So it sounds like you're using a photoresist, printing the negative PCB image on a clear sheet, then exposing it to UV to harden the photoresist? I (we) tried that in college a couple times, and never got any good results. Although I think it may have worked had we used the turkey baster, instead of just submerging it (see below).

However, we did have success printing the image onto t-shirt transfer paper.
basically:
-Print image with as heavy toner as the printer would allow
-Heat the copper clad board in an oven for a while
-Pull the board out of the oven, and immediately place the paper on it,
-Hold iron on transfer paper, moving around slowly
-after a while, throw the board & paper in a tray of water. The paper will soften and lift up, leaving the traces.
-Use a black magic marker to fix any lifted/broken traces.
-When etching, we found it worked best to use a turkey baster to flow etchant only over the parts that needed it. If we just submerged the board, the edges would be done way before the middle.

Good luck
-Dave