Preparation of two silkscreen prints at the Print Workshop, Leitrim Sculpture Centre
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Preparing to float the photosensitive emulsion over a new silkscreen
After the emulsion dries, it is ready to be exposed. The silkscreen is put into an exposure machine, on top of a lightbed. A sheet of printed acetate is placed under the silkscreen, lined up in the centre with a straight edge parallel to the bottom. This is so that the prints come out fairly straight when the ink is printed.
Before the machine is turned on, a plastic tube is placed on top of it. One end is inside the silkscreen, the other outside. The machine will also use a vacuum to hold everything down, and the air should escape easily.
The lid is closed, and the machine is turned on. The exposure will take 25 seconds. The vacuum pulls the rubber lid down on top of the silkscreen, holding it in place for the exposure.
After washing away the unexposed emulsion, you can see through the screen.
When the silkscreen is held up to the light it is easier to see if all the emulsion has been washed out.
The silkscreen is put on a board, with two clips on hinges at the top. All the inside edges are taped down in order to stop ink getting into them.
The paper is placed on the board, with the printed sheet of acetate on top. Then it is easier to line it up with the corresponding holes in the screen.
Before printing, the acetate will be removed. After this, masking tape is used to mark the bottom corners of the paper so that more sheets can be easily positioned before printing.
A roll of masking tape is used to hold the screen off the board.
The ink is put on the bottom of the screen with a palette knife. Two colours, teal and magenta will be used in a split fountain technique. The colours will eventually bleed together. Then the ink will flood the holes by taking a squeegee and pushing it to the top of the screen.
One of the finished prints. There is too much ink at the bottom left of the print, making the letters bleed.
Another screen being prepared for photo exposure in the exposure machine.
A closer view of the acetate under the screen. This design has very thin lines. The exposure will be 23 seconds, instead of the usual 25 seconds so that the lines will reproduce well. The plastic tube is placed on top of the screen again, with one end on the inside of the screen and one on the outside.
After printing, the ink is washed away with a gentle stream from a water hose.
