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Intro to Screen Printing

Lesson 2 of 13

Printing Process in Action

 

Intro to Screen Printing

Lesson 2 of 13

Printing Process in Action

 

Lesson Info

Printing Process in Action

So actually we're gonna jump right in and do some printing. We've got an amazing little graphic that I created for this class called Intro to Silk Screen Printing. And we're using the hashtag #CreateToMake. It's actually a hashtag that CreativeLive uses all the time to just sort of highlight what's going on. We've integrated this into imagery and we're gonna go ahead and make a silk screen print with this. I've already rigged up my screen. I'm gonna go ahead and grab some paper. We're using a really nice, rich printmaking paper. It's made from cotton rag. This is a really great paper to use for printmaking processes because it's very absorbent. First, we're gonna go ahead and add a little bit of... a little tiny bit of adhesive here. Do we have a paper towel handy? I don't think we do. We're gonna need to find something to go ahead and wipe that down with. We're just gonna go ahead and apply a little bit of the adhesive, which is gonna help our paper have a little something to stick to...

on this smooth surface. Normally I would use a cotton rag but that's not what I have available here. So that is a low-tack adhesive that's just gonna-- It's a very low-tack adhesive. And it just kind of helps to hold our paper still. You don't really need it per se, but it's gonna be helpful when we're doing edition printing and we're printing multiples. Okay, thank you. It just helps to hold it still. We've gone ahead and placed our paper. You can see I've made little registration marks to tell me where to lay the paper down. Now we're gonna dole out some ink. Use this nice water-based ink here. I really love this stuff, nice and natural. (hums quietly) Okay, this is brand new. Love that sound. As a printmaker, that little sound of opening up a fresh can of ink, there's nothing like it. That means we're about to start having fun. And you can see that this process is a little bit messy. I love getting my hands dirty in the studio. This is where the fun part starts. All right, dole out a little more of that ink. I'm excited to show you guys what this is gonna look like once it's on paper. There we go, that should be plenty. Set that aside over here. I need to get a wet rag to wipe my hands off. For now, that's okay. This is our squeegee that we're gonna use. Silk screen printing is a direct printing process. So we're gonna be pushing the ink directly onto the paper. (squeegee squeaks) So I've gone ahead and flooded the screen. I'm gonna teach you more about this terminology in a little bit. You can see our design is already coming to life here. (squeegee squeaks) Okay, let's lift it up. The big reveal. Oh, better flood that first. (squeegee squeaks) Okay. Now you'll see we have our first silk screen print. I'm excited, we're gonna do a lot more of this today. Gonna set this over here to dry. Erin, I love that. It's like magic. It's like magic. And we can pull another one, too. This is what's so great about the silk screen printing process, especially if you're looking for a way to affordably print your designs onto paper to sell in an Etsy shop, or to sell on an online shopper or create work for craft fairs, this is a really easy and accessible way to get into printing your own work. And it's fast! (laughs) We go from start to finish really, really quickly. Okay. Now we already have our second print done. All done!

Class Description


Screen printing is a popular, fun and creative way to apply your designs to new materials. The idea of taking on a creative outlet can be daunting for illustrators, artists and creative business owners but with Introduction to Screen Printing, Erin Dollar will walk you through the entire creative process with a DIY workflow, making it accessible and approachable for anyone.

Erin Dollar is the talented textile designer and printmaker behind Cotton & Flax. Join her for this beginning class on the art of screen printing, and you’ll learn:

  • How to create a bold design and transparency that will translate well to printing
  • What materials and tools are best for beginners
  • How to work with photosensitive materials and create a dark room in your space
  • Best practices to prepare your screens for printing on paper

Erin has applied her art to a wide variety of patterns and mediums, blending fine art and fine craft to produce fresh and vibrant designs. Learn proper printing techniques and take advantage of her streamlined process for screen printing. Empower yourself with this new skill set and bring this versatile and dynamic craft to your creative space!  

Lessons

  1. Class Introduction
  2. Printing Process in Action
  3. Gather Materials & Setup Worktable
  4. Create Design with a Transparency
  5. Set up your darkroom
  6. Degrease your screen
  7. Coat the Screen with Emulsion
  8. Expose the Screen
  9. Wash out the Screen
  10. Prepare for Printing
  11. Time to Screen Print
  12. Clean-Up & Screen Storage
  13. Examples of Advanced Screen Prints

Reviews

Ariadny
 

Wow, that was a great course. Erin is clear, engaging and encouraging. I would loooove to see a follow up course with her that explores some of the more advanced silk screen printing techniques that she mentions in the last segment. Great job!

Marsha Law
 

Erin is such an outstanding instructor. She's just so confident with her topic and with her ability to communicate. This class helped me realize that I'm not ready yet to start screen printing, which in my opinion is just as important as recognizing when you are ready to try something.

Susi
 

Great beginner course. Helpful terminology. Hope Erin provides a follow up for more complex printing (textiles please). Many thanks.