Photo Emulsion Technique is very time-consuming but also very creative. This wonderful tool is quite difficult to understand without any help. So here’s simple guide how to prepare your own PET paper.


How to get emulsion and which one I should use? 
I recommend Foma emulsion but I under stand that it could be difficult to buy outside the Europe. You should try at web shops with darkroom mixtures and equipment. It’s very important to buy hardener i.e. Tetenal if there’s no hardener included in original package. Keep your emulsion in a fridge.

Ok, you have emulsion and hardener. What’s next?
Now, it’s time to look for a paper, wood, glass, canvas or whatever you want to be your base. In my opinion, the best choice is watercolour paper which can stand long bathing in developer and fixer.

Before you start you should collect few necessary things: scales, syringe with a needle (the best is insulin syringe, like this in photo), brush or roller, hairdryer or fan heater, electric kettle, two containers (one smaller), plastic spoon. 


First thing you should do when you enter darkroom with all that stuff is to change the way your red light illuminate darkroom. It mustn’t shine directly on workspace where you’ll be preparing photo paper, otherwise red light will overexpose emulsion. So point your lamp at the wall or ceiling.

All further steps are prepared for Foma emulsion and if you have other manufacturer emulsion you should follow his prescription.

Boil the kettle and pour the larger container.
Cut out a piece of emulsion and throw it into smaller container. You should notice that emulsion is a jelly. Of course you can’t paint anything with that jelly. Check the weight of that piece and if you have 100 grams you can throw it into smaller container and put it in larger with hot water. It will start melting. Meanwhile you can prepare hardener dose. Take syringe with a needle and measure out exactly 1,5 milliliter (or 1,5 centimeter with use of insulin syringe). If emulsion is completely melted you can inject hardener to emulsion. Mix it up. From this moment emulsion is getting cold and soon will become jelly again. If everything is ok you should start applying first photosensitive layer on paper as soon as it possible. Just paint paper with mixture. If you apply two or more layers you should paint first layer vertically, second horizontally then again vertically… Of course before applying another layer, previous layer must be completely dry.

There are two possibilities. First, leaving paper on a table and wait 120-180 minutes. Second, using hairdryer or fan heater to blow warm air on paper for about 30-45 minutes.
It’s very difficult operation because it must be performed in complete darkness without red light. Leaving red light on will certainly destroy emulsion.

After drying your paper is ready to use. You can successfully keep it in safety boxes like any black and white paper. A the beginning it can by hard to notice the difference between right and wrong side of your PET paper. Both sides are quite similar. If you look closely you notice that right side with emulsion glitters.

Don’t you ever put emulsion with hardener back to original container with fresh emulsion. Even whet it turns back to jelly.

If emulsion turns back to jelly while drying or painting your paper you should heat water in kettle and pour larger container. When emulsion completely melt you can continue painting.