Printmaking
Printmaking is the art of creating images by transferring ink from a prepared matrix(like a wood block, metal plate, or stone) onto another surface, most often paper or fabric, allowing for multiple original art pieces to be made from the same design. Key techniques include relief (lino & woodcut), intaglio (etching), planographic (lithography), and screenprinting, each involving different methods of creating and inking the image on the matrix for transfer.
Relief Printing
Block, or relief, printing includes linocuts, lino prints, woodblock prints, rubber stamping - pretty much any method where you carve into a material (a block, plate, etc.) and print an impression of the carved surface with ink.
One of the reasons linoleum block printing is very nice and accessible is that you don’t need that many supplies to get started. You really can make an easy lino print at home with a small number of materials.
If you’re trying to put together a linocut kit, here are some popular supplies.
Linoleum - Speedball Unmounted Linoleum Grey is a fine, flat, smooth surface that will reproduce sharp, clear prints without gaps or hollows. It is 1/8" thick and has a jute backing. It is our preferred surface for carving since it yields better detail, and if you're finding it too hard a surface you can always use heat to make the surface a bit softer. Leaving your block out in the sun, using a hairdryer or a heatgun are all good methods. And if you're in a pinch, turn the oven on to the lowest possible setting. You want the linoleum to be warm, not hot. Speedball Speedy-Carve Lino Blocks are created from a revolutionary material, they provide you with an easy carving experience without having to sacrifice too many details.
Carving Tool - Speedball Linoleum Carving Tools - Crafted from high-quality steel, Speedball Linoleum cutters are hand-ground with edges that are ideal for carving into soft or linoleum blocks. There are of course other types of carving tools, i.e. for wood, but we figure if you're reading this, you're probably staring your printing journey on a relatively softer material such as linoleum.
Block Printing Ink - If you’ve never printed before, you might want a water-based ink. And, if you’re printing on fabric you’ll probably one to try Speedball Fabric Block Printing Inks & Extender - Made from a water-washable oil, these inks print with bold, opaque colour. They are great for printing with linoleum, wood or soft block surfaces onto paper or fabric.
Soft Rubber Brayer / Roller - There are numerous widths of brayer ranging from narrow to 12 inches wide. Speedball Soft Rubber Brayers are some of the most common affordable ones. The brayer is used as a method of transfering the ink onto your printing block in a nice even layer so that it is ready to press or print.
A Baren (or Big Spoon) - though the ideal method of printing is on a press, most beginners use the back of a spoon or a baren to print.
Printmaking Paper - The ideal paper for relief printmaking is a strong, absorbent, and often thin. Japanese washi (like Kitakata or Kozuke) and Western cotton rag (like Fabriano, Somerset, or BFK Rives) being popular choices, while lighter-weight papers are great for hand printing and heavier ones suit a press. For relief printmaking, paper with "interior sizing" will have a soft, absorbent surface, moderate strength, and be flexible enough to take an impression. Internal sizing, added during the papermaking process, allows the paper to absorb ink evenly while still controlling bleed. It also makes the paper ideal for certain techniques such as embossment.
Step by Step - Block Print.
Design: Sketch a design onto a smooth block of material, keeping in mind that the final print will be reversed.
Carve: Use cutting tools to remove the areas that should not print, leaving the image parts raised.
Ink: Roll ink onto the raised surface of the block using a brayer (roller), ensuring ink only adheres to the higher areas.
Print: Place a sheet of paper or fabric onto the inked block and press it down, either by hand (burnishing) or with a printing press, to transfer the ink.
Repeat: The process can be repeated multiple times to create an edition of prints.
Speedball Fabric Ink for all your Textile Projects
When printing onto fabric, you will apply more ink than you do when printing on paper. You’ll get the knack of it, with practice.
Here are some techniques to keep in mind when block printing on a t-shirt or fabric:
Ink the block with a slightly thicker layer of ink than you would if printing on paper.
Do not expect white ink to be opaque enough to print brightly on dark t-shirts. It will likely look a little gray.
Print it a couple times on paper first to 'prime' the block.
Pre-wash the t-shirt or fabric you're printing on.
Put some paper or cardboard inside the t-shirt or under your fabric in case the ink bleeds through.
The inked lino block gets put facedown on the t-shirt. Mark where you want to place the block on the fabric with blue painters tape.
If you are printing pretty big blocks and you don't have access to a press, exert as much pressure as you can down on the block with your hands, baren or even a rolling pin.
While the manufacturers of the oil-based inks say that heat setting is not necessary, hang the printed t-shirt to dry and then heat set in a dryer on hot for 20 minutes.
