Silk Screening Method 3

Another Wednesday, another method for silk screening!!

This one is my personal fave! This is the way I was first taught and I find it to be the simplest. I don't think it actually is the simplest... but in my mind it's less work...

To do this method you need the standard:

A Screen to push the paint through, if you need to make your own build a frame out of wood and cover it with a silk or meshy material (as mentioned in method 1 and method 2).

Stiff tool to push the paint through

And the not so standard:

an overhead projector

a transparency of your image

Screen Printing Photo Emulsion and Sensitizer

(you should be able to get both of these, they'll be sold together, in a craft/art store)

a towel that fits snugly inside your frame when it's folded up

To make your screen, mix the photo emulsion and sensitizer together per instructions on the bottle (usually 4 parts emulsion to 1 part sensitizer), and spread it over your screen using the same method mentioned for pushing paint through in method 1 and method 2.

Allow to completely dry in a dark room (keep in mind the sensitizer "paint" is going to be light sensitive so it's important it dries in a dark room, I usually put in under a box covered with a blanket as well... cuz I'm paranoid like that...)

Once the paint is dry you'll need to work quickly to expose the image on the screen which means it's a good idea to have everything set up and ready to go before you take your screen out of the dark room.

To expose your screen and create your print, tape your transparency to the overhead projector, place your screen, with the dry light sensitive paint on it, on top of the transparency, fit your towel into the frame and turn on the projector.

Any area exposed to the light will basically cook and fill in the material and the areas blocked by the lines on the transparency will stay empty so you'll be able to push paint through those areas. The tricky part when exposing your screen is to make sure you don't overexpose as this will also burn your image into the screen, making it unusable. Try a couple of tests to figure out your timing as each machine will vary, I exposed mine for roughly 5 minutes.

When you are done exposing your screen wash it. All the areas blocked by the lines on your transparency will wash away!

And if you have a couple little boo-boos like I do in the above pic, just grab a paint brush and fill it in with the screen filler you used in method 2.

Once your screen is dry you can go crazy printing! (same painting methods used in 1 & 2)

Hurray!! You have now learned all my silk screening knowledge. I love making prints and then using them but still have a lot to learn.

I hope you try either this method or method 1 or method 2!! Let me know if you do and send some pics of your finished project(s)!

Happy Printing!