Tuesday Tutorial: Screen Print

(obviously that needs a trim still)

Today I'm going to talk about my absoloute love.

Screen print.

Now this one probably isn't as easy to do than the other Tuesday Tutorials I've done, but I thought I'd go over the process and if you're interested a lot of colleges and universities run courses on screenprinting.

***

First of all you need to make up some artwork.

I did a lot of experamenting with circle patterns for mine.

Next you need to transfer your artwork onto Kodatrace or acetates.

There are several different ways to do this but in these pictures the first one I did with Photo Opaque and the second one is Chinagraph Pencil.

Next place your acetates or Kodatraces on the top of the exposure unit (like a giant very bright light box).

Next place the screens on top (I don't have a photo of that because the coating is photo sensitive and the flash might ruin it)

Close the lid and turn on the vacum and then wait until it is "cooked"

Next remove the lid. Your screens will still look kind of greenish but you should have a faint pattern.

 Next you will need to wash all of the green off your screen, this is quite a long process but if it's not done propperly then the dyes won't go through the screen.

Next use gum strip around the sides of the screen so that the dyes won't leak through at the edges of the screen.

Next you are ready to mix your dyes or inks (mine starts of a weird beige colour because I was using Puff binder, but mixing most inks and dyes for screen print are generally mixed the same)

Now you're ready to print.

Apply firm, even pressure to the squeegee and drag it accross the screen (usually about three- five times)

Lift your screen!

Voila!

Make sure you give your screen a good wash to get rid of any extra dye lurking in the screen.

***

Have you ever screen printed before?

How did it go?

***

A song that reminds you of your best friend