Can You Use Fabric Paint For Screen Printing? The 57 New Answer

Benefits of water-based ink

Disadvantages for water-based ink

‍

As we’ve already discussed, water-based screen ink is usually a better option when printing on fashion blanks because the ink is so much softer to the touch. If done correctly, you should no longer feel the ink on the garment after washing. Water-based ink does not have high opacity (coverage) due to the viscosity (thickness) of the ink itself. It’s a truly liquid form with low density, which makes colors very dull when printed directly onto dark colored garments. To use this ink on dark colored shirts you need to print a white base or add a caustic to the ink. The discharge agent creates a chemical reaction. Once heated to the right temperature, it actually pulls the color out of the fabric and incorporates the new ink pigment. This allows for nice light coverage. Unfortunately, not all shirt dyes have the same chemical composition. This can result in inconsistent color matching. We recommend several fashion brands that we think are best suited to this process. Royal attire

‍ Next level clothing

‍ Allmade clothing

‍ Bella canvas

‍ The other downside to printing with water-based ink is the limitations of sourcing the right fabric. If you are printing on a dark colored garment, the majority of the fabric must be cotton. 100% cotton is required for best results and vibrant colors. Water-based ink can be used to print tri-blends or 50/50 mixes, but colors will be muted. The dye only sticks to the cotton fibers. If you have other foreign substances in the fabric, such as Polyester, viscose, or modal, the reaction process is limited, resulting in the print appearing faded or dull. So a 50/50 t-shirt would only have about 50% opacity because the polyester cannot accept water-based screen ink. One option to mitigate this problem is called hybrid printing. This is the process of using a discharge base which draws out the dye creating a soft backing and then plastisol or fashion color is printed on top of it. This helps reduce the grip (feel) of the ink while still keeping the colors vibrant. The other disadvantage of this ink from a production point of view is its durability. Unlike plastisol, water-based ink dries out and goes bad. Once you add caustic to the ink, you only have 48 hours to use it again or it will expire. This can be counteracted by adding the agent to the ink before printing, but it can be difficult to judge how much ink needs to be mixed for each job. This process creates more waste. While this is a more sustainable option, this process creates excess waste that can offset the product’s “green” or eco-friendly values. That being said, water-based printing is still the most environmentally friendly type of screen printing ink there is. Softer feel Natural ingredients (for lightweight garments) Allows the pressure to breathe (sweat less) Fabric restrictions Less color accuracy Durability

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Haze color is making a comeback! If you love the raised feel of swollen ink on your shirt, this technique is for you.

No more squirting on puff paint from a tube. You can screen print cut out designs on your Cricut or Silhouette and then watch the ink rise.

Screenprinted with vinyl

If you’re new to screen printing with vinyl, here’s a beginner’s course to get you started. You can use your Cricut or Silhouette to cut out and screen print any design for a better quality shirt.

If you’ve used HTV or iron-on vinyl for your shirts, you’ll love screen printing. With the same flexibility of creating your own custom designs, you can start making quality shirts. Screen printing ink is absorbed into the fabric, leaving a permanent design that will not peel.

Learn more about screen printing with vinyl. Then continue reading this post to learn how to use screen printing to create a puffy ink project!

Necessary accessories for screen printing

mixing the ink

I use Speedball Fabric Inks for all my screen printing projects. This ink is water based so it is easy to clean and easy to cure. You don’t need any fancy equipment. You can cure the ink with a household iron or a simple press.

To achieve the puff effect I use Jacquard Puff Additive mixed with my favorite speedball ink colors. You can even use this when mixing custom speedball colors.

Mix 5 parts Speedball Textile Ink with 1 part Jacquard Puff Additive. I used 20ml plastic syringes to measure this accurately. For one shirt, 30ml Speedball Fabric Ink and 6ml Jacquard Puff Additive yielded just the right amount of ink. Maybe I could have made 2 or 3 shirts out of it.

