![]() ![]() If you have a lightbox, it is useful as you can place your stencils on top of one another and make sure they are looking ok as a layered group. The bolder and blacker the stencils, the better, as here we are going to use the photosensitive coating method, and we want as little light as possible to get through the black areas. Bear in mind that you need a bit of overlap – without this you can end up with white gaps between colours and it is trickier to register the print correctly. It is essential to start with the lightest colour first, so I am painting all the areas that are going to be a light sandy colour. Each stencil corresponds to one of the colours with black paint where the coloured ink will come through the screen. To make a stencil, paint black acrylic paint on semi-transparent film. This will be a three-colour print, with the areas of the paper left white acting as a fourth colour. Simple designs are usually more effective and easier to carry out. ![]() I filled these in quickly, just to see what might go where and give a guide for how my finished screenprint might look. Start by making a rough sketch and then deciding what colours you would like to use. ![]() How to make a screenprint in 9 steps Eliza’s Materials Once the paper is in the right position, the registering film can be turned over out of the way so you can print directly onto the paper. The film should be stuck down to your printing surface along one edge, creating a sort of hinge, so the paper can be slid underneath to give you an idea of where the ink is going to come through the screen. Other useful tools are brown tape (a special low-tack version of the traditional brown vinyl packing tape used block out the edges of the screen and stop ink from going everywhere) and a sheet of transparent film, used for “registering” and making a test print on. It is possible to buy ready mixed inks, however. I make my own inks by mixing acrylic paint with a printmaking medium in a 1:1 ratio. A heavy paper, such as 270gsm, will take several layers of ink more easily, but generally screen printing is very versatile, and you can pretty much print on anything. Screenprints can be made on a variety of papers. The mesh count of the fabric is an important consideration: choose a finer mesh for more detailed work, and wider mesh for blockier work or for printing on fabric. When it comes to materials, your “screen” consists of synthetic mesh fabric stretched tightly over a wooden or aluminium frame. What materials do I need to make a screenprint? This is more spontaneous as the process is more direct and requires less preparation in terms of stencils. Some printmakers prefer to paint directly on to the screen with a screen blocker. Wherever the stencil has had contact with the photosensitive coating, it will not have been “hardened” by the light exposure and will wash away, leaving you with the image you want to print. The screen is then exposed to UV light for a few minutes. The screen is coated, and then a black stencil is placed on a lightbox, with the coated screen resting on top. The coating becomes impermeable when dry and enables you to create pretty much anything in print. The most common way to make a screenprint is to use a photosensitive coating, which is what I will show you here. One solution is to prepare your screens at a printmaking facility, if you are lucky enough to have access to one, and then take them home to carry out your actual printing in your own time. There’s a lot of washing down involved, and if you use the photosensitive coating method, you will need to rig up some sort of light box with a strong fluorescent or LED lamp. It is possible to make a screenprint at home, although the process is quite messy. I’m also drawn to bold colours and strong lines, which is evident in my style of printmaking. I think it’s because I love old retro graphics, which have a textural quality that you don’t get from digital production. I have been fascinated by printmaking – and in particular, screen printing – for years. ![]() Link copied to clipboard Award-winning illustrator Eliza Southwood shows how to make a screenprint using the popular photo emulsion method ![]()
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