1. On what fabrics can I print using Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Inks? Smooth fabrics that do not possess a heavy texture or stretch are best for use with Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Inks. Cotton, Linen, Broadcloth & Denim are examples of ideal fabrics for use. Nylon and canvas are not recommended.
2. How long do Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Inks take to dry on fabric? Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Inks will dry to the touch overnight.
3. How long do I have to wait for Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Inks to become permanent on fabric? Depending on your climate, we recommend waiting 4-7 days before washing your fabrics after printing with Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Inks.
4. What does water-washable oil mean? While formulated to possess the working properties of oil-based inks (permanence, tack, etc.), Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Inks are easily cleaned up with soap and water.
5. What surfaces can I use with Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Inks? Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Inks are ideal for printing with linoleum, wood or soft block surfaces.
6. What brayers are recommended for use with Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Inks? Soft Rubber Brayers are ideally-suited for use with relief ink.
Screen Printing
Practically speaking, screen printing is not a complicated process. It is nothing more than pushing a thin layer of ink through a stencil image on a fabric screen. But screen printing is like magic. Ask any practicing screen printer, no matter how many prints they have produced, and they will admit to you that they still experience a rush of joy and anticipation in pulling the squeegee, lifting up the screen frame, and revealing their printed artwork each time. As a pioneer in the formulation and manufacturing of safe and high-quality screen printing supplies, Speedball proudly provides screen printers of all ages and skill levels all that’s needed to explore their creative processes.
Creating Your Workspace
Before you begin printing, you’ll need a usable space in which to print. When deciding where to print, here is what to consider:
• Access to Water : For cleaning screens and tools or washing out screens. Bathtubs, showers, and utility sinks work great, as do large kitchen sinks.
• A Flat Surface To Print : A table that you don’t mind getting dirty or a workbench works perfectly.
• Area To Dry Your Prints : Whether you are printing posters or shirts, you will want a large area for laying all your prints out to dry.
Basic Tools
Squeegees
A typical squeegee is either a flexible plastic blade or a long rubber blade in a wooden handle. Speedball produces a variety of sizes and styles of squeegees including plastic or wood handles and 3 different types of rubber. No matter which squeegee you
are using, keep in mind that your squeegee blade should be semiflexible, straight, and clean with no nicks, dents or crud.
The Screen
The “screen” in screen printing is the wooden or aluminum framed fabric through which you print. In the past, silk was the fabric of choice for these screens — which is why the technique was called silkscreen — but now all screens are polyester. Thread-per-inch “meshes” determine the resolution of the screen. Screens with high mesh (200–300) can print fine detail, and let less ink through the screen. Lower 85–150 mesh screens print less detail, but let more ink through, which is helpful when printing on textiles. The mesh on a brand new screen can carry some oils, dust, and dirt from the manufacturing process, and can be problematic for emulsion and/or drawing fluid to adhere.
Before using your screen, you should tape up the seams where the fabric and the frame meet on both the top and bottom of the screen. This will help with the structural integrity of the screen, and keep water and ink from collecting in the seams of the screen frame.
Printing Inks
Speedball produces both fabric inks as well as acrylic inks (for printing on flat paper.) They are both water-based inks, contain no fumes, and clean up with soap and water. The inks come in a broad range of premixed colors, but can always be mixed together
to create custom colors.
♦ Both acrylic and fabric inks can be used to print on paper, but only fabric ink will work on fabric!
Additives
There are ink modifiers available as well; extender and transparent base create transparent color and retarder base slows drying time of inks. Obviously, water is essential for cleanup, but since you are using water-based inks, water can also be an asset while printing as well.
• Add a bit of water to thin out thick ink for easier printing. Ink should feel “yogurty.”
• A couple spritzes from a spray bottle is a great way to keep your ink and screen from drying out while you’re printing
Media
Paper
When printing on paper it is best to print on as thick a piece of paper as possible. Paper is measured in pounds (lbs) and categorized by text (thin) and cover (thick). Text weight papers will be way too thin for water-based inks and will wrinkle and warp. Paper stock labeled “80lb” cover or heavier will be a dream to print on. Also, make sure to print on an “uncoated” paper — which means the paper does not have a shiny coating on it. Water-based inks can have a hard time adhering to coated paper.
Fabric (Shirts, etc.)
When prienting on fabric, first make sure you are printing with inks made for fabric printing. Other water-based inks will just wash right out when put through the laundry. After printing on fabric your ink will dry, but you still need to “cure” your ink to the fabric, also known as heat setting. Speedball water-based fabric inks can be cured by using a household iron. Check your iron settings compared to the fabric you printed on. Use only fabrics that can be subjected to temperatures of at least 275°-375° F. Do not use nonporous fabrics such as nylon. Place a piece of paper (simple copy paper is best) over top of your printed design and cure with a hot iron for 1-2 minutes.