Using a screen printing press

If you love screen printing, I highly recommend getting one of these simple screen printing machines. They take the guesswork out of ink coverage. If you lift the screen and realize you’ve missed a spot, you can lower the screen back down to add more ink.

If you are screen printing on a table, after lifting the screen, you can accurately reinsert it to add more ink. This is where the press really comes into play.

If you’re interested in learning how to operate a screen printing machine, be sure to check out my online course, which will teach you everything you need to know to master the press.

Heat the ink to activate it and watch it puff up

Once you’ve printed your design, it’s time for the fun part! Grab your heat gun and start drying the ink. As it dries you will see the ink puff up. It is wonderful!

TIP: Keep moving your heat gun back and forth – be careful not to let it stay in one spot for too long. How to avoid burn marks on your shirt!

TIP: Don’t hot press your shirt! You will lose the puffy texture. Just make sure you heat it up well with the heat gun so the ink sets.

Jacquard recommends that you allow the ink to air dry for 72 hours after using the heat gun to allow the ink to fully cure.

Iron-on flock vinyl vs. screen print with added puff

If you are using iron-on vinyl, this screen printing process will help you achieve a similar feel to flock transfer vinyl.

I usually choose screen printing because of the feel it leaves on the shirt. The ink penetrates the material and leaves a pleasantly soft feeling. I’ve never been obsessed with how HTV feels on a shirt.

This puff addition process creates a textured, raised ink feel on your shirt. There are some projects that require this kind of texture, so doing it with screen printing is exciting. I will choose screen printing over HTV anytime!

Today we are going to talk about screen printing on acrylic.

In this guide, we’ll go over the importance of screen printing on acrylic and its pros and cons.

You will also learn the tools and equipment for acrylic screen printing and the step-by-step process of screen printing on acrylic.

In addition, we will talk about techniques used in screen printing on acrylic.

Finally, we will talk about acrylic screen printing machine among other important topics.

Let’s start.

What is screen printing on acrylic?

In screen printing, ink is transferred through a screen onto the acrylic substrate using a squeegee/roller to fill the open apertures.

Because of its simplicity, it is common in many acrylic manufacturing applications.

In addition, it does not cause problems when there is no voltage.

That means it can survive a single swipe.

Sometimes screen printing on acrylic with a hard coating is a bit tricky.

Still, you can achieve this by making some adjustments to the screen-printed acrylic process.

To achieve this you can either treat the plates with corona or control the ink curing very precisely.

acrylic panel

It is much easier and safer to work with acrylic than glass.

This is because it is cheap and offers transparency and a smooth surface just like glass.

Advantages of screen printing on acrylic

Some of the main advantages of acrylic screen printing are:

Screenprint on acrylic

Offers many possibilities for screen printers such as point-of-purchase graphics, flat and thermoformed signs.

Inexpensive as you don’t need any equipment to start working. The acrylic itself is also affordable compared to polycarbonate sheets.

Compared with other screen printing substrate materials, printing defects can be easily erased.

It is durable when printed either directly or on paper and mounted behind the acrylic method. Depending on the type of acrylic used, it offers UV protection between 70-99%.

Acrylic will not fade, crack, stain, wrinkle or peel. Also, it can last for almost 10 years without yellowing.

It protects against moisture when printing directly onto acrylic.

Acrylic is shatterproof, lightweight, and has properties similar to glass, such as clarity, brightness, transparency, and light transmission.

Screen printing on acrylic is unique, especially when compared to other prints on other substrates. This is because it offers a sleek, modern and vibrant look that is great in contemporary decors.

Produces a refracted light that is almost 3D-like and gives greater color vibrancy.

Saves time as it prints directly unlike paper graphics which take much longer. It can be easily recycled if needed.

It is open to creativity as it can be tinted or colored, mirrored or made opaque as desired.

Many coatings can be applied to a film to improve toughness, anti-fog resistance, glare reduction and solar reflection.

The result of his products looks flawless and has no label edges.

