Stenciling + Silk Screen Prints

Stenciling begins with cave painting and prehistoric man placing his hand on the wall and blowing color on and around it leaving the negative image of his hand.  Through the centuries many forms of stenciling have been used, but the invention of paper by the Chinese created an easy material to use when cutting stencils. 

When designing for a stencil remember that what you cut away is what you will see in your design.  Stencils are somewhat easier to register, especially with the clear plastic that many stencils are cut from.  You can make multiple stencils that work together to create a design, each with its’ own color or you can paint multiple colors on different openings of one stencil.  Remember when using a stencil brush the color from the edge to the interior to prevent color from bleeding under the edge of the stencil.  Part of the charm of block printing and stenciling is the fact that they look hand made-don’t fight the process, but use it to your advantage.  The unique look and texture of these processes should be considered a selling point in a mass production society.

If you want or need to have crisp lines, text, photorealism then you should use silk screen.  The process can be as simple as a paper stencil applied to a screen (usually good for 20 to 60 prints) to commercially prepared rotary screens that can print thousands of yards.  We will explore the low-tech end of silk screen-something you can do easily at home.  If you want to have a more complex design, but do not have the equipment to expose a photo screen there are silk screen shops in every large city that will make screens for you with your art work.

Again when designing for silk screen what you take away from the design is what will print.  Color separation (dividing the design into different color areas) is necessary since you need one screen for each color printed. 

If you build your own screens you can use a lacquer film bloc, paint on block out like varnish or shellac or commercial block outs.  Additional ways of creating your design would be to create a black/white image in Photoshop or Illustrator and print on an acetate sheet to make your blockout for a photo screen.  Photo screens may also be exposed with ink drawn directly on acetate. I find it easiest to use commercially available water based pigments for printing, but thickened procion dye works well also-it is just more work mixing the colors and they cannot be stored and used as long.

Supplies you will need:

Padded Print Board-generally any slightly padded surface will work.  With the type of ink we are using I like to have a surface at least 24” x 24” padded with an old blanket, quilt batting, polar fleece and then covered with a smooth vinyl.  You can get upholstery remnants cheaply.  If I am printing sleeves I make small pads to fit inside the sleeve and stretch it.

Inks- We used Nazdar Aqua Set Inks in class.  These are available through dealers-I purchase mine at Chicago Silk Screen Supply on Milwaukee.  I like these inks because they have a soft hand, excellent wash fastness, the colors are easy to mix, but they are transparent, which means that you cannot print light colors on black with these colors.   These inks work on 100% cotton or 50/50 cotton/poly blends.  Versatex and Speedball also make inks that are available from Dick Blick.  I find that these have a shorter working time and dry in the screen.

Most of these inks also have an extender base available-this is used to create light colors and also may be used to “extend the color” or thin the ink without changing the color.  These extenders are cheaper than the inks and are used to lower your cost of production.

Silk Screen-   Wood-1”x2” are good unless you get into larger size screens, then I would go to a 2”x2”

                        Screen mesh-110 mesh is a basic size to use for textile printing

                        Staple gun/staples-staple on an angle

                        Duct tape-to block the edges of the screen after you apply your design(to keep ink from leaking around the edges of the design

                        Varnish(if desired)after you build your screens if you varnish the wood it will make

the screen easier to clean.

Squeegee-these come in different sizes and types, almost any will work for textiles it is more a personal preference.  Square edge, rounded-you may purchase them by the inch for specific screens, they should be longer than your printable area so that you do not get streaking.

Block Out Material for design-

                        Paper-we used a wax backed freezer paper available online from paper suppliers or you can use a “heavy weight brown paper” if it is light weight it puckers when it gets wet.  The freezer paper should be used with the shiny side up.

                        Ulano Stay Sharp Laquer Screen Film & Adhering liquid

                        Photo Emulsion

Many other types of block-outs are available, what you want to consider is whether you want to use the screen without restretching new screen mesh or if you want this to be a long-term use screen.  If you are doing a short run of prints, 20-40 and never plan to repeat the design it makes sense to try and use a block-out method that does not tie up the screen.  If this is a design that you plan on repeating time after time, or year after year-then invest the time and money in making a dedicated screen.

Other block-out materials: liquids painted directly onto the screen and allowed to dry (varnish, commercial mask), found materials (leaves, string), contact paper, tapes, ect.

Silk Screen Supply List

Dharma Trading Co.                         Dye for cotton, silk, blank scarves in silk

P.O. Box 150916                                          and velvet for devore.  Fiber Etch for devore,

San Rafael, CA 94915                                 Gutta for silk resist, squeeze bottles

www.dharmatrading.com                       

Chicago Silk Screen Supply Co, Inc.          Will make screens, will order printing ink in

882 N. Milwaukee Ave.                                gallon size ( we used Nazdar Aqua Set )

Chicago, Il 60622                                          some colors available as quart size

312-666-1213                                               also photo screen emulsion, squeege’s

There are many online sources for screen printing materials Standard  seems to have everything and they will make screens for you as an online source

Dick Blick Art Materials                                They carry a line of fabric inks that can be used

Around town and online                                for silk screen and they have materials to make

                                                                        stamps and also carry stamp ink that is thicker

                                                                        than the ink we used.

www.Blankshirts.com                                   Good prices on t-shirts

www.ulano.com                                             Information on silk screen & laquer film products

Books:

Complex Cloth by Jane Dunnewold:  basic book that covers many techniques in a “low tech” way

The Surface Designers Handbook by Holly Brackmann: basic technique book