screen printing tutorial - github pages · flow after use) and spray the screen free of any trace...
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SCREEN PRINTINGTUTORIAL
printonanyflatsurface
Experimentwithbiodegradableinks
Makecustompackagingforyourproject
ONLINE BOOKING & REPOSITORYONLINE BOOKING & REPOSITORY
• Film Positive
• Inpreparingyourmotifforprint,keepyourartboardconstraintsinmind,workingreyscale,usePDFandalwaysprintyourfilm100%.
• Dependingontheprinter,youshoulduse“kalkepapir”orregularoverheadsheets.Makerlabwillsoonacquireaplotterforthispurpose.Thatsaid,anythingblockinglightiseligibleforexposure.Asshown,youcanevenmakea“filmpositive”inthelasercutterifyouwish:
• Halftone Image
inPhotoshop,placeandscaleyourimageinadocumentthatcorrespondswithyourprintout(A3,e.g.).
• Goto: IMAGE>MODE>GREYSCALE>BITMAP:• 300pixels/inch• Method:HalftoneScreen• Frequency:54• Angle:45• Shape:Ellipse.
Saveaspdf.Thisgoesforanythingthathashalftone(grey)properties.Rememberthatthescreenmeshisanextremelybinarything;it´seitherlightornon-light.Noin-between.
• Emulsion
• Stirtheemulsiontoavoidairbubbles,pouraheartyportionintothescoopcoater,thenwithonehandonthescreenandtheotheronthescoop,firmlycoatthemeshinoneswiftmovement.Makesuretoapplyagoodamountofpressure.tiltthescoopbackasyoureachthetopofthescreenandlettherestoftheemulsionfallbackintothescoop.Ifsmearsoccurs,alittlepieceofcardboardcanbehandytoevenouttheedgesofyourcoating.
• Returntheresidueemulsionbackintothecontainer.Sealthelid.• Leavethescreentodryinthecupboard.Cleanthescoop.
• Exposure
• Placeyourfilmfacingupontheexposureunit.Makesurethattheglassplateisfreefromanyspecsordust,sincethiswillleaveanimprinttoointheend.Agoodideaistoleadapieceofhosefrominsidethescreenandout,inordertoincreasethevacuum.Closethelidandremembertofastentheclamps.
• Turnonthevacuum,byturningtheknobfrom0toAuto.Aftersome45seconds,switchbackto0.
• Getastopwatchreadyonyourphone,thenturnthesameknobfrom0toHand,andexposeyourscreenfor25seconds.
• Rinse
• Bringthescreentothewashroom(dontwastetimeinthebrightlight)andusethegarden-hosetoquicklywetthemeshonbothsides.Patientlywashdowntheentirescreen,andsoonyourmotifwillappear.Clearthemeshofallresidueemulsion.Atsomepoint,youwillnoticeachangeofcolor(aslightlymilkyblueveil)thisisimportanttogetridoff,asitislikelytoclutterbackintotheopenmeshofyourstencil.withyourhand,gentlyscrubitfreeofthemeshandbesuretoridofanypocketsofemulsionstoo.
• Leavethescreentodry(intherack,notthecupboard,sincethiswilllikelycreatecondensationandpossiblyruinthestencil)
• Rigging and Registration
• Placeandfastenyourscreenonthebench,usemaskingtapeandpapertosealthegapsandedges(orothermotifs)inyourscreenfromclutteringwithink.
• Tapeyouryouroriginalfilmtoyoursubstrate(paper,cardboard)whereyouwantittobe,andusetheguidestoalignyoursubstratewiththemotifonyourscreen.pressdownonthemeshtoorientate.turnonthevacuumwhenyouralignmentisadequate,nowthesubstrateisbeinghelddowninplace.liftthebenchslightly,sustainingthevacuum,andplacetwocardboardmarkersasshown,thiswillensureaconsistencyinregistrationandallowforamoresmoothworkflow.
• Printing
• Prepareyourink:assumingyouareusingawatersolventink(aquaset),addalittlewaterandstirit,untilyougettherightviscosity.(smoothandcreamy-like)
• Agoodideaistohavesomeassistancewhileprinting,asyouwilleventuallyendupwithinkonyourhandsetc.Sohavingsomebodywhocanhelpyoumanagingyourpaperse.g.,toandfromtheprint-table,isagreatadvantage.Remember;onehastoworkefficientlyandfast,withoutinterruption,otherwisetheinkwillclutterandruinthemeshforgood.
• Whenyouareallsetandready,placeagoodportionofinkwithaspatularattheendoffthescreentowardsyouasshown.>-Placeyoursubstrate,andturnonthevacuum.Withthebenchathalfmast,firmlycoatyourprint-areawithinkbypushingthesqueegeeawayfromyourself.Thisiscalledflooding.
• Lowerthebench,andwithbothhands,pullthesqueegeeina60degreeangletowardsyourself,whileapplyinganevenpressure,swiftly.Thisiscalledstroking(NOTE:thistakespractice.)
• Liftthebench,andrepeatthefloodingasbefore,beforeyouremoveyoursubstrateoranythingelse.Itisparamounttokeeptheopenmeshviscous,astheinkdriesoutincrediblyfast.Whenyouhavemadeyourlastprint,donotfloodinkbackintothemesh.
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• CLEANING
• Withaspatular,returntheresidueinkfromthescreenandthesqueegeebackintoit’scontainer.
• Bringthescreenandthesqueegeetothewashoutboothtobecleaned,byusingthe‘kitchenhose’.Makesuretoridofallpocketsofink,sinceeventhetinyspeckscankeepbleedingintotheopenmesh.
• WASH OUT
• oremovetheemulsion(anddeleteyourstencil)mixSaatiRemoverwithwater(1:25)inthescreencleanerspray.NOTE:thisishighlytoxic,sobyallmeansuseglasses,facemaskandgloveswhenwashingoutandmixingthestencilcleaner.
• Spraythesolutionontothescreenandletitsitfor1-2minutes(notmore).Fixthegardenhosetothehighpressuresprayer(remembertoturnoffthewaterflowafteruse)andspraythescreenfreeofanytraceofemulsion.Aso-called‘ghostimage’ofanypreviousstencilsmightbevisiblebutbyholdingthescreenupagainstthelightyoucantellwhetheritisemulsionblockingorjustinkdyeofthemesh.
• Lastly,spraydegreaserontobothsidesofscreenandwipeitwithacleancloth.Thenwashoutagain,andplaceitbackintotherack.
Andlikethecycleoflife,thewholeprocessrepeatsitself.Godsspeed!