Disadvantages of screen printing on acrylic

Also, you should know that screen printing on acrylic has the following main disadvantages:

Acrylic plate with anti-fog coating

The prints on acrylic are easily scratched off during transport. Therefore, you need to be very careful with them during transport, loading and unloading.

In general, acrylic is hard and always difficult for ink to penetrate. This can sometimes occur due to variations in acrylic batches.

Sometimes the failure of the ink to penetrate acrylic is caused by the residue of the cover film protecting the acrylic sheet.

Only UV thermoforming paint can be used, which can stick to many kinds of acrylic plates. This ink is considered ideal for acrylic as it makes it flexible to perform secondary operations such as cutting, bending and thermoforming.

However, using this ink requires careful monitoring of the ink performance during production, and this is tedious.

It is very risky to use general purpose ink because adhesion failure is high.

Acrylic screen printing tools and equipment

When you visit a screen printing hall, it is crammed with machines, other tools and materials waiting to be used.

The equipment is divided into three categories.

These include:

Screen Printing Kit

· Prepress equipment

Before the final product is printed, there are a few things that need to be done.

The print template must be prepared for digital screen printing on acrylic.

You also need to get the screen ready.

Therefore, prepress equipment includes:

Computer with installed design software for creating graphics.

Printer and film to create a stencil on the screen. The created graphics are printed on a transparent film. This printer needs to apply an opaque black ink that should block UV light during screen exposure.

You will also need screens for a screen printer.

For manual printing you need transparency of the image to be printed. This is the tool containing the image to be printed on acrylic glass.

The image should be black.

It is placed upside down on the screen as the back of the screen is flat.

A glass frame: This is used to smooth out the transparency at the top of the screen. It therefore helps hold it in place during the screen printing process.

150 watt bulb: This provides the light that illuminates the screen for about 13 to 14 minutes at about 2 feet from the screen.

The light helps dry the uncovered areas of the screen.

Once the timing is up, this light will turn off.

· Actual screen printing tools and equipment

For the actual screen printing work you need the following important accessories:

Printing Machine: It is always recommended to start screen printing with a six color machine. This allows you to run any print job.

We also have 8 color printing machine and so on.

Manual screen printing machine

Ink: This is also useful. For acrylic screen printing you need UV thermoforming ink. This ink is ideal for acrylic screen printing as it penetrates the surface very well.

Some plastic containers and ink scoops will also be relevant for ink mixing.

In some cases, you can use scales and mixers to help mix the ink properly.

Squeegee: This is used to draw ink across the screen and lay down the print. There are varieties of it to choose from.

Masking Tape: This is used to stick acrylic to the flat surface to hold it in place during the screen printing process.

· Finishing equipment

Reprinting is an important process in acrylic screen printing.

You need the right tools and equipment to complete this process.

The tools and equipment required here include:

Continuous dryer: It heats the ink to a curing temperature so the print lasts longer.

Thermal Sensors: Apart from that, you might also need some thermal sensors like a heat gun or a heating tape. This will verify that the ink is at the required temperature when it comes out of the dryer.

Small Fan: This may be necessary when printing manually. It is used to speed up the drying process of the screen-printed acrylic glass; Otherwise drying would take a relatively long time, e.g. B. 3 hours.

Hand Pressure Washer: This is used to clean the screen immediately after the image is printed. With water inside, pressure is applied. All parts of the screen that were not exposed to the light are washed away.

All exposed areas remain unwashed as they have been dried and hardened by this light.

This equipment is therefore of great importance in manual screen printing for acrylic glass.

Packing Supplies: After that, you may need some bags and boxes to store the finished acrylic products.

Step-by-step process of screen printing on acrylic

The process consists of several consecutive stages.

It requires some areas of the screen to be blocked in order to display the desired image.

The materials needed are screen printing, masking tape, ink, roller/squeegee, acrylic film and foil.

I. print preparation

First you need to prepare your screen and decide on the image you want to print.

When you draw the picture, make sure you leave a border around the drawing.

If you want a multicolor print, make individual screens for each color you plan to use and on separate slides.

