SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN

FINE ART PRINTMAKING

l) Screen Printing
Document 2, Health and Safety: pages 6-7

SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS: THE printing inks are non-hazardous water-based

acrylics, which are pushed through a stencil attached to a fine mesh screen with a
soft plastic blade called a squeegee.

Materials: stencil materials, cleaning materials, inks, newsprint, cartridge paper.

Equipment: screens, squeegees, vacuum hand-beds, pressure washer etc.
Student to provide: brushes, masking tape, craft knife, pencils, drawing books or
other visual ideas, photocopies, computer prints and colour-separations from IT
modules. Parcel tape and final print paper available for sale in the studio.

CHOOSING WHICH SCREEN TO USE

Choose a screen that will allow a border of at least 8-10 cms between the
edge of the image and the inside of the screen frame. Check for holes that
might interfere with the image or perhaps enlarge and develop into splits
during printing. Fine yellow mesh (100T) is the standard grade, suitable for
most fine detail and flat background applications. Coarser white mesh (62T)
will print a thicker (more opaque) ink layer, but with some coarsening of fine
detail, particularly a saw-tooth edge on diagonal and curved lines.

SCREEN PREPARATION
a) Stencil removal
1. Remove all tapes.
2. Place screen in washout booth.
3. ENSURE EXTRACTOR IS TURNED ON. WEAR EYE PROTECTION AND GLOVES
Apply stencil stripper solution (white brush, white bucket) to both sides of
the screen.
Leave for a couple of minutes to soften the stencil, then rise the chemical
off with water.
4. EYE PROTECTION, GLOVES. FACE MASK AND EAR DEFENDERS
Close the washroom door, switch on pressure washer and blast the stencil
out of the mesh. Switch off pressure washer, drain screen and put in
washroom drying rack; close the curtain.

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If the mesh is still not clean:
THOROUGHLY DRY THE SCREENMESH
5. EYE PROTECTION AND GLOVES
Brush screenwash on both sides (blue brush, blue bucket). Leave for a
minute (don’t let it dry!), then rinse off the chemical with water before
pressure washing. There is a special way of using the pressure washer for
this – see the technician for a demo.
6. EYE PROTECTION, GLOVES. FACE MASK AND EAR DEFENDERS
Close the washroom door, switch on pressure washer and blast the stencil
out of the mesh. Switch off pressure washer. Rub the mesh over on both
sides with the degreasing sponge, then rinse off well with the water spray.
Drain screen and put in drying washroom rack; close the curtain.

Screenwash Rinse Blast Degrease Rinse Dry

STENCILS
a) CUT PAPER
1. Tape up the inside of the screen with parcel tape.
2. Set the screen up in the press, Attach rubber bungee to back clamps as a
squeegee rest.
3. Position paper, affix registration lays (tabs) and mask round the print paper
with scrap cartridge.
4. Attach stencil to underside of screen with masking tape.
5. Fetch bucket of soapy water, sponge, ink, palette knife and squeegee.
6. Switch on vacuum, pour some ink out on the far edge of the screen and
pull first print.
7. Continue until edition is printed off.
8. AS SOON AS YOU HAVE FINISHED:
Wipe over the top surface of the screen with sponge and soapy water.
Switch off vacuum, scrape up ink from screen and squeegee and return to
inkpot. Take the screen into the washroom, remove stencil and bin it,
sponge the screen over both sides with soapy water and rinse with the
water spray. If necessary pressure-wash out residual ink.(EAR DEFENDERS,
EYE PROTECTION)
9. Degrease, rinse and put away to dry in washroom drying rack.

b) DIRECT DRAWING
1. Take the clean, degreased, dry screen and lay it on top of the drawing.
Trace the key lines and border of the drawing onto the mesh with a soft
pencil. Remove the drawing and replace with a piece of clean white paper.

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 Raise the screen out of contact with the paper with 6-10mm blocks placed
under the corners of the screen frame.
2. Draw the image you want to print, direct on the mesh with a sable brush (or
similar) and Rowney screen drawing fluid. REMEMBER – YOU ARE WORKING
IN POSITIVE - IT IS THE ACTUAL MARKS YOU ARE PAINTING THAT PRINT. Shake
the bottle well before using, pour a little out into a dipper and dilute with a
very little water if necessary.
3. Dry off with a hairdryer. KEEP DRYER MOVING, DON’T GET TOO HOT OR TOO
CLOSE, THE MESH IS EASILY DAMAGED
4. Fetch a clean squeegee, Rowney Blockout and palette knife. Knife a
generous amount of blockout onto one edge of the squeegee and warm it
up with the hairdryer. Stand the screen up and squeegee the Blockout up
the mesh, on the same side that the drawing was executed. Try to get it to
cover in one swipe.
5. Scrape the blockout back into the tin and lid tightly. Wash the squeegee
and palette knife with warm, soapy water. Dry the screen with the
hairdryer. KEEP DRYER MOVING, TAKING CARE NOT TO GET TOO HOT OR TOO
CLOSE,
6. When the blockout is dry, place the screen in the washout booth with the
drawing side facing towards you. Wipe over this side with a wet sponge
and a little cream cleaner. Then spray with cold water to remove all the
drawing fluid. Drain, then dry in the washroom dryer.

