Normal Acrylic Printing
The most basic form of screen printing. Essentially, you combine a ratio of acrylic to binder at