Make sure the surface of the acrylic substrate is clean and flat.

ii. Fix and tape the acrylic on a flat surface like a table to prevent it from moving during the printing process.

iii. Place the screen over the top of the acrylic and tape in place to reinforce its stability during printing.

IV. Use a roll of masking tape to tape each corner of the screen to slightly lift it off the table. You can also use small pieces of cads on each corner.

v. Draw registration marks on the acrylic to ensure the ink is only applied to the correct areas.

vi. Apply a layer of ink across the top of the image in a horizontal straight line. Slowly spread over the motif at a 45° angle with a roller or squeegee. Be careful not to push too much ink through the screen as this can cause color gradients in the image.

vii. Scrape off the excess ink with a plastic spatula or spoon, then put it back into the inkwell.

VIII. Slowly remove the screen from the acrylic top to prevent the ink from smearing onto the image. Now let the acrylic dry for many hours without moving it. You can use a hair dryer to speed up the drying process.

ix. Remove the tapes and wash the screen on both sides with cold water spray and a sponge. Gently dry the screen-printed acrylic with a towel.

Once dry, your acrylic screen print is finished and ready to use.

Techniques used in screen printing on acrylic

There are two main techniques that can be used when screen printing on acrylic: digital and manual.

These techniques are particularly relevant depending on the result desired by the printer.

In this topic, we will go through these techniques and their advantages and disadvantages.

1) Digital screenprint on acrylic

This is the use of automatic screen printing on acrylic.

A protective film must be peeled off the acrylic before printing.

This ensures that a clean print is achieved on the substrate.

In digital printing, entire acrylic sheets up to a size of 12.7 x 25.4 cm can be printed.

The machine prints directly onto acrylic and can then be individually cut into the desired shapes and sizes.

The digital machine can laminate and assemble the screen-printed acrylic glass.

Even large banner materials can be printed by digital screen printing for acrylic.

The image below shows a digital machine capable of printing large formats.

Digital screen printing

Advantages of digital screen printing on acrylic

Some of the main benefits of digital screen printing on acrylic are:

I. Screen printing is improved as the machine has both faster dryers and UV cured ink. It offers a faster and more efficient process and can therefore deliver quickly.

It therefore eliminates many of the waiting times associated with hand screen printing on an acrylic substrate.

ii. It produces detailed images. Because even small details are not lost in the end product during the printing process. Keep in mind that this is not possible with manual screen printing on an acrylic substrate.

For this reason, digital printing is preferred for sharp photographic prints or other more complex artworks or images.

iii. Can produce images in large quantities at the same time, saving time and resources. This is because digital screen printing involves few steps compared to manual screen printing. It can therefore handle small, medium and large orders.

IV. The printer only requires an image and acrylic. This process therefore costs less than doing it manually.

v. This type of printing is flexible and allows for variability without increasing the cost and time of production. For example, you can print the same design with lots of captions. This is just a matter of manipulations done in Photoshop on the computer.

vi. It’s eco-friendly because it doesn’t require many materials. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about waste disposal and other chemicals that can be harmful to the environment.

Disadvantages of digital screen printing on acrylic

If you want to use digital screen printing on acrylic, always keep in mind that it has the following main disadvantages:

I. This technology translates a digital file into a color output. This can result in transmission of unintended color dilution or saturation. This loses the purity and true color of the image.

The risk of this is even greater when many printers are used to mix the colors so that they can get shades.

Buying the machine is difficult and expensive, unlike manual ones where the tools are not very expensive.

Also, the machine operator must undergo thorough technical training on machine operation. They need training in handling the machine, cleaning it and sometimes even making minor repairs. This is expensive and time consuming.

2) Manual screen printing on acrylic

If you cannot afford the digital printing option, you can opt for a Careen manual print on acrylic glass.

Here is a summary of what is happening here:

I. Clamp your acrylic sheet firmly to the surface to be processed to avoid slipping during the printing process.

ii. Place the laser print, printed side down, in the center of the acrylic sheet.

iii. Tape the print to the sheet and surface with masking tape.

