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Silkscreen is really a photo
print on a silk screen....
The method ( for short), is to
print on a silk screen a photo and then you'll use to make similar prints
on canvas, paper...
For that you need a drawing or
other, done on transparent film (normally I do it on A4 or A3), silkscreen
photo emulsion, correcting fluid and silkscreen glue, a deep fairly big
stretcher, silkscreen silk, a wide very smooth square brush, an old brush
for glue, a very hard nail brush to wash the screen, a squeegee to apply
the paint, an halogen 150 watts lamp, a red lamp, a board covered with
thin sponge, covered on top with black flannel (the 2 very stretched and
stapled to the bottom side of the board), and a dark room, where you can
wash the screens with a lot of running water, like a bath tub, silkscreen
paint (choose your colors, thou my experience, tells me darker ones work
better).
Now, get everything to the dark
room, substitute the normal light for the red one, set a table with the
halogen lamp on top/centre of it, about 50cm apart,
after having stretched gently
with a stapler, the silk onto the frame, brush with an old brush the glue
on top of the staples, inside the frame, and a stripe making a border on
the silk,
Now, this is made with all
lights off, cover all all the screen with an even, fairly amount of silkscreen
photo emulsion, with the smooth brush, place it on top of the black board,
after it has dried (you can get the help of an hair drier), you can light
the red lamp, place your drawing/photo (on film, as said), on top of the
screen, let it for about 30m with the halogen lamp on, the red one off (on
this you have to make some experiences on the needed time) after it has
developed, wash the screen on running fresh water scrubbing it with the
nail brush (this is made with lights on), the parts that didn't get the
light (the ones where, on the film it was black), will come out, living
you with a negative of your photo. Let it dry.
Place the silkscreen frame on
top of paper or canvas, with squeegee apply serigraph paint (which is
water soluble) very evenly, all over (or not), the screen firmly...There
you have your photo print!
--------------Written by Maria Joao--------------- |
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How to burn an image into a
silk- screen.
Most people want to know how to
burn the image into the screen. It is probably the most difficult part of
silk-screening but it is very simple to do.
This tutorial is a simple
outline of how to get your artwork from you transparency to the screen.
This is a condensed tutorial of
what you can find on this commercial site:
http://www.silkscreenbiz.com/
How to burn an image into a silk- screen.
http://www.silkscreenbiz.com/learning/burning.htm
Learn how to print a t-shirt
with the amazing multi color textile printer.
Here you can find a lot of very
good photos
http://www.silkscreenbiz.com/silkscreen3.htm
How to prepare artwork for a
multi-color shirt!
http://www.silkscreenbiz.com/learning/artwork.htm
Step 1: First, you need to
prepare the screen. The screen needs to be degreased so the emulsion will
form a better bond with the screen. This can be done by spraying degreaser
onto the screen and wiping it off.
Step 2: The emulsion will now
be applied to the screen. In a low-light room, pour the emulsion into the
screen coater. Apply the emulsion to both sides of the screen. It is
important that you do not apply the emulsion too thick. It is also
important that a uniform coat is applied to the screen. Let the emulsion
dry for about an hour (or longer) in a dimly lit room. A fan should be
placed about five feet away from the screen to assist in the drying
process.
Step 3: Prepare the artwork. A
tutorial on how to prepare the artwork can be found by clicking here.
Step 4: Place the artwork on
the screen. A piece of glass should be placed on the artwork. This will
act as a vacuum so your artwork will not move while it's being burnt into
the screen.
Step 5: An exposure light is in
included with Package #1, #2, and #3. Place the exposure light about one
foot above the screen. Please take a look at the diagram above, to see how
everything is situated. A black felt or cloth is placed beneath the screen
to absorb light so that no light is reflected back up to the screen.
Step 6: Burning times will
vary, but ten minutes is a safe time. It is better to over-burn than
under-burn the screen and emulsion. After your screen is burnt. Take a
spray bottle and mist the screen with water. Take your screen outside or
to a sink or tub and rinse out your screen. If you are having trouble
getting the emulsion out, you may have to increase the water pressure of
your hose or sink. You should be left with your image burnt into your
screen. Once this step is complete, you are well on your way to printing
t-shirts.
These 2 book really got me
going on the silkscreen tech.: - Silkscreen Techniques - Biegeleisen and
Cohn - Dover (books) 0-486-20433-2-
The Complete Guide to Screen Printing
- Brad Faine - North Light Books (Cincinnati - Ohio) |
