System, including methods, apparatus, and kits, for forming emulsions. In an exemplary method of generating droplets, a device may be selected that includes a plurality of emulsion-formation units each including a sample well, a continuous-phase well, a droplet well, and a channel network that fluidically interconnects the wells and creates a droplet-generation region. A discrete volume of sample-containing fluid may be placed into the sample well of each emulsion-formation unit, and a discrete volume of continuous-phase fluid into the continuous-phase well of each emulsion-formation unit. Pressure may be applied to the device with a fluidics assembly after the step of placing, such that the plurality of emulsion-formation units generate droplets in parallel with one another. A pressure signal may be detected from the fluidics assembly. Application of the pressure may be stopped when the pressure signal indicates that a sample well is empty.