Frame Base/Hinge Clamps (optional)
A Speedball frame base or hinge clamps can assist in keeping the frame stationary while printing, instead of having to hold the frame yourself. Some Speedball kits include the frame base. The frame base requires attaching the included hinges to the base and frame to allow the frame to be held in place and easily lifted up and down during the print process
Additional helpful tools
• Spatula and empty container — essential for creating custom mixed colors.
• Bowl with Water & Sponges or rags — you’re going to need to clean up sometime.
• Speedball Speed Clean™ or dish soap – helps clean screens and tools more effectively.
• Scrub brush — primarily for removing screen filler, or photo emulsion from the screen.
• Masking tape, Packing Tape or Speedball’s Block Out Tape — essential for numerous purposes.
• Apron and rubber gloves for printing and working with emulsion.
Step by Step - Stencil Screen Print.
Introducing yourself to the screen printing technique. The stencil method is best for fast, graphic image making
This technique relies on cutting your stencil out of thin paper. Given its simplicity, it requires the least amount of preparation, but paper stencils also allow for limited detail.
1. With a pencil, draw your image on a sheet of paper. Allow for at least a 2” margin on all sides between your image and the inside of your screen frame.
2. Using your craft knife and cutting mat or other safe cutting surface, cut your drawn image out, creating your paper stencil.
3. Position your paper stencil under your screen in preparation for printing.
4. To create a cleaner and crisper printed image, it helps to have the mesh slightly up off your print surface until the moment you press it down onto the surface with your print stroke. This is called “off contact.” A coin or piece of foamcore taped under each bottom corner of your screen can be an effective way to provide enough “off-contact” for the mesh before you print.
5. Place your sheet of paper underneath your screen and adjust your sheet so that it is placed accurately in relation to your image stencil. You may need to lift and lower your screen a few times to check placement.
6. Once your print paper is placed correctly, carefully lift up your screen, making sure to not move your paper, and stick two pieces of thick tape or thin cardboard against the bottom edge of your paper, and two on the left or right edge. These registration tabs will stay on the table and act as a “jig” to keep all paper placed in the same area under your print.
*If printing shirts or bags, cut a piece of thick paper, cardboard, or foam board to slide inside the shirt to keep ink from bleeding onto the other side when printing.
7. Now we get to print! Pulling your squeegee is the heart of the craft of screen printing. The speed of your pull, squeegee angle, pressure, and “inkwrangling” are some of the core skills for a good print. The full print stroke is comprised of pulling the ink toward you on the “print stroke,” then lightly pushing the ink back up to the top of the screen as a “flood stroke” to re-ink the screen and print again.
Step by Step - Screen Filler Method
Lacking equipment and think photo emulsion too complicated, this method is for anyone can execute hand-drawn/painted imagery. You can achieve greater detail and control without need for exposure.
Drawing fluid and screen filler work together to create a painted stencil. This is an effective technique for detailed hand-drawn images, or images with a “painterly” quality.
You can either sketch your image out on paper first or you can apply it intuitively. If you are using a sketch, make sure you allow at least a 2” margin between your artwork and all four sides of the inside of your screen. Lay your screen face down on a flat work surface.
Drawing fluid
Anything drawn with drawing fluid will become your printed image, so you may take advantage of the opportunity for painterly lines in your drawing.
• If you are tracing a sketch, place your sketch under the screen.
• Using drawing fluid and a paintbrush, paint your desired image. (Fig. 1)
• Try not to let the drawing fluid collect and drip through the screen, or become too thick.
• Once done, let your screen dry completely.
Screen Filler
The purpose of screen filler is to coat all areas of the screen which you do not want to print. Do not let the screen filler become too thick or drip through the screen. Don’t worry if the screen filler does not fully cover all the way to the inside edges of your frame— you will be taping these areas just before printing.
1. Stir the screen filler thoroughly. (Over time, it will settle forming a white layer on top.)
2. Working over a sink, carefully drizzle a small amount of screen filler along one end of your frame onto the same side of the screen as your drawing fluid.
3. With a SINGLE PASS of your squeegee or any flat-edge tool, coat the entire screen including your drawn image. (Fig. 2)
4. Do not "overwork" the screen filler over the drawing fluid or it will dissolve some of the drawing fluid.
5. Let your screen dry completely.
6. Once the screen filler is completely dry, rinse your screen front and back with cold or room temperature water.
7. As you continue to rinse your screen, the blue drawing fluid will begin to wash away from underneath the screen filler and reveal your painted stencil. (Fig. 3)
8. Hold your screen to the light to check on the quality of your stencil. If some portions of your stencil are not washing out, scrub gently with a non-soapy scrub brush. Conversely, portions of your stencil which are unintentionally washing away can be touched up and patched with tape or screen filler once your screen is dry.
