Photosensitive Emulsion

Photosensitive Emulsion

Photosensitive emulsion is a light-sensitive coating applied to a surface, typically used in screen printing and photography to develop images.

In screen printing, the emulsion is applied to a mesh screen and exposed to light, hardening the areas that are light-exposed and leaving the unexposed areas soft. The soft areas can then be washed out, creating a stencil on the screen for ink to pass through. In photography, photosensitive emulsion is used in traditional film processes to capture images. This technology paved the way for modern photographic techniques and remains a staple in various artistic and industrial applications.


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Parra's studio, with Parra at the centre, his back to the camera as he works on the large painting takes centre stage, showing a faceless blue woman in a striped dress, painted in red, purple, blue and teal. The studio is full of brightly coloured paints, with a large window on the right and a patterned rug across the floor under the painting.