Ulano and Chromaline, stocked in Tempe, AZ
Screen Printing Emulsion: The Stencil Is the Print
Twelve Ulano and Chromaline emulsions sit on our Tempe shelves in quarts and gallons, next to the scoop coaters, blockout and LED exposure units that turn them into razor-sharp stencils. Every price on this page is a live store link: tap it, add to cart, print tomorrow.
Start Here
Which Screen Printing Emulsion Do I Need?
Every clean print starts with a stencil that matches the job: the ink chemistry it has to survive, the detail it has to hold, and the exposure unit it goes through. Both brands we stock are engineered for sharp detail and durable stencils across plastisol, water-based and specialty inks; the table below is where we point printers first, and the order desk will fine-tune from there.
| Your Work | Start With | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday plastisol on tees and hoodies | Ulano Orange or Chromaline PC 701 | Ready-to-use, high-contrast coatings built for textile production; the workhorses of both lineups. |
| Fastest exposures and LED units | Ulano QX-5 | Named for what it does: an ultra-fast-exposing SBQ photopolymer that gets screens through the exposure unit quickly. |
| Water-based and discharge inks | Ulano 925WR-P | The water-resistant, phthalate-free pick; aggressive water-based chemistry needs a stencil built to stand up to it. |
| Long runs across mixed ink chemistry | Ulano Trifecta or Chromaline ChromaBlue / ChromaLime | Popular all-arounders in these lineups. Tell us your inks and press and we will match one to your chemistry. |
Ulano Emulsions: 4 Systems In Stock
Ulano is one of the most trusted names in photo emulsion, engineered for sharp image detail, strong stencil durability and predictable exposures across plastisol, water-based, discharge and specialty inks. These are the Ulano emulsions on our Tempe shelf right now.
| Emulsion | Known For | Quart | Gallon |
|---|---|---|---|
 Ulano QX-5 SBQ Photopolymer | Ultra-fast-exposing pure photopolymer for quick screen turnaround | $32 | $72.50 |
 Ulano Orange Pre-Sensitized SBQ | Ready-to-use textile emulsion; the high-contrast orange coat is easy to inspect | $23 | $66 |
 Ulano Trifecta | The do-it-all gallon in the Ulano lineup for busy production screens | - | $70 |
 Ulano 925WR-P Water Resistant | Phthalate-free and water resistant; built for water-based and discharge work | - | $82.95 |
Tap a price to open that size in our store and add it to your cart. Prices are live store prices from July 2, 2026.
Chromaline Emulsions: 4 Systems In Stock
Chromaline builds emulsions and stencil systems for sharp fine lines, halftone detail and long press runs, compatible with plastisol, water-based and specialty inks. All four systems below ship from Tempe today; the CTR gallon is on summer sale pricing while remaining stock lasts.
| Emulsion | Known For | Quart | Gallon |
|---|---|---|---|
 Chromaline CTR (Red) | Sale-priced gallon; a limited-stock deal on a production red-coat emulsion | - | $67 |
 Chromaline ChromaBlue | A shop-favorite blue coat stocked in both sizes for everyday screens | $31 | $82 |
 Chromaline ChromaLime | High-visibility lime coat for easy pinhole inspection on the light table | $33 | $85 |
 Chromaline PC 701 (Blue) | A plastisol production workhorse from the Chromaline PC line | - | $62 |
Tap a price to open that size in our store and add it to your cart. Prices are live store prices from July 2, 2026.
From Bucket To Stencil
Coat, Dry, Expose: The Five Steps That Decide Print Quality
- Degrease and dry. Fresh mesh carries oils that cause pinholes. Degrease, rinse and dry completely before the emulsion ever touches the screen.
- Coat with a scoop coater. Slow, even strokes: a common starting point is two coats on the print side and one on the squeegee side, wet-on-wet, using a coater sized to your frame.
- Dry flat, print side down. Dry horizontally in a dark, dust-free space at low humidity. A fan and a dehumidifier pay for themselves in Arizona monsoon season.
- Expose with a step test. Every emulsion, mesh count and unit combination has its own sweet spot. Run a step-wedge test the first time you change any of the three, then log the winning time.
- Rinse, dry, tape and touch up. Wash out gently, dry, then use blockout on open borders and screen filler on pinholes before the screen hits the press.
When a stencil retires, Ulano Stencil Remover No. 4 and Chroma/Screen Wash bring the mesh back for the next coat, and our screen printing screens page covers the frames and mesh counts the emulsion goes on.