9. Once you have effectively washed out your image, set your screen aside and let your screen dry one last time.
10. To create a cleaner and crisper printed image, it helps to have the mesh slightly up off your print surface until the moment you press it down onto the surface with your print stroke. This is called “off contact.” A coin or piece of foamcore taped under each bottom corner of your screen can be an effective way to provide enough “off-contact” for the mesh before you print.
11. Place your sheet of paper underneath your screen and adjust your sheet so that it is placed accurately in relation to your image stencil. You may need to lift and lower your screen a few times to check placement.
12. Once your print paper is placed correctly, carefully lift up your screen, making sure to not move your paper, and stick two pieces of thick tape or thin cardboard against the bottom edge of your paper, and two on the left or right edge. These registration tabs will stay on the table and act as a “jig” to keep all paper placed in the same area under your print.
*If printing shirts or bags, cut a piece of thick paper, cardboard, or foam board to slide inside the shirt to keep ink from bleeding onto the other side when printing.
13. Now we get to print! Pulling your squeegee is the heart of the craft of screen printing. The speed of your pull, squeegee angle, pressure, and “inkwrangling” are some of the core skills for a good print. The full print stroke is comprised of pulling the ink toward you on the “print stroke,” then lightly pushing the ink back up to the top of the screen as a “flood stroke” to re-ink the screen and print again.
Step by Step - Photo Emulsion Method
The best method best for Creating a photographic stencil of a pre-printed black and white image. Photo emulsion allows for the highest fidelity and detail. Almost anything you can print from a black and white printer you can expose as a photo stencil. Because of the specific tools and intricate steps, this is also the most complicated technique.
There are numerous ways to experiment with tools, techniques, and exposures to fulfill your specific print needs or limitations. Be patient with your process. This is the most magicfilled of the three stencil-making techniques.
Notes on Photo Emulsion
Speedball’s Diazo Photo Emulsion is a 2-step process where the photo emulsion needs to be “activated.” To activate the emulsion, sensitizer must be added. The sensitizer is a very thick oil and needs water to create the right consistency for adding it to the photo emulsion. The big advantage of Speedball’s’ Diazo Photo Emulsion is there is no need for a light safe environment. Simply working under normal light will keep the emulsion from premature exposure.
Mixing Emulsion
•Locate your bottle of photo emulsion and little bottle of sensitizer. (The sensitizer bottle is not empty!)
• Fill the sensitizer bottle approximately ½ full with water (tap or distilled water works just fine.
• Recap sensitizer bottle and shake vigorously! A craft stick can be used to scrape at the bottom to ensure all the material is stirred and dissolved.
• Open your bottle of photo emulsion – it will be bright blue.
• Carefully pour your mixed bottle of sensitizer into the bottle of photo emulsion.
• Stir well with a stir stick until all the sensitizer is thoroughly mixed into the photo emulsion and it turns a grassy green. (If you’re worried you did not get all the sensitizer out of the bottle, it is ok to add a small amount more water to the bottle, shake again, and add it to the emulsion.)
• Store any unused emulsion in a cool, dark place. The shelf life, if refrigerated, is approximately 4 months.
Coating the Screen
The fundamental goal of coating a screen is to thoroughly permeate the mesh with emulsion without overly saturating it and leaving emulsion dripping off your screen as it dries. coating with a squeegee:
• Lay your screen horizontally over a sink, tub, etc.
• Pour a generous bead of your mixed emulsion along one end of your frame.
• Place your squeegee behind the mixed emulsion and in a nice easy motion, draw it across the screen, coating the screen with emulsion as you go.
• Continue this step with the squeegee to ensure the one side is fully coated.
• Repeat this same step so you coat one side (length-wise) and then rotate and flip your screen to coat the other side (width-wise.)
• To remove excess emulsion run your squeegee over your screen lightly. The extra emulsion can be collected back into the bottle.
Drying the screen
When your emulsion dries it becomes light sensitive and requires your screen to be kept in a dark place. Cupboards, closets, empty
drawers, etc. are all great places.
• Lay your screen horizontally to dry for a minimum of 4 hours. (Putting a fan on the screen will help speed up the drying time.)
• Keep your screen out of light until you are ready to expose. (If you need to move it, you can store it in a black trash bag or a box.)