IV. Rub the back of the print or photocopy with a blending pen. Apply pressure with this pen, being methodical to cover the entire image area.

This pen contains a xylene chemical that releases toner from the print/photocopy and aids in the transfer to the acrylic sheet.

v. Using a heavy wooden or metal spoon, thoroughly rub the back of the paper and the entire image.

The picture is fixed on the acrylic with firm pressure. This application process is called screen printing and is done for each color of the image when many colors are desired.

vi. Peel off a corner of the paper to check the quality of the transferred print. If the image is too light, repeat the steps of pressing the blending pen to achieve the desired result.

The following diagram shows manual screen printing for acrylic.

Manual screen printing

Advantages of manual screen printing on acrylic

It’s less expensive, especially if you have a bulk order. Because once screens have been produced, they can be used again and again for screen printing.

Manual screen printing for acrylic gives the true and exact color you want in your final products. This is achieved because screen printing applies a thicker layer of ink to acrylic, resulting in richer colours.

Designs of various shapes and sizes can be screen printed manually. It doesn’t matter which form. For example, a logo can be made on a pen, a motif on a lampshade.

Manually the object can be maneuvered to ensure a good quality print.

Disadvantages of manual screen printing on acrylic

It takes a lot of time. For this reason, producers cannot process large orders in a short time, as is the case with digital screen printing for acrylic glass.

It lacks the precision that digital printing offers. This is because some important details may be lost during the screen stencil process.

This process requires color separation, especially if you want multiple colors. This is a relatively expensive process.

Acrylic Screen Printing Machines

There are a number of machines such as Galaxy-Jet X al UV flatbed printer, ZXD printing digital acrylic drinking glass printer.

Among others, there is also the acrylic plate printing machine.

Depending on the quality and capacity, these machines cost from around USD 2,500 to even over USD 30,000.

Main features of the machines

Acrylic screen printing machines can produce large prints of about 60*90cm, compatible with acrylic printing material.

They feature an adjustable print tool that supports UV printing on a cylindrical acrylic form.

Some have 8-color ink cartridge design, others 6-color with CMYK+LC+LM two spot colors.

This feature supports the vivid color movement and provides a natural and realistic color effect.

The ink cartridge also has a liquid sensor that automatically sounds an alarm when there is no ink left.

In addition, this device has an automatic print head cleaning.

This will prevent the printhead from clogging when the machine is not running.

It has a laser engraved edge rule marked on the X and Y axis on the print table.

This makes the printing position easy and helps improve the printing effect.

The picture below shows an example of an acrylic screen printing machine.

acrylic screen printing machine

Common problems in acrylic screen printing

Below are some of the identified challenges you are likely to encounter when printing on acrylic.

Screen Printed Acrylic Photo Courtesy Plastic Formers

· Bleeding of colors

This happens when the pigment is loose.

During printing, the printing paste bleeds into the surrounding areas of the image on acrylic with each registration.

This spoils the printed image.

The remedy here is that you should make sure the paint is thick enough that it will stick to the acrylic.

Also, every time you register, make sure you clean the bottom part of the screen.

· Unequal gaps between repeats

Sometimes repeats of the design don’t add up.

Therefore, you must ensure that you calculate the registration of the screen.

You must also check the reports shortly before printing begins.

· Irregular screen placement

This is what happens when you don’t check the reps.

Therefore you must check the repeats before placing the screen to register the pressure.

· Formation of color stains

This occurs when paint is not evenly distributed on acrylic.

This can be remedied by using enough ink and pulling the squeegee neatly over the image.

· Acrylic film sticks to the screen

This is common and causes peeling difficulties.

Don’t press the screen so hard on the acrylic plate. Simply tape the edges with masking tape and slowly run the squeegee over the screen.

Applications of screen printing on acrylic

Screen printing on acrylic is commonly used on items made from acrylic materials.

The applications are very appealing and have been widely accepted in the current market.

