Silk Screening Equipment + Process when it the print room !!

. Squeegee - A squeegee is used for when we want to push the acrylic on the mesh screen all the way up. We want to use the squeegee in one motion making sure it goes all the way up with a simple flow so it covers the whole of the mesh screen. You have to put a bit of pressure on this so the acrylic actually goes on nicely. With these you can get a round or a flat squeegee which will turn out as an alternative process.

Mesh screen we use for when we are screen printing our design from our a image so Positive film. The mesh screens are a bit like tights as they are transparent so there see through you can see your design coming through when you wash it off.When we pick up a mesh screen we can get different sizes but we want to get the right squeegee for our mesh screen so we get an equal outcome when spreading the acrylic onto the mesh screen.  Here as you can see with this image the emulsion has worked and you can see the white outline of the image which will work well once the acrylic is onto it as the mesh has tiny holes on it to allow the paint to go through . 

Step 1 - Silk screen with my design on with using the light box to expose my image onto the silk screen . You get a piece of paper or any types of material really and you place it underneath the mesh screen , so you can screen onto either paper or fabric. You have to get it in the right position so preferably in the middle ...

Step 2 - You can use tape to mark up your margins so everything stays in proportion. Also use masking tape inside the mesh screen so the ink if wet doesn't ooze up through the silk screen and leave marks in the design . 

Step 3 - You decide on the right squeegee that fits your mesh screen . Here the image next to this  he has got the wrong squeegee as you can see he has missed of a bit of the top bit where he has went over it it gone all slogey the ink to make it wonky and run down so always best to get the right one =) 

Step 4 -  You use the palette knife to place the medium (ink) at the top of the mesh screen so a fair bit which will will cover the image. You spread across the top which you even it across, so you cover the whole of the image . when your using the squeegee to press it down with pressure in one downwards movement without taking it off the paper. 

Step 5 - Using the squeegee you coat it downwards in one slow movement which should cover the entire image . Firmly press the squeegee and ink it together and pull it downwards to you. Tilt the squeegee at a 60 - angle .

Step 6 - Once you done that you should have a finish outcome on the paper or material you have used. You use the palette knife to put back any excess of the medium you have used back into the pot . 

Step 8 - Carefully move the wet print to the drying rack to dry. We don't hang our work up on pegs because the ink would drip and get everywhere . 

                                                     
                                                        
Step 9 - Pull of the packaging tape and throw it away  !!

Step 10 - You wash your mesh screen with a  use of a sponge to clean of the medium so you can do another outcome with a different medium so you don't have the ink stick to it so it would dry out . You sponge both front and back of the screen removing traces of the Medium (ink) .... Wash squeegee and palette knife too.

The light box!!  - The light box we use when we want to expose our image onto the mesh screen for screen printing. 

Screen printing is the most versatile printing process . It can be used to print on paper , fabrics etc . Silk screening printing was first adapted by graphic artist in the 1930's and popularized by pop artist Andy Warhol in the 1960's.

Step 1 - We have to get an our image ready that we are going to use for the silk screening process.

Step 2 - We have to clean the glass.


Step 3 close the lid

Step 4 - Heat it up by pressing on button by turning the dial


  Step 5 -When it's heated up we place our  acetate Image (positive film) onto the glass 


Step 6- We put our ready mesh screen on top of our positive film facing the green emulsion side on top so we can see it .

Step 7 - Then we lock it with the two key locks on each side of the light box make sure it locked properly.

Step 8 -  We turn the dial onto on, then we press vacuum button on the box we wait till it's flat for the tubes to get ready the vacuum sucks all the air out which might be underneath the mesh board. The vacuum will keep the mesh board from moving so if anything did move underneath the board the board will not move as the vacuum sucks all the air out. You wait until it's gone solid ready for the cooking of the mesh screen -This is a quick process, the ultraviolet light underneath you will see at the bottom of the light box and this exposes the image onto the mesh board.  