• You can leave a coated screen unexposed (in a dark place out of direct light and heat) for 1-2 weeks.
Creating your artwork
The most effective image for use with photo emulsion is any artwork with a clear distinction between the black image and the white background. If creating handmade imagery, this would include hard-edged drawings done with black inks on transparent acetate, glass, or plexiglass. (Watercolor washes and light drawings will not expose well.) Another popular and effective way to create an image is to send a high-contrast, opaque image through a black and white laser or ink jet printer on a transparency sheet. The more opaque the artwork, the better. If using an actual photographic image, you may need to explore how to digitally create a black and white “halftone” of the image before you print it. Images with gray tones will not expose well.
Keep in mind, every screen fabric also has a resolution limit of its own, dictated by the mesh count of the screen fabric (see “basic tools” in the “screen” section at the beginning for further insight.) If you are losing detail when you expose your image, you may have too much detail for the mesh count to hold — attempt to create an even more graphic/less detailed image. This problem will arise most often with a halftone photograph image with dots too small to expose on a screen.
Washing out your stencil
• Using a spray nozzle or hose, apply a forceful spray of water to both sides of your screen. (Do not use hot water.)
• Concentrate the water on your artwork as the water slowly reveals your stencil.
• Continue spraying until all unwanted emulsion is gone and you can easily see your stencil. You can check by holding your
screen up to a light and confirm there is no green emulsion in your stencil.
• If your stencil is a bit “stubborn” light scrubbing with a soft bristle brush over the screen can expedite the washout process.
If your emulsion washes out too easily, taking your image with it, your exposure time was most likely too short and you have underexposed your emulsion. If your emulsion is extremely stubborn and difficult to spray out of the screen, your exposure time was too long and you have overexposed
the emulsion. But hopefully you have… EXPOSED YOUR FIRST SCREEN PRINTING PHOTO STENCIL!
Dab your screen dry with newspaper or towel (Do not rub! The emulsion is still wet), and leave it to dry fully.
Creating your print
To create a cleaner and crisper printed image, it helps to have the mesh slightly up off your print surface until the moment you press it down onto the surface with your print stroke. This is called “off contact.” A coin or piece of foamcore taped under each bottom corner of your screen can be an effective way to provide enough “off-contact” for the mesh before you print.
Place your sheet of paper underneath your screen and adjust your sheet so that it is placed accurately in relation to your image stencil. You may need to lift and lower your screen a few times to check placement.
Once your print paper is placed correctly, carefully lift up your screen, making sure to not move your paper, and stick two pieces of thick tape or thin cardboard against the bottom edge of your paper, and two on the left or right edge. These registration tabs will stay on the table and act as a “jig” to keep all paper placed in the same area under your print.
*If printing shirts or bags, cut a piece of thick paper, cardboard, or foam board to slide inside the shirt to keep ink from bleeding onto the other side when printing.
Now we get to print! Pulling your squeegee is the heart of the craft of screen printing. The speed of your pull, squeegee angle, pressure, and “inkwrangling” are some of the core skills for a good print. The full print stroke is comprised of pulling the ink toward you on the “print stroke,” then lightly pushing the ink back up to the top of the screen as a “flood stroke” to re-ink the screen and print again.
Reclaiming your Screen
If you would like to re-use your screen for additional images do not leave photo emulsion sitting in your screen. You will need to fully remove the current photo emulsion on your screen before you can reuse the screen. The sooner you remove the photo emulsion, the easier it will be. Photo emulsion left on a screen over time can become permanent.
1. Wash all ink from your screen. Photo emulsion can be removed with Speedball Emulsion Remover. It is natural for some red and black inks to leave a stain on a screen. This will not affect the print ability of your screen.
2. Let your screen dry completely.
3. Apply Emulsion Remover to both sides of the screen with a spray bottle or pour directly on the screen. Let sit and soak for 2-3 minutes.
4. Scrub both sides thoroughly with a soft bristle brush in all directions until you see the emulsion begin to dissolve or fall away (1-3 minutes.) Let sit for an additional 3 minutes.
5. Use a hose with a spray nozzle attachment to spray out the softened emulsion. The more powerful the hose attachment, the easier the photo emulsion will wash out. You can only get one shot at this because if all the emulsion does not rinse out it will become permanent in the screen.
6. Wash your screen once again and let dry.
*A power washer is a professional standard for all screen printing shops, and makes quick work of the most stubborn screen filler or emulsion. Follow the steps above, substituting a power washer for spraying out the emulsion/filler. If you do not own a power washer, many self-service car washes have power washers available. OBSERVE CAUTION with any power washer, the spray can be powerful enough to break the skin.