· Printing awards

It has been used to print acrylic awards such as the Professor J Anderson Memorial Award and the 2014 Jack Thomas Award, among others.

Below is a picture of some of these screen printed acrylic awards

Print awards

· Printing images

It is applied in printing stunning, colorful images with a 3D raised texture on round items with cylindrical print.

For example in beer and wine bottles, mugs, candles, awards, tubes, cans and glasses.

· Industrial marking

Apart from that, the application is also seen in industrial labelling, in dial and serial plate printing.

This is where direct inkjet printers come into play.

You can print full-color, photo-quality images, logos and text directly onto acrylic.

The image below is an example of an industry logo for PSI.

Industrial marking

State-of-the-art direct-jet UV-LED inkjet printers deliver high-quality prints and detailed text on phone cases and tablet cases.

This is done on board to allow for easy printing of eye-catching raised textured phone and tablet cases.

They are amazing and most customers like them which gives manufacturers a competitive edge.

Printing of consumer supplies

The image below is an illustration of print applications for phone and tablet cases.

Printing of consumer accessories

Printing logos

It is also used to create high quality images such as logos on phone and tablet cases like the ones shown below.

print logo

Print signage

It is used to print both indoor and outdoor signs, name tags, photo ID and luggage tags.

Print signage

Conclusion

Screen printing on acrylic is useful and very relevant for printing labels, logos and texts.

This has also been applied to the printing of drinking glasses, ID cards, candles and organizational signs.

Thanks to technology, this process has been digitized and meets the needs of the rapidly growing population around the world.

However, the manual technique is still widely used to create desired images with pure and true colors.

What is affiliate marketing and how can you get started?! Maybe you have …

People usually want to know where to get the accessory or read reviews so you can find Blick and Amazon links. I would get a small commission if you end up buying something on these two sites, but please shop at your favorite local store if you prefer! More details can be found here. Although I participate in their affiliate programs, all opinions, recommendations, and tests below are my own.

Cloth Block Ink

Okay, for fabric block printing you can go the emboss or screen ink route. Lately I’ve been using Speedball’s Fabric Block Printing Ink (as in the rattlesnake shirt pictured here) and Gamblin’s Drive by Black Textile Ink, both oil-based and washable once dry.

Oil based inks have worked best for most of my applications and I usually get the sharpest and most consistent impressions with them. My textile ink recommendations are based on a large review of the best and worst fabric block printing inks I’ve done.

Note: This post contains affiliate links for materials I have tested and recommend! Please use them if my research and writing inspires you to buy supplies and make cute things. Thank you for supporting my small business!

<<>>

It was 2010.

I was standing in line at the San Francisco art store, tapping my foot impatiently as I waited my turn.

In my basket I had some random art tools, a few colored pencils, but most importantly, a brand new tin of the most beautiful turquoise block printing ink.

I had a 3/4 completed art project waiting for me at home… my first linoleum block printing project. All I needed to complete it was the right color…or so I thought.

Long story short, I went home having printed my very first fabric print beautifully, only to have the ink completely washed out of the fabric the next day when I put it in the wash. Argggh.

The point of this story isn’t to bring back sad, sad memories of when I was a ding-dong and didn’t bother to read labels, but to show you how I screwed things up with block printing and color so many times before that I can help you avoid similar mistakes! (Hooray!)

Hence this detailed guide to color mixing for block inks.

This guide is broken down into a few different sections: what colors to buy, tips for blocking colors, and tips for mixing colors quickly.

I also have a detailed printable page below with specific measurements, what colors I use, what shades I mix… well, as precise as I can be, I just eyeball most things 😉

Side note – I use Jacquard brand block ink for most of my projects. Most of the tips I give you apply universally, but there may be slight differences between paint brands.

I’ll also talk a little bit about specialty colors like metallics, process colors, etc.