Draw Dry Coat Dry Jif Wash Dry

7. When dry, tape up, set up in the press and print.

8. When printing is done, scrape up ink, wipe over with soapy sponge and
take to washroom.
9. Rub both sides vigorously with sponge and cream cleaner, then spray off
with hot water. If the stencil fails to remove, pressure wash. (EAR
DEFENDERS, EYE PROTECTION)

c) PHOTOSTENCILS
Coating the screen
1. Degrease a clean screen, rinse it off and dry it. ONCE DEGREASED, THE
SCREEN MUST BE USED IMMEDIATELY. If you have to leave a degreased
screen for more than 40 minutes it will need degeasing again.
2. Position against the approriate wall bar with the mesh side facing
outwards. Jam firmly in place.

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3. Select a coating trough narrower than the inside edges of the screen
frame, but wide enough to cover the image. Place it on the floor in front of
the screen with the coating edge facing it. Pour a generous amount of
sensitised Folex DC106 emulsion in. Put the emulsion pot back on the
shelf.
4. Take up the trough, press it firmly on the screenmesh above the top edge
of the bottom screen frame. Tilt forward until the end runners of the trough
sit flat on the mesh, wait until the emulsion is in full contact with the mesh.
Then draw the trough horizontally up the mesh, keeping a firm pressure on
all the time. Just before the edge of the trough reaches the top frame, tilt
the trough back to let the emulsion run back in and, hardly stopping, scrape
off the residue of emulsion with the trough edge.
5. Put the trough down. Wipe off any thick residues on the edges of the
screen with a damp sponge. Immediately take the screen out into the
studio and put it, mesh side uppermost, in the drying cabinet. If the Dryer is
already working (it should be set at 40˚C), the screen should be dry in 3
minutes. DO NOT LEAVE IT TO DRY FOR MORE THAN 5 MINUTES.
6. While the screen is drying, go back into the washroom and carefully pour
the emulsion back into the pot, squeegeeing the residue down with your
fingers. Wipe the top of the pot with a clean sponge, lid it and put it back on
the shelf. Wash the trough, dry it and hang it back on the rack.

Degrease Rinse Dry Coat Dry

Exposing
1. Prepare the artwork (eg, oil the photocopy and blot off surplus oil). Take it
into the darkroom.

2. Start up exposure lamp.

Press this button down and hold for

about three seconds, until a faint
light shows around the exposure
lamp shutters.
Switch
on Do not touch any other switch or
here button
and
here

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 3. Fetch the screen into the darkroom, partially close the door: YELLOW LIGHT
ONLY
4. Place the artwork, face up, in the middle of the glass. Put the screen,
mesh side down (the same way up as you will print it) with the artwork
dead centre. Lower the rubber backing and engage the catches. Switch on
the vacuum and wait for the rubber blanket to pull down fully, then pull out
the swivel lock and pivot the glass to vertical.

Warning : DO NOT TOUCH THE PHOTO-CELL ON THE BOTTOM FRAME OF THE UNIT

Clean glass. Plase Pull out swivel lock, Switch off vacuum, undo
positive face-up on glass lower rubber backing catches. Raise backing
and position coated frame. Secure with frame (swivel lock engages
screen, mesh side down, catches. Switch on automatically)
on top vacuum

5. Assuming the exposure lamp to be switched on and activated (if not,

refer to the instuctions on the wall next to the lamp), set the integrator to
20-40 light units, according to the strength of the photocopy, etc. Press the
green button on the integrator and leave the darkroom until the exposure is
finished (leave the door very slightly ajar, so that you can see when it is
done).

Start
button
Digital Increase
readout
light 035 03 Indicator
units;
CANCEL START 5
roughly LIGHT UNITS
equal to Decrease
seconds

ON / OFF

ON / OFF switch
(not normally used)
Exposure times (light units)

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Lith film 10 – 60
Laser print on acetate / Folex laser film 24
Oiled photocopy on 80gsm paper 35
Opaque or black acrylic paint on drafting film 35
Oiled laser print / inkjet on 90gsm paper 40
Black paper cutouts, Folamask Amber/Red 10 – 60

6. When the exposure has ended, go back in, swivel the glass horizontal
again, turn off the vacuum and wait for the rubber blanket to reflate. Then
lift up the rubber backing, remove the screen and take it to the washroom.

c) Developing
1. You can leave the room light on, but MAKE SURE THE INSPECTION LIGHT IS
OFF. Rinse the mesh side (underneath in printing) with lukewarm water,
then turn it round and do the same with the inside of the mesh. All the
development is done from this side (the side that faces up in printing).

2. Now take the developing sponge from its place on top of the booth, fill it
with tepid water and wipe over the entire screen. Rinse the developing
sponge, squeeze it out and put it back on top of the unit.

DO NOT LET THE SPONGE DROP INTO THE SINK.

3. Rinse the mesh again this side to clear away all traces of softened
emulsion from the printing areas.

4. Turn the water temperature to cold and rinse again to chill and set the
emulsion. Put the screen away in the washroom dryer.

