• English
  • Afghanistan(AFN Af)
  • Aland lslands(EUR €)
  • Albania(ALL L)
  • Algeria(DZD د.ج)
  • American Samoa(USD $)
  • Andorra(EUR €)
  • Angola(USD $)
  • Anguilla(XCD $)
  • Antarctica(USD $)
  • Antigua and Barbuda(XCD $)
  • Argentina(USD $)
  • Armenia(AMD Դ)
  • Aruba(AWG ƒ)
  • Ascension Island(SHP £)
  • Australia(AUD AU$)
  • Austria(EUR €)
  • Azerbaijan(AZN ман)
  • Bahamas(BSD BSD)
  • Bahrain(BHD .د.ب)
  • Bangladesh(BDT ৳)
  • Barbados(BBD BBD)
  • Belarus(USD $)
  • Belgium(EUR €)
  • Belize(BZD Be)
  • Benin(XOF Fr)
  • Bermuda(BMD BD$)
  • Bhutan(BTN Nu.)
  • Bolivia(BOB Bs.)
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina(BAM КМ)
  • Botswana(BWP P)
  • Bouvet Island(USD $)
  • Brazil(USD $)
  • British Indian Ocean Territory(USD $)
  • Brunei(BND B$)
  • Bulgaria(BGN лв)
  • Burkina Faso(XOF Fr)
  • Burundi(BIF ₣)
  • Cambodia(KHR ៛)
  • Cameroon(XAF ₣)
  • Canada(CAD $)
  • Cape Verde(CVE $)
  • Cayman Islands(KYD $)
  • Central African Republic(XAF ₣)
  • Chad(XAF ₣)
  • Chile(USD $)
  • China(CNY ¥)
  • Christmas Island(AUD AU$)
  • Cocos(Keeling)Islands(AUD AU$)
  • Colombia(USD $)
  • Comoros(KMF Fr)
  • Congo(XAF ₣)
  • Congo(DRC)(CDF ₣)
  • Cook Islands(NZD $)
  • Costa Rica(CRC ₡)
  • Cote d'Ivoire(XOF Fr)
  • Croatia(EUR €)
  • Cyprus(EUR €)
  • Czech Republic(CZK Kč)
  • Denmark(DKK kr)
  • Djibouti(DJF ₣)
  • Dominica(XCD $)
  • Dominican Republic(DOP $)
  • Ecuador(USD $)
  • Egypt(EGP E£)
  • El Salvador(USD $)
  • Equatorial Guinea(XAF ₣)
  • Eritrea(ERN Nfk)
  • Estonia(EUR €)
  • Ethiopia(ETB Br)
  • Falkland Islands(FKP FKP)
  • Faroe Islands(DKK kr)
  • Fiji Islands(FJD FJ$)
  • Finland(EUR €)
  • France(EUR €)
  • French Guiana(EUR €)
  • French Polynesia(XPF ₣)
  • French Southern and Antarctic Lands(EUR €)
  • Gabon(XOF Fr)
  • Gambia(GMD D)
  • Georgia(USD $)
  • Germany(EUR €)
  • Ghana(GHS ₵)
  • Gibraltar(GBP £)
  • Greece(EUR €)
  • Greenland(DKK kr)
  • Grenada(XCD $)
  • Guadeloupe(EUR €)
  • Guam(USD $)
  • Guatemala(GTQ Q)
  • Guernsey(GBP £)
  • Guinea(GNF ₣)
  • Guinea-Bissau(XOF Fr)
  • Guyana(GYD $)
  • Haiti(USD $)
  • Heard Island and McDonald Islands(AUD AU$)
  • Honduras(HNL L)
  • Hong Kong SAR(HKD HK$)
  • Hungary(HUF Ft)
  • Iceland(ISK Kr)
  • India(INR ₹)
  • Indonesia(IDR Rp)
  • Iraq(USD $)
  • Ireland(EUR €)
  • Isle of Man(GBP £)
  • Israel(ILS ₪)
  • Italy(EUR €)
  • Jamaica(JMD $)
  • Japan(JPY ¥)
  • Jersey(GBP £)
  • Jordan(USD $)
  • Kazakhstan(KZT 〒)
  • Kenya(KES Sh)
  • Kiribati(AUD AU$)
  • Korea(KRW ₩)
  • Kuwait(KWD دينار)
  • Kyrgyzstan(KGS С̲)
  • Laos(LAK ₭)
  • Latvia(EUR €)
  • Lebanon(LBP ل.ل)
  • Lesotho(USD $)
  • Liberia(USD $)
  • Libya(USD $)
  • Liechtenstein(CHF ₣)
  • Lithuania(EUR €)
  • Luxembourg(EUR €)