System 3 Block Printing Medium turns acrylics into usable block inks. Just mix the medium with your colors and roll it onto your pad! Here’s how:

Mix your Block Printing Medium with acrylic paint in a 3:2 ratio. If you want to print in a specific color, first mix your acrylic paint and then add your medium when you are happy with the shade.

I didn’t do this because I’m reckless.

When you’ve mixed your ink, roll out a thin, velvety layer. Your

Roller should make a zzz sound and not chatter. If this is the case, remove some of the ink and roll out again.

Roll your ink onto your pad – we’re using a lino sheet that we carved earlier…

Put your paper on your pad – we use Kent printing paper.

Use a bar to transfer the ink

onto your paper by rubbing it all over the back.

This block ink works well for a multiblock or reduction print. It’s translucent (unless you’ve added a lot of white – experiment with that

your colors for layering first) so some of the base color shows through.

To print with block media you need:

Benefits of water-based ink

Disadvantages for water-based ink

‍

As we’ve already discussed, water-based screen ink is usually a better option when printing on fashion blanks because the ink is so much softer to the touch. If done correctly, you should no longer feel the ink on the garment after washing. Water-based ink does not have high opacity (coverage) due to the viscosity (thickness) of the ink itself. It’s a truly liquid form with low density, which makes colors very dull when printed directly onto dark colored garments. To use this ink on dark colored shirts you need to print a white base or add a caustic to the ink. The discharge agent creates a chemical reaction. Once heated to the right temperature, it actually pulls the color out of the fabric and incorporates the new ink pigment. This allows for nice light coverage. Unfortunately, not all shirt dyes have the same chemical composition. This can result in inconsistent color matching. We recommend several fashion brands that we think are best suited to this process. Royal attire

‍ Next level clothing

‍ Allmade clothing

‍ Bella canvas

‍ The other downside to printing with water-based ink is the limitations of sourcing the right fabric. If you are printing on a dark colored garment, the majority of the fabric must be cotton. 100% cotton is required for best results and vibrant colors. Water-based ink can be used to print tri-blends or 50/50 mixes, but colors will be muted. The dye only sticks to the cotton fibers. If you have other foreign substances in the fabric, such as Polyester, viscose, or modal, the reaction process is limited, resulting in the print appearing faded or dull. So a 50/50 t-shirt would only have about 50% opacity because the polyester cannot accept water-based screen ink. One option to mitigate this problem is called hybrid printing. This is the process of using a discharge base which draws out the dye creating a soft backing and then plastisol or fashion color is printed on top of it. This helps reduce the grip (feel) of the ink while still keeping the colors vibrant. The other disadvantage of this ink from a production point of view is its durability. Unlike plastisol, water-based ink dries out and goes bad. Once you add caustic to the ink, you only have 48 hours to use it again or it will expire. This can be counteracted by adding the agent to the ink before printing, but it can be difficult to judge how much ink needs to be mixed for each job. This process creates more waste. While this is a more sustainable option, this process creates excess waste that can offset the product’s “green” or eco-friendly values. That being said, water-based printing is still the most environmentally friendly type of screen printing ink there is. Softer feel Natural ingredients (for lightweight garments) Allows the pressure to breathe (sweat less) Fabric restrictions Less color accuracy Durability

There are so many methods you can use with tempera paint. The possibilities are endless. Today I want to talk to you about my favorite tempera painting technique: using a cardboard collagraph and tempera paint to create a print. If you’re familiar with traditional printing techniques, you know it can be an expensive and time-consuming process that requires specialized tools and materials. Depending on your budget, traditional printmaking projects may not be an option.

Using tempera for printmaking is inexpensive. Many of the materials you need can be found in your classroom. It doesn’t get much better!

Here are the materials you will need to craft your Colgraph:

Cardboard

yarn

Glue

scissors

Step 1: Draw a picture on cardboard. Examples of images are sea creatures, animals, abstract designs, people, etc.

Step 2: Glue yarn to cardboard. The students glue yarn to the picture to create a collagraph.

Step 3: Paint tempera on the yarn.

Step 4: Make a print.

