Wish List Wednesday :: Pulled by Mike Perry

Pulled: A Catalog of Screen Printing

Popularized in the 1960s by Pop artists such as Andy Warhol, screen printing remains a favorite of artists due to its remarkable versatility and relatively low cost. In Pulled, best-selling author Mike Perry (Hand Job, Over and Over) collects the work of more than forty of today's most talented designers who are, in their own way, pushing the boundaries of this dynamic medium. (Blurb courtesy of Amazon.)

Screen Printing Videos

Karin Persan from Better Than Jam shows how she uses contact paper as a stencil. This video is courtesy of Threadbanger.

This was my first screen printing video. I still look back on it from time to time. It's a collaboration from Make Magazine and Etsy.

Diaper Pouch

I'm weening from a big diaper bag to something small. Small enough to fit in my purse. My youngest is almost completely out of diapers. I still wanted to be able to carry some essentials, in case of accidents, just to be safe. The diaper pouch fits a pack of wipes and 3 diapers with room to spare.

I added a velcro pocket to the back and decorated with topstitching.


The front is screen printed and has some topstitching for decorations too.


Fabric used :: linen
Ink Used :: Versatex

And The Podcast List Grows

I've learned a lot about screen printing thanks to Ryonet videos. Now I can download them from Itunes and take them to go. Available online as well.

Tips and tricks for all things Adobe. If you love Layers Magazine, you'll love these podcasts.

Diy fashion. Download through Itunes or visit the website and view online.

Fun funky sewing and crafting with Threadbanger.




LOST fans this is for you. A podcast straight from the writers.

More Podcasts I'm enjoying.

All these podcasts are available through Itunes as well as online. Click the links to go directly to their websites.

New Print :: Bamboo

I've been wanting to print bamboo for awhile now. I finally got to it. I love bamboo, and pandas seem to come with it.

This is a 3 layer/color print. Printed on cold press paper. The paper was thick enough that I didn't need to use spray adhesive. (I use spray adhesive to adhere paper to printing surface.)

Frame was from Blick's 110 mesh, wooden. I was a little uneasy about this screen, I needed detail and I wasn't sure if I could get this with the 110 mesh and the frame was warped! I didn't check before the first initial wash, but it was definitely warped after.

To utilize the screen I burned 2 layers on the 1 screen. When I went to print I blocked off the (entire) image I didn't want to print with masking tape.

Here are the different layers/colors. Sorry the photos are bad. The sun hasn't been coming out these past few days. Here is layer/color 1 (very pale yellow) ...

Layered on top is a darker more ochre yellow. The pale yellow acts like a background highlight ...

3rd layer/color ...

4th layer/color was originally going to be done with Gocco. The paper was to large to fit in my PG-11. I had been doing so well with registration with the traditional method, that I kept with it.

*I'm not forgetting you Gocco!*

Here is the 2nd colorway ...

Snap It

Do you see the clumpy ink? How about the smudges?





This was a result of not achieving good off contact (paper sticking to screen). If your screen doesn't snap/pop up after you squeegee across, this is what could happen. Not only is there smudges on the paper but, on the back of your screen as well. Clean those off or you'll have a nasty surprise on your next set of prints.



Happy printing.

Exposed

I've been asked a few times about my exposure unit. Here is a picture of mine from a previous post ... link. When I was looking for ideas to build a home exposure unit, I turned to Flickr. I rounded up some pictures of exposure units, here are the links ...

1. katybeck
2. USB
3. iamrobbieknight
4. bunchie 30
5. Dan of Future's Past
6. ibran
7. mlatulippe

Checkout Angie's home built exposure unit.

On My Desk Wednesday :: Screen Printing Mess

The good kind of mess ...

Here is a print I'm working on. Started out 3 layers/colors, now 4. This is a picture of the screen after the first layer/color was printed. I have a future post on this print. Once I'm all done, I'll post more.

Here is a close up picture of my registration tabs ... technique courtesy of Print Liberation.

Reclaiming An Old Screen

Screen ready for reclaiming (photo emulsion removal).

In the process of being reclaimed. Screen is coated with Speedball's Photo Emulsion Remover.

After photo emulsion is remove. Their is still spots of screen filler left. I remove with Speedball's filler remover. TIP :: remove the screen filler first. If it's not removed first, any photo emulsion under filler will have not been removed.

Ready for a new image.

Speedball's photo emulsion remover is so easy to use, strips the emulsion off with ease.

Screen Your Stuff

Picture via.