  • Macao SAR(MOP P)
  • Macedonia,Former Yugoslav Republic of(MKD ден)
  • Madagascar(USD $)
  • Malawi(MWK MK)
  • Malaysia(MYR RM)
  • Maldives(MVR ރ.)
  • Mali(XOF Fr)
  • Malta(EUR €)
  • Marshall Islands(USD $)
  • Martinique(EUR €)
  • Mauritania(USD $)
  • Mauritius(MUR ₨)
  • Mayotte(EUR €)
  • Mexico(USD $)
  • Micronesia(USD $)
  • Moldova(MDL L)
  • Monaco(EUR €)
  • Mongolia(MNT ₮)
  • Montenegro(EUR €)
  • Montserrat(XCD $)
  • Morocco(MAD د.م.)
  • Mozambique(USD $)
  • Myanmar(MMK K)
  • Namibia(USD $)
  • Nauru(AUD AU$)
  • Nepal(NPR ₨)
  • Netherlands(EUR €)
  • Netherlands Antilles(USD $)
  • New Caledonia(XPF ₣)
  • New Zealand(NZD $)
  • Nicaragua(NIO C$)
  • Niger(XOF Fr)
  • Nigeria(NGN ₦)
  • Niue(NZD $)
  • Norfolk Island(AUD AU$)
  • Northern Mariana Islands(USD $)
  • Norway(USD $)
  • Oman(OMR ر.ع.)
  • Pakistan(PKR ₨)
  • Palau(USD $)
  • Palestinian Authority(ILS ₪)
  • Panama(USD $)
  • Papua New Guinea(PGK K)
  • Paraguay(PYG ₲)
  • Peru(PEN S/)
  • Philippines(PHP ₱)
  • Pitcairn Islands(NZD $)
  • Poland(PLN zł)
  • Portugal(EUR €)
  • Puerto Rico(USD $)
  • Qatar(QAR ر.ق)
  • Reunion(EUR €)
  • Romania(RON L)
  • Russia(USD $)
  • Rwanda(RWF ₣)
  • Samoa(WST T)
  • San Marino(EUR €)
  • Sao Tome and Principe(USD $)
  • Saudi Arabia(SAR ر.س)
  • Senegal(XOF Fr)
  • Serbia(RSD din)
  • Seychelles(USD $)
  • Sierra Leone(SLL Le)
  • Singapore(SGD S$)
  • Slovakia(EUR €)
  • Slovenia(EUR €)
  • Solomon Islands(SBD Si$)
  • Somalia(SOS Sh)
  • South Africa(USD $)
  • South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands(GBP £)
  • Spain(EUR €)
  • Sri Lanka(LKR Rs)
  • St.Helena(SHP £)
  • St.Kitts and Nevis(XCD $)
  • St.Lucia(XCD $)
  • St. Martin (French part)(EUR €)
  • St.Pierre and Miquelon(EUR €)
  • St.Vincent and the Grenadines(XCD $)
  • Sudan(SDG ج.س.)
  • Suriname(USD $)
  • Svalbard and Jan Mayen(USD $)
  • Swaziland(USD $)
  • Sweden(SEK kr)
  • Switzerland(CHF ₣)
  • Taiwan(TWD NT$)
  • Tajikistan(TJS ЅМ)
  • Tanzania(TZS Sh)
  • Thailand(THB ฿)
  • Timor-Leste(USD $)
  • Togo(XOF Fr)
  • Tokelau(NZD $)
  • Tonga(TOP T$)
  • Trinidad and Tobago(TTD TTD)
  • Tristan da Cunha(GBP £)
  • Tunisia(USD $)
  • Turkey(USD $)
  • Turkmenistan(TMT m)
  • Turks and Caicos Islands(USD $)
  • Tuvalu(AUD AU$)
  • Uganda(UGX Sh)
  • Ukraine(UAH ₴)
  • United Arab Emirates(AED د.إ)
  • United Kingdom(GBP £)
  • United States(USD $)
  • United States Minor Outlying Islands(USD $)
  • Uruguay(UYU $)
  • Uzbekistan(UZS лв)
  • Vanuatu(VUV Vt)
  • Vatican City(EUR €)
  • Venezuela(USD $)
  • Vietnam(VND ₫)
  • Virgin Islands(USD $)
  • Virgin Islands,British(USD $)
  • Wallis and Futuna(XPF ₣)
  • Western Sahara(MAD د.م.)
  • Yemen(YER ﷼)
  • Zambia(USD $)
  • Zimbabwe(USD $)
/ /

