Block Exposure Edges

Keeping your exposure glass clean at the edges can save serious time during reclaim. When you coat and expose without blocking the perimeter, emulsion builds up where you don’t need it—creating thick ridges that are harder to remove. Every reclaim then becomes a longer, messier process.

A simple fix is to block out the outer edge of the glass before coating and exposing. Use black Gorilla tape or cut-down yardsticks taped directly to the glass to create a permanent clean border. This prevents emulsion from curing at the very edge of the frame, so when it’s time to reclaim, the coating ends in a neat rectangle. The result: faster stripping, less scrubbing, and no wasted time cleaning stubborn edges. It’s a low-cost, set-it-and-forget-it upgrade that streamlines your reclaim workflow.