Authors :: Marion Levy and Veronique Georgelin

"A Fun, Funky Introduction To Silk-Screening ... " (Quote from cover.)

Sums it up very nicely. This is a 63 page introduction to screen printing (no technical). It's filled with fun ideas and tips, here and there. Favorite parts of book:

• Ink mixing formulas.
• Tips for fixing stencil screen printing problems.

If your looking for a more in depth, how to, technical ... this is not the screen printing book for you. I was very disappointed in this book. They cover only about 1/16 of the world of screen printing. There is a small section on stencil screen printing and that's about it, and 15 projects with vague directions. This book assumes you already know how to screen print and offers ideas on what and where to print. The resource page was the saddest. I like being introduced to new places where I can find supplies. They only list the big name chains ... Joanns, Michaels, Dick Blick.

On a positive note ... I did pick up some useful tips and I love looking at pictures of inks, screens, anything having to do with screen printing.

First Attempt at Screen Printing Repeat

I should have started off with something more simple. Instead I chose a design that had a diagonal repeat. I wish I could take credit for the design. But, I can't. I downloaded it from Brusheezy.

Here's my markings for screen placement.

I used spray adhesive to hold down the paper. Since I was using the kitchen table, I didn't want to apply the spray adhesive directly onto the table.

I covered the table with freezer paper than applied the spray adhesive to that. A special thanks to Angie for the freezer paper tip ... it worked great!

Below is a picture of the underneath of the screen. I propped my screen up with quarters (about 1/8" off contact). I have noticed that with thinner ink and paper, maintaining off contact is not as important as with thicker inks and fabric. Plus side to off contact ... I can move my screen around the paper and place it down without the screen touching the printing surface. Which turned out to be very important in lining up my lines.

What you see in the picture below:

• First print/color done. I was getting ready to print the second layer. I used stencil screen printing method.
• Freezer paper covering my table.
• Stencil is under screen with marks ready to line up with screen.
• Screen taped and ready to go.

Here is a close up of the final print. This was practice for me. It was my first attempt at repeat patterns. I had lots of practice with a big piece of paper. The first few prints didn't align as nice as the others. When I went to do the second print/color, the registration wasn't that good with the first ones I originally printed. Toward the end you can see my progression. The picture below is not perfect registration, but it's pretty dead on.

Screen Your Stuff

Photo via.

Authors: Marion Levy, Veronique Georgelin, Pauline Ricard-Andre.



Another screenprinting book I'd like to add to my library. Amazon's release date is September 16th.

Off Contact

It's important that your screen doesn't lay directly on your printing surface. You want a good off contact, about 1/16"-1/8". The screen needs to clear after you bring the squeegee across. The screen should pop up slightly.

I came across some problems during my last screen printing session. Hopefully my dilemmas can help someone else ...

This is what the ink looks like on fabric with bad off contact. The screens stick to the fabric. When you peel it off, it looks like this ... (pic below) ... thick and has peaks.

Here is a pic of good off contact ... (pic below) ... smooth, flat ink.

I thought I had good off contact, but as you can see, I didn't. Not sure what happened. Ever print was different. The screen would clear good in some spots but not well in others. This is my first time printing with a very large screen. On my next try, I'll raise the screen a little higher.

Screen printing, one color, part 1 - This video is about 10 minutes long. The importance of off contact is covered towards the end. I found some really good tips throughout the whole video.

UPDATE: I do not believe that this technique is the only way, this is my experience ...

I have noticed that with thinner inks and paper, maintaining off contact is not as important as with thicker inks and fabric. On paper, when I have used thinner inks, I was able to achieve flat smooth print by laying the screen directly onto paper. Not so with thicker inks and fabric.

Plus side to off contact ... When not hinged, I can move my screen around without it touching the printing surface. Very helpful for printing repeat patterns (lining up) and laying the screen down.

Good Screen Printing Day

I built my first screen (pic below) using this tutorial ... link. I was inspired by how well Sherrin's screen turned out.

1. Built the screen with organza for the mesh, and canvas stretchers for the frame.


2. I made a second attempt at drawing fluid/screen filler screen printing. Since I wasn't sure how this screen would turn out, I thought I'd use it to practice using the drawing fluid.

Here's the screen with the drawing fluid drying.

Here's the screen taped and ready for print. The drawing fluid/screen filler technique was a success. Depending on how well this prints. I plan on using this screen to practice repeating patterns.

Print ...

Notice some smudges?! My screen filler was coming off during print! This is only the 4th print. Even with the smudges, I'm happy with the print.