How to Make a Screen Without Emulsion (Step-by-Step Guide)

Dec 31,2025 | 4XTRON

How to Make a Screen Without Emulsion (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you’ve ever tried traditional screen making, you know the usual routine: coat emulsion, wait for it to dry, expose, wash out, and clean up. It works—but it takes time, space, and a messy setup.

A “no emulsion” workflow is popular because it simplifies the process and reduces cleanup. In this guide, you’ll learn a step-by-step way to create a printable stencil with a cleaner workflow that’s easier for small studios, schools, and workshops.

Key takeaway: You can reduce darkroom-style setup and avoid emulsion coating by using a dry, digital screen making process.

What does “without emulsion” mean?

“Without emulsion” means you’re not manually coating photo emulsion, drying it, and washing it out after exposure. Instead, the stencil is created through a dry, cleaner workflow designed to save time and reduce mess.

This is especially helpful if you:

don’t have space for a darkroom or washout booth

want faster turnaround for small batches

teach workshops or classroom projects

What you need before you start (quick checklist)

Before making a screen, prepare:

Your artwork file (high contrast works best)

A compatible frame/mesh setup

Your printing inks and substrate (tee, tote, paper, etc.)

A consistent workflow you can repeat for each design

Prepare high-contrast artwork in Photoshop for screen making without emulsion

Step 1: Prepare your artwork (make it stencil-ready)

For clean stencils:

Use solid shapes and strong contrast

Avoid tiny details if you’re printing on fabric

Make sure lines are thick enough for your mesh count

Tip: If you want sharp prints, simplify the design first—most print issues start at the artwork stage.

4XTRON PS5 and screen frame setup for no-emulsion screen printing

Step 2: Set up the screen and material

Make sure your frame is assembled correctly and the material is ready. A consistent setup prevents stencil defects and helps you get repeatable results.

Create a screen stencil with a dry digital workflow (no emulsion, no darkroom)

Step 3: Create the stencil using a dry digital workflow

This is the core of “no emulsion” screen making: you create the stencil without coating and washout steps. The goal is fast, clean, repeatable screen making—especially valuable in small studios or teaching environments.

View 4XTRON PS5 Digital Screen Maker

Test print on screen after making the stencil (quick no-emulsion workflow

Step 4: Test print and adjust (2 minutes that saves you hours)

Do a quick test print on scrap material:

Check for pinholes or weak areas

Confirm ink coverage

Ensure alignment is correct

Small adjustments here save you from wasting shirts or paper later.

 

Finished screen print result from a no-emulsion screen making process

Common problems (and easy fixes)
Problem 1: The stencil looks weak or patchy

Increase design contrast

Simplify small details

Re-check screen setup and consistency

Problem 2: Ink bleeds or edges look soft

Use a cleaner, bolder design

Check ink type and squeegee pressure

Test on the actual material you’ll print on

Problem 3: Results are inconsistent between screens

Standardize your workflow (same settings each time)

Keep your setup consistent

Follow a step-by-step checklist every time

Who is this best for?

A “no emulsion” approach is ideal for:

small studios that want speed and less mess

schools/classrooms that prefer safer, cleaner workflows

workshops that need fast setup and repeatable results

FAQ

Q1: Do I need a darkroom for this workflow?
No—this approach is designed to reduce darkroom-style setup.

Q2: Is this beginner-friendly?
Yes. A step-by-step checklist and consistent workflow make it much easier than traditional emulsion-based methods.

Q3: What’s the biggest benefit of going “no emulsion”?
Speed and simplicity—less prep, less cleanup, and more repeatable results.

Next step: Use a repeatable workflow

If you want a cleaner way to make screens without emulsion and reduce setup time, start with a repeatable process and clear instructions.

View 4XTRON PS5 Digital Screen Maker

Read the PS5 Operating Instructions

Comment

Name
Email
Comment