Screen printing is the process of transferring a stencilled design onto a flat surface using a mesh screen, ink and a squeegee. Fabric and paper are the most commonly used screen-printed surfaces, but with specialised inks it’s also possible to print onto wood, metal, plastic, and even glass. The basis of the method involves creating a stencil on a fine mesh screen, and then pushing ink through to create an imprint of your design on the surface beneath. Some individuals may enjoy free handing a stencil directly over the mesh, however I prefer to have a set plan, I developed my design prior to the mesh screen prep, in which I opted for the common light sensitive emulsion method.
More elaborate methods of preparation can be selected, designing and carving through newsprint/blotting paper, lower gsm and a thinner surface is easier to cut through and sticks to the mesh of the board easily. You can choose to elevate your stencil further by free handing directly over the mesh with ink, or quickly cutting simplistic designs etc.
The process is sometimes called 'silk screening' or 'silk screen printing' and while the actual printing process is always fairly similar, the way the stencil is created can vary, depending on the materials used. Different stencilling techniques include:
Using masking tape or vinyl to cover the desired areas of the screen.
Painting the stencil onto the mesh using 'screen blockers' such as glue or lacquer.
Using a light-sensitive emulsion to create a stencil, which is then developed in a similar way to a photograph
Methodology -
- To start, the printmaker takes the design they want and then prints it out onto a transparent acetate film. This will be used to create the stencil. Note if you're printing from home, inkjet prints can print over acetate but the ink may take some time to dry so laser printers a recommended more.
- The mesh screen is then coated with a layer of light-reactive emulsion, which will harden when developed under bright light. - The acetate sheet featuring the design is then laid onto the emulsion-coated screen, and the whole area is exposed to a very bright light. The light hardens the emulsion, so the parts of the screen which are covered by the design remain in liquid form. If the final design is going to include more than one colour, then a separate screen must be used to apply each layer of ink. To create multi-coloured products, the printmaker must use their skill to design each stencil, and line them up perfectly to ensure the final design is seamless. - After the screen has been exposed for a set time, the areas of the screen not covered by the design will have hardened. Any unhardened emulsion is then carefully rinsed away. This leaves a clear debossed imprint of the design over the screen for the ink to pass through. The screen is then dried, and the printmaker will make any necessary touch-ups or corrections to make the imprint as accurate as possible to the original design. The stencil is now ready to be used.
- The screen is then placed onto the printing press, or home screen printing kit. The surface or garment being printed is laid down flat onto the printing board, underneath the screen. There are a number of different presses, including manual and automatic styles, but most modern commercial printers will use an automatic rotary carousel printer, as this allows several different screens to work at once. For multicoloured prints, this sort of printer can also be used to apply the separate colour layers in quick succession. Unfortunately I do not have the funds for a semi or fully automatic press and so I worked manually.
- The screen is lowered down onto the printing board. Ink is added to the top end of the screen, and a squeegee is used to pull the ink along the full length of the screen. This presses the ink through the open areas of the stencil, imprinting the design on the product underneath. Keep an even amount of pressure aboard the squeegee when dragging the pigment down. If the printmaker is creating multiple items, then the screen is raised and a new garment or surface is placed onto the printing board. The process is then repeated.
Once all the items have been printed and the stencil has served its purpose, the emulsion is washed off using emulsion remover, spray and allow to settle in for a minute and half to two minutes before rinsing, allowing the mesh to be reused to create new stencils.
I created designs referring to the floral environment depicted in previous works and multi sensory platforms ie. air dry clay impressions, dried flowers, numerous relief prints and future photography endeavours. I printed over two fabrics, one bearing a suede-esc appearance and the other an iridescent, polyester fabric. I wanted to further exacerbate my use of mediums and processes in order to provide an experience to the viewer. Additionally I painted two leaves with acrylic and impressed them over some cartridge paper as a quick, liable experiment. If I were to change a variable within the acrylic impressions, I would embark upon using water based ink rather than acrylic, given the quickened drying time of acrylic and its tendency to coagulate; I feel a water based ink may offer a more refined distribution of the pigment, along with a slower drying time.
Comments