Step 9 - 240 light unit then click onto the start button hold on to the other circle button  for 5 secs for the process to be put it to action. If you don't hold it for 5 secs then your mesh screen will be halfed baked. This will cook the mesh screen so you have to wait till it's done . If you take it out before it will be half cooked so it won't be much point in using in for silk screening then you'd have to do it again then that is a pain to do to start over again.


Step 10 - Too wait till the light unit has gone down and finished .


Step 11 After turn of vacuum - unlock it and lift the lid 

step 12 - Take over to the water bath

 
                                                     
Step 13 - Put apron on so you don't get wet .

Step 10 - Get the jet wash and spray all over the mesh screen till you see the white emulsion coming through . 

Jet wash!! – You use the jet wash when after using the light box you take it to the water bath. You put your mesh screen into the sink bit and wash it down with the jet wash. You want a bit of pressure with the water to get all the excess of the image. You will start seeing your design coming through also use a cloth to rub it to get rid of the excess too.   

Material!!- Paper for screening our design on to a piece of paper so we can see what our outcome will look in a clear view. You can also use parcel tape as well known for packaging so the post office use this. It is is quite good to use as it’s allot thicker. It’s good to try out with different materials when screening your design.~ parcel paper





Acrylic paint!! – We use this to mix up the ink we get a matte shine finish onto our mesh screen.

Acrylic – (medium) however does mix with the emulsion in the big white pot. You can use a plastic container to mix it up in.  
Screen printing emulsion – medium = paper - this is for paper as it is water based ... So the emulsion  for our screens we use is photosensitive emulsion which this allows our mesh screen to be baked .  

Fabric screen printing which works with clothes so it will come of easily in the wash.  High quality so it can go into the wash easily. It’s not used for paper!! As it is transparent….. This will dry allot faster.

If you get it on your hands you must wash it off quickly !!  


Paint (medium) we use this to ink up our image , we can use all sorts of different colors to try out giving you a different outcome . Not a good idea to use white acrylic as it's not really worth using and plus it will dry so fast it will stick to the mesh screen not good =/ .So best not to use this one !!

Palette Knife we use to put the acrylic on to the mesh board and also can get rid of any excess or if you put too much on the board you can easily put it back in the pot. 

Scissors!! – You use to cut things out on paper or on any fabric you want to cut out .

Scoop!! – You use this when you’re inking up the silk screen. You have your mesh screen facing forwards so you have more space to move into. You get the right size scooper to match your mesh screen. You tilt the scooper onto the board and you wait for the wave has gone onto the mesh screen (green azocol). After the acrylic (ink) has gone onto the mesh screen you move all the ink up slowly with the scooper with applying pressure to it. There you will have your coated ink all done but it does take a while for it to dry before using it.

Big board – is used when screen printing a t-shirt, we use our mesh board then put the big board onto the table so we don’t get any ink on the table. You would need to put newspaper onto it so when your silk screening your image onto a t-shirt you will have to get something to hold the mesh screen onto a angle so that it’s not flat on the surface as the acyclic will leak through to the other side of the t-shirt and will start to drip when holding it up. Also it’s a good idea to put a piece of cardboard inside the t-shirt so when you come to silk screen it won’t move and it won’t go onto the other side of the t-shirt.




Newspaper always good to put down so you don't get it all over the desk , because if you did it doesn't come off ... Best to put it down so it doesn't get everywhere ... 

              

 Light box is used when you want to trace an image onto paper or tracing paper instead of drawing it out yourself can be allot easier and quicker.

Hazard Cone – So when near the water bath there can be water everyone on the floor as the floor in the printing room are titles so the water can be very slippery so put the hazard cone on the floor where the water is Also use the mop to soak up the water and put it down the drain near the sink to get rid of the water.

  Paper Towel – to wipe down the sides and to also dry of your mesh screen after you have used the hose to wash it down.

Drying Rack – is where we leave our work to dry .

Peparing For a Silk Screen !!

