your emulsion will be. The screen will hang over the exposure unit, so make sure that your image is in the “sweet spot,” where it’ll get the most light. The emulsion on the screen hanging over the unit will not be exposed. It will wash off when you rinse the screen. Tape over these areas.
A way to avoid underexposed emulsion using a 20X24 screen on the X1620 altogether is to use a smaller scoop coater. A 10”-12” wide scoop coater will coat only the part of a 20X24 screen that will fit on the X1620. You won’t have emulsion hanging off the sides of the unit, so there won’t be underexposed parts of the screen. Using a smaller scoop coater ensures that all the emulsion on the screen is properly exposed, which makes reclaim easier.
Need to expose larger screens? Check out the X2536. It can expose bigger screens and is equipped with a compression lid to make exposure that much easier.
While the X1620 can expose all types of emulsion, if your darkroom isn’t dialed in (you have some light leakage, humidity, etc.) pick up some Baselayr Long Lasting emulsion. It’s a high performance emulsion that is forgiving for less-than-ideal darkrooms.
RELATED: A GUIDE TO GETTING THE MOST FROM BASELAYR LONG LASTING EMULSION
Always test your screens and exposure times to get them dialed in. With the addition of LED bulbs, the X1620 has incredibly fast exposure times. When testing the unit, experts used Baselayr Long Lasting emulsion and 157 mesh. In the “sweet spot” where the emulsion is getting the most light, the screen reached a solid Step 7 on an exposure calculator in less than three minutes. To see exposure times, visit the Baselayr Long Lasting product page.
RELATED: HOW TO DIAL IN EXPOSURE TIMES USING AN EXPOSURE CALCULATOR
Burning screens just got easier. If you’re struggling with a DIY exposure unit and want to upgrade, but don’t have the budget for a vacuum unit, check out the X1620. It combines speed, convenience, and quality to give you the best exposure unit for the best price. Everything starts and ends in the darkroom. Elevate your darkroom with Baselayr.