Rinse mesh side Turn round, Sponge inside Rinse inside Dry
rinse inside

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PHOTOSTENCIL TROUBLESHOOTING

a) Screen won’t develop or prints too light

Causes Solutions
Developing water too cold Reset temperature control
Positive (photocopy etc) too weak Get stronger positive and try again
Exposure too long Reduce exposure times by 10 -50%
Emulsion pre-exposed or ‘fogged’ Keep coated screens away from all
light (including the washout inspection
light) until they have been washed over
with water at development
Screen stored too long or overheated Expose within 5 minutes of coating, do
before exposure not expose to undue heat

b) Stencil washes away during development or image prints too dark

Causes Solutions
Photocopy not fully oiled Re-oil and try again
Positive (photocopy etc) too dark, or Increase exposure by 50% or get
substrate (paper etc) too thick another copy
Developing water too hot Check temperature
Developing spray too fierce Run the water down the screen rather
than spraying directly
Screen not properly degreased Strip off stencil and try again.
Degrease immediately before using the
screen. Do not leave overnight before
using.
Traces of degreaser on screen Wash off with more care
before coating
Other chemical contamination Ensure thorough cleanliness at all
stages. Thoroughly wash out the
developing sponge before using it:
don’t let it get into the sink!

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PRINTING
a) Setting up
Place the screen on a clean flat surface and tape up all round the image
with parcel tape, taking care not to leave any gaps through which the ink
could bleed. Take the screen to a hand bed and fit it into the moveable side
arms of the master frame. Make sure the clamps that secure the side arms to
the master frame are fully tightened, then lock the screen in place with the
toggle clamps, if necessary using wooden wedges to make up for any lack of
adjustment. Don’t use too much force in tightening the toggles, it is a one-
finger operation. The back two toggles should be in line with the back frame
of the silkscreen. Run an elastic luggage strap across these back two toggle
clamps to rest the squeegee against when printing.
If necessary, raise or lower the master frame with the adjusters at the front
and back so that the mesh is about 3mm above the table surface when the
screen is down in its printing position.

Screen taped up Side arms adjusted to the width of Screen raised. Printing paper put in
and taken to the the screen and locked firmly in Position and 3 registration tabs
screen bed place Screen locked lightly in the fixed to the bed. Scrap cartridge
arms by means of the Brauer tacked round to cover the air holes.
clamps.

Side table with Hand bed set up for printing, with Drying rack emptied ready to
printing paper and squeegee, mixed ink and palette receive The prints as they
scrap sheets for knife. Bucket of clean tepid water come off the press.
proofing with a few drops of washing up
liquid added, and a clean sponge

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Printing, a pictorial synopsis
Screen set up, ink ready. Note the rubber bungee For holding the squeegee.

Lightly sponge over the mesh with a little soapy water.

Move the squeegee to the front and pour ink at the back. The trail of ink must
be a bit longer than a squeegee length, or the squeegee won’t slide.

Print stroke, with the squeegee at a 70° angle.

Print stroke stops well short of the end of the screen. The squeegee is lifted
and put down on your side of the ink, ready for the FLOOD STROKE.

The FLOOD STROKE. The squeegee is angled the same way as the print
stroke, but quite a lot lower, say 30°, and pushed back across the screen to
fill the mesh with ink so that it doesn’t dry and block up the stencil.

The squeegee is then lifted and placed behind the ink, resting against the
bungee strap.

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As soon as the last print has been pulled, the process of cleaning up begins.
All spare ink is scraped up and put back in the pot. The squeegee and knife
are dropped in the bucket of soapy water.

Taking care not to let water run through onto the screen bed, sponge off all
traces of ink from the screenmesh. Change the water if need be. Clean the
squeegee and knife last of all

YOU CAN NOW CONTINUE PRINTING WITH A NEW COLOUR

The final cleaning-up process is exactly the same, except that the screen,
once uinlocked from the hand bed, is taken straight away to the wash room,
rinsed off and rubbed a sponge and cream cleaner to get rid of all inky
residues. It can then be stripped off ready for re-use. If you need to keep the
stencil for further use (and are given permission to do it!): stick a bit of
masking tape on the edge of the frame and write your name and the date on it
in felt tip pen. Make sure this label shows when the screen is in the storage
rack.

CLEAR UP AFTER YOU

Lid the ink and put it away: put the cleaned squeegee and palette knife away:
put away wooden wedges. Put all waste paper in the waste bin.

MAKE SURE THE HAND BED IS LEFT CLEAN FOR THE NEXT USER:
Clean up any ink spills with a sponge: remove all paper masks and tapes:
remove regustration film.

CLEAR WORK OUT OF THE DRYING RACK, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.

Take all your stuff away and keep it in your personal workspace.

UNLESS EXPRESS PERMISSION IS GIVEN, YOU CANNOT LEAVE A

PRESS SET UP OVERNIGHT FOR THE NEXT DAY.

Dave Gibbs, LUSAD Fine Art Printmaking, Tel: 8951 Fax: 228902, E-mail: [email protected]

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