artsednet@lists.getty.edu writes:
>I need to purchase silkscreening supplies for my HS students - we're going
>to do t-shirts (unfortunately, no thermofax available). I haven't done
>silkscreening for a while, so I'm about to do a self-taught crash course to
>remind myself of its tricks & foibles. In any case, I've never TAUGHT it
>before...yeeps! I'm pretty sure these prints'll be one color due to time
>restrictions; not sure yet, but in any case, that won't necessarily be so
>next year. I'm sure it'll go fine, but before I get started, I need to
>figure out what to order!!
>1. Any tips on what supplies to get? i.e.:
>-Favorite screen supplies? What kind of mesh? What brand of frame?
>Kickstands?
>-Do you prefer speedball blocking fluid, or cutting stencils with your
>classes?
>-A particular brand of frame or squeegee?
>-Favorite printing inks?
>2. Any general words of wisdom re the printing process? Things I must
>remember?
>
>
I found cutting paper stencils to be cheap and successful for t-shirt printing
using oil based screen ink. Water base ink is a little trickier for this
because it wrinkles the paper. (also, my water based ink always ended up
growing mold. yuck) I just recently got clued in to charging the screen with
ink before applying the paper stencil- squeegee ink through the screen with no
stencil onto test paper, then place the inked screen over the cut paper stencil
and run the squeegee over it. It will stick to the ink- -and this allows
positive shapes to be stuck inside negative shapes without having connecting
tabs- does that make sense? Letters don't have to look like"stencil letters"
that way...
Susan Holland
Visual Art Studies
University of Texas at Austin
susan_holland@teachnet.edb.utexas.edu