Here's the screen after it's been cleaned. Look how much filler came off. Whenever I want the filler to stay, it doesn't. When I mess up and need it to come out, it's a lot of pain and suffering to scrub it out.

:: Tip I learned from Print Liberation ::

Canvas stretchers are made from cheap materials. They will only last a few washes. So, I made sure to cover the whole frame with tape. Hopefully I can get a few more uses out of it.

On My Desk Wednesday :: A New Printing Surface

I just finished making my new printing surface, for printing on fabric. All my printing books suggest printing fabric on a cushioned surface. Here's what I did ...

I had some wood laying around and I covered it with batting + fleece interfacing. They are both thin so I combined them (1 layer of each). I sprayed the wood panel with Craft Bond spray adhesive, to prevent the batting from shifting. I covered the batting with muslin.

Here's the back. I used Tacky Glue to adhere the muslin to the back of the wood. I sealed the edges with duct tape. The wood was to thin for a staple gun (I learned that the hard way). It was easy and quick. Best of all, I didn't need to buy anything. I used whatever I had lying around.

Now that I'm printing on a thicker surface, I've added "props" to raise my screen. You don't want your screen touching the surface.

Click here to see the other players.

Print Liberation :: The Screen Printing Primer

Photo via Amazon. For more images ... link.

Authors : Nick Paparone, Jamie Dillon, Luren Jenison

This book has made a wonderful addition to my screenprinting library. It's packed with tips and detailed step by step pictured tutorials.

Covered:

• Chapter 1 :: A Screen-Printing Timeline - History of screenprinting, skipping the boring details.
• Chapter 2 :: Basic Elements of Screen Printing - mesh sizes, frames, inks
• Chapter 3 :: How to Print - how to set up a print area, how to film positive, how to flood a screen, how to use a scoop coater, tips for using photo emulsion, how to build and stretch your own screen,
• Chapter 4 :: Printing on Objects in the World - tips for printing on t-shirts, fabric, boxes, stickers, cds, books, canvas,
• Chapter 5 :: Screen Printing as Business/Art - studio set-up, tips on marketing your work, list of resources

These are just the highlights. Each chapter contains more than what's listed above.

As you can see, this book is packed with very useful information. I highly recommend adding it to you library. Thank you Natasha for recommending this book.

On My Desk Wednesdays

I'm excited to join in this theme. Every Wednesday I'll post pictures of what's on my desk. Click here to see who else is playing along.

I've been doing a lot of screenprinting lately. Here's a shot of my tiny printing area.

Here's a shot of the ink I used. I needed a light gray. To create the gray I mixed super opaque white (Versatex) with a tad of black (Speedball). Consistency was a little on thinner side (due to Speedball), but it was fine after a few minutes.

Printing by Hand Forum

Lena Corwin started a Q&A forum for anyone who has questions regarding her fabulous book (or projects in the book), Printing by Hand. Pop on over if you have a question, or just check what others are asking. It's new so no posts are up yet.

New Tools

X-ACTO X2000

My old craft knife was horrible. It took forever to cut out stencils. It was dull (from the beginning) and it would bruise my poor fingers.

Picked up the X-ACTO X2000 at the craft store. Cutting was a breeze and my fingers love the soft comfort grip. I started using my craft knife more frequently now. How often should I change blades?

DuraBright Buglight

During my web search I came across a couple sites that listed yellow buglights as photo safe lights. I'm tired of applying emulsion in the dark. I hope these work just as good as the yellow photo safe bulbs. Anyone have any experience with these bulbs?

Simple Screenprinting by Annie Stromquist

Photo via Amazon.

I've been eyeing this book on Amazon for awhile now. The book received fairly good reviews. I was disappointed!

A little less than half of the book is technical. The rest are easy screenprinting projects. I did learn some new facts, but their was a lot of vague spots ...

• Example - To determine the distance your light should be placed from image (during exposure), measure dimension of image. Ok, now what? Do I go by the width? Height? Do I combine height and width? It ends there with no elaboration.

I wanted more technical. I'm looking for a screenprinting troubleshooter. Mainly, I was hoping for a more in depth chapter on photo emulsion. It was mostly how to set-up for exposure and the rest was ... check the manufacturer of emulsion. What about exposing tips? How about tips on recognizing over exposure and underexposure?

I was hoping this would be my technical guide. I learned more from Lena Corwin's Printing by Hand. If anyone can point me in the direction of a more advanced/technical screenprinting book, please let me know.