After seeing some of my prints and oil spill posters, friends ask me what exactly a screen print is and how do I have the space/equipment to make them in my apartment. This post will be dedicated to a behind the scenes look at printing my oil spill poster.
I first got in to screen printing a year ago after I purchased my first Speedball kit. My first attempts didn’t turn out well, but I wasn’t going to stop. I co-worker and I were talking about screen printing at work and she sent me a link to a Michelle Saint Onge’s website. The day before she saw her on Martha Stewart giving a demo about screen printing with old picture frames. I read her blog where she gives very valuable information that led me to doing more research in setting up my own screen printing setup. Since then, I’ve become a little more efficient. I still have a lot to master, but I think i’m finally on the right track.
Step 1: I start out by creating the design in Illustrator and then printing it out on 8.5×11 ink-jet safe transparencies. Since I will be using photo emulsion, the printout only needs to be printed out in black to block out the light that will be referenced later. (NOTE: If you use multiple colors in your design you will have to print that many transparencies and create that many screens).
Step 2: Now it’s time to expose the screen. Before I created the transparency I put photo emulsion on my screen so it could be drying. Photo emulsion is light sensitive so I could not take a photo. I placed my screen face down and place the transparency on top. Then I have a 250 Watt light bulb about 15-18 inches from the screen and leave it on for 10 mins. During this time, the light is exposing everything that isn’t blocked out by the transparency. Since my art work is printed in black, that area is being protected.
Step 3: Now that my screen has been exposed for 10 minutes, I need to wash it out. Since most of the screen wasn’t blocked out, the emulsion hardened and will block ink from going through those parts later. Make sure all the emulsion has been washed out of your design. You can tell by holding it up to the light and seeing if you can see through it.
Step 4: Once the screen dries, you’re ready to print. I use an old card-board table donated by my Mom that I mounted two hinges on. The red that you see on the screen below is filler. Since I want the last pelican to be red I have it blocked it. Usually for two colors you would need two screens but this color is used minimally that you can cheat it by using filler.
Step 5: Now it’s time for ink! I lay a line of ink at the top of the screen and use a squeegee to pull the ink down the screen. I had to act fast so the ink wouldn’t dry int the screen and I didn’t get to take any photos of this process, but here is the finished first color.
Step 6: I previously mentioned how I was using the same screen to print both colors but I had a brain fart and started cleaning out the first screen so I had to repeat the steps and make another screen for the red pelican.
Step 7: Repeat the inking process with red ink. Let them dry and you’re finished!