VIOLA! You will have an inexpensive and unique printmaking lesson.

Adaptations: Have younger students glue yarn to a cardboard paper towel or toilet paper roll and paint yarn. Students roll the cardboard paper towel or toilet paper roll onto paper to make a print.

Would you like to add color to your print? Use colored pencils, colored pencils, markers, watercolors or oil pastels to add color to the prints. (My favorite technique is to have students paint the prints with watercolors and add lines, shapes, and patterns over them with oil pastels.)

Have you ever used tempera for prints?

What other creative collaboration ideas do you have?

By Gavin Lenaghan in How To

Is screen printing one of the most traditional processes in the fine arts, or is it a relatively new development in printing? From a certain perspective, you could say it’s both; After all, stenciled handprints were among the very first known prints. However, screen printing was not used for art prints on paper until the 1930s.

The most important development in this regard was artist Anthony Velonis, who adapted the commercial screenprinting process for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the largest of the Great Depression-era New Deal programs in the United States.

The screen printing workshop that Velonis established with support from the WPA helped usher in the era of screen printing as a widely accepted art practice. Its respectability, enhanced by the pop art movement of the 1960s, has been used for generations by legendary creatives such as Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Eduardo Paolozzi, Joe Tilson and Richard Hamilton.

But if you’re looking to get into screen printing in the 2020s, what are the basic tools and materials to source first?

Your checklist for screen printing

Unlike some other printing processes, screen printing does not require the use of highly specialized materials that can only be used in a similarly specialized environment. On the contrary – what you need is relatively simple and can be placed almost anywhere.

These staples include:

A screen

A squeegee

A printing table with hinges

stencil material

registration plastic

Water-based screen printing inks

paper

Somewhere with a strong hose for screen cleaning

Of course, there are certain important considerations to the above points. The screens for screen printing are available with wooden or aluminum frames, for example. It’s not too difficult to make a simple wooden screen yourself, but if you want the tightest screen tension and most durability, a professionally made aluminum screen probably makes a lot of sense.

However, the frame is not the most important aspect of a screen. That role is instead reserved for the screen, and your choice of screen will inevitably depend on such interdependent variables as ink particle size and the type of stencil used.

As a rough rule of thumb, the most professional grade inks are associated with the finest particle sizes and therefore a good match for the finest mesh. This allows the most detailed screen prints to be produced.

On the other end of the scale, however, are the more open meshes, which allow for thicker ink deposition, making them ideal for printing bolder images or large-scale (metallic) inks, not to mention printing on fabrics or similarly rough surfaces.

You also need to think carefully about your squeegee

The crucial companion tool to the screen printing frame is the squeegee, which serves to draw the ink across the screen and through the stencil openings onto the paper.

It is the hardness of a squeegee that describes how hard the blade is and therefore how flexible the squeegee is. For example, on most smooth papers, an average squeegee hardness of around 70-80 is ideal; A lower hardness like 50-60 describes a softer blade that applies a lot more ink, which helps when printing on a rougher surface like fabric.

What’s left are the harder squeegees—those with a hardness of 90 or greater—which are best for printing halftones and fine detail work. When making your selection, however, also consider the ratio between the screen mesh and the squeegee blade. As a general rule, coarser meshes are best used with lower hardness squeegees.

Finally, the shape of your chosen squeegee blade also matters, depending on the intended application. For example, if you just want to screen print onto paper, chances are you’ll use the standard square edge squeegee.

However, in cases where you need to apply an extra thick layer of paint, e.g. B. when printing certain types of fabric, you can use a rounded or rounded blade instead. Then there’s the single bevel profile that can be relied upon when printing on glass.

Screen printing can be a whole world of discovery

Assuming you’re now armed with the tools and materials to allow you to get serious about getting screenprinting done, you’re well placed to follow our subsequent blog posts on aspects of this art process such as planning an image and simple stencils.

In the meantime, what’s your experience with sourcing these screen printing bases and is there any particular advice you would give? Don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts in the comments section below.