The Supporting Cast
Coating Tools and Stencil Aids
| Tool | What It Does | Price / Order |
|---|---|---|
 Emulsion Scoop Coater | Aluminum coater in seven widths from 6 to 20 inches; match it to the inside width of your frame | from $8.95 |
 Ulano Green Extra Heavy Blockout No. 10 | Brush-on blockout for open borders and frame edges | $23.95 |
 Chromaline Chroma/Fill Red iSC | Squirt-quart screen filler for fast pinhole touch-ups | $12 |
Burn Screens In-House
Chromaline Quick Image LED Exposure Units
Pair a fast SBQ emulsion like QX-5 with a Quick Image LED unit and screen burning stops being the bottleneck. Available in two bed sizes covering frames up to 26 x 31, with clean LED output that keeps exposure times short and consistent.
Also in stock: the Chromaline MagiVac Nozzle 8" ($205) for vacuum-frame setups.
Why Printers Buy Emulsion Here
A Supplier With Roots In the Press Room
- Fresh stock, stored right. Emulsion is perishable; ours turns over fast and lives in a climate-controlled Tempe warehouse, not a hot trailer.
- Advice from people who burn screens. Tell us your ink, mesh and exposure unit and we will match the emulsion instead of guessing.
- Everything on one van. Emulsion, screens, ink and chemistry ride the same same-day Phoenix-metro routes, with will-call pickup in Tempe and nationwide shipping, shipping included over $250.
Showroom, Warehouse and Will-Call
Visit Buckets of Ink in Tempe
Buckets of Ink LLC
Address: 906 S Priest Dr, Suite 101, Tempe, AZ 85281
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM; closed Saturday and Sunday
Main line and order desk: (480) 229-7806
Order line, Amber Anderson: (480) 851-0556
Not sure which bucket to buy?
Emulsion questions are chemistry questions. Call with your ink system, mesh counts and exposure unit, and the order desk will put the right emulsion, coater size and blockout on the next van.
Call the Order DeskStraight Answers
Screen Printing Emulsion FAQ
What is screen printing emulsion?
It is the light-sensitive liquid that becomes your stencil. You coat it onto the mesh, dry it, expose it to light through a film positive, and rinse out the unexposed image area. The hardened emulsion that remains blocks ink everywhere except your design.
What is the difference between SBQ photopolymer and dual-cure emulsion?
Pre-sensitized SBQ photopolymers like Ulano QX-5 and Ulano Orange are ready to use out of the bucket and expose very fast, which suits LED units and busy shops. Dual-cure emulsions are mixed with a diazo sensitizer before use, exposing slower but with wide latitude. If you are unsure which your workflow wants, call the order desk with your exposure unit and inks.
Which emulsion should I use for plastisol ink?
For everyday plastisol on cotton and blends, Ulano Orange and Chromaline PC 701 are the production workhorses we point shops to first, with Ulano Trifecta and Chromaline ChromaBlue as popular all-around picks. All are stocked in Tempe and orderable from this page.
Which emulsion works with water-based and discharge inks?
Water-based and discharge chemistry attacks ordinary stencils, so use a water-resistant emulsion: Ulano 925WR-P is the phthalate-free, water-resistant option we stock for exactly this work.
How do I coat a screen with emulsion?
Use a scoop coater slightly narrower than the inside of your frame. A common starting point is two smooth coats on the print side and one on the squeegee side, applied wet-on-wet, then dry the screen flat, print side down, in a dark, dry, dust-free space.
How long should I expose my screen?
There is no universal number: exposure time depends on the emulsion, coating thickness, mesh count and your unit. Run a step-wedge test whenever any of those change, then log the time that fully hardens the stencil while washing out clean detail. Fast SBQ emulsions like QX-5 shine on LED units.
How should I store emulsion, and how long does it last?
Keep it sealed, cool and away from light, and buy what you will use rather than stockpiling; emulsion is a perishable product with a limited shelf life that shortens in heat. Each product page and the manufacturer datasheet list specifics; our stock turns over fast so it arrives fresh.
What size scoop coater do I need?
Pick a coater a few inches narrower than the inside width of your frame so it glides between the frame walls. Our Nortech coater comes in seven widths from 6 to 20 inches, which covers everything from the 20 x 24 manual standard to 23 x 31 auto screens.
Keep Researching
Related Screen Printing Resources
Screen Printing Emulsion - Buckets of Ink LLC, 906 S Priest Dr, Suite 101, Tempe, AZ 85281. Page updated July 2, 2026.
Prices shown were pulled from our live store on July 2, 2026 and are subject to change; sale pricing applies while stock lasts, and current pricing is always confirmed on each product page and at checkout. Coating and exposure guidance is general; always confirm against the manufacturer technical data sheet for your emulsion.
Ulano is a trademark of Ulano Corporation. Chromaline is a trademark of Chromaline Screen Print Products. Buckets of Ink is an independent distributor.