Step 1 - Put a apron on to protect your clothes

Step 2 - Get a mesh screen 

Step 3 - Choose the size of screen you want 

Step 4 - Get a clean mesh screen not dirty (no specs in it ) because it will give you a poor outcome

Step 5 - Get the right size scooper to match your Mesh screen 

Step 6 - Apply the Alzocol to the mesh screen 

 don't put to much of it on the scooper you don't need loads !!

 

Step 7 - The Azocol is more of a light green how ever it won't work because it needs to be a turqouise colour !! This is photosensitive so won't come out of your clothes so be careful...

Step 8 - Make sure the alycilic is even - The porportion along the troth 

Step 9 - Watch the wave (phototsensitive azolocol)you use the wave to coat it 

Step 10 - You will need a friend to hold the scooper so hold it firm !!

Step 11 - You need to push the mesh board against your foot

Step 12 - Mesh screen  has to face the front

Step 13 - A friend puts the scooper against the screen and starts from the bottom of the printable area - Make a wave!!

Step 14 - A wave is a Azocol it tilts the scooper and slowly push it up P.S Don't make it drip and apply pressure all the way to the top Don't movie it to slow because you won't get it even  so apply pressure !!

Step 15 - Tilt the scooper  back so it doesn't drip and so it doesn't go over it, save ink !! 

Step 16 - Then once it's done you put the screen into the dark cuboard because you don't want the light to get on to it it make the ink dry and plus it is photosensitive  It takes a while for it to dry!!

Other essentials that you will need!! :

1. Penicl - You will need a pencil to draw your things onto paper or for any further outcome drawings.

2 . Rubber - For rubbing things out if it looks a bit weird if you have made a mistake . Best not use this rubber because once you've drawn it you may have to rub it out . With a plastic rubber it will spudge a bit and could get onto your clothes . Putty rubber is best used for when rubbing out a piece work and it's good for smudging in / shading an effect especially with charchol you get a good effect

Pen to draw things with instead of a pencil to add finer detail to your drawings . 

3. Finer liner - Is always good when you want outline your work to make it stand out even more by making it bolder 

3 . Journal - Is used when you want to put your work into your journal . You can use it to annotate your work with your findings and outcomes of your developent of your work . You can explain what you did , and how you did it , what tools you have used. So bascially a detail development document of stages of your work .

Acetate Paper we use this to screen our design onto mesh screen - it is see through you be able to see the dark outline in black and white ... This will work for positive film ... This is one of the easy methods of doing this as it's alot quicker because you can easily change bits on Photoshop making it look more darker or lighter shade of threshold colour . Then you can print it off =) 

                                                                Health and Safety !!



1 . Do not eat or drink in the print room - You could easily spill a drink on someone's work and don't think they will be too pleased if you did . Then it can ruin there work then there have to do it again =/ not good .

2 .Put the bags and coats at the back of the classroom so it's not in the way when your working and plus so you don't rip over anyone's coats or bags .

3 .  Don't mess about with scissors or pallet knifes as this can be very dangerous especially if your running with a pair of scissors .

4. Don't get photosensitive emulision on your hands because it can irritate your skin and it's not a good idea so wash  off quickley .




5. Don't mess with the jet wash due to high pressure the water can spray out fast . You can easily get someone wet which don't think there be impressed by. Also it can get all over someones work , and all over the floor so someone could slip and hurt themselves . 

Always wear an apron in the print room so you don't get any medium (ink )on your or any other substances on your clothes especially if your wearing brand new clothes. It be best idea to wear an apron so you don't ruin your clothes and it will protect you as well . 

7 Don't run in the work place can be dangerous you could hurt yourself .

     8 . Clean the work area afterwards after you have made a mess !!

 

9 . When using the big light box when it is vaccum away don't open the lid of it as that can be very dangerous as the ultraviolent light is preety bright so it could blind you . At the botom is the black shutters as well which opens when the vaccum is in ammence aka the glass will start flying out making you blind and you can gets cuts everywhere on your face so best not to do (open it) leave it until the count down has finished(lighting unit which counts down it will stop once that is done you can unlock it and then remove your mesh screen . It should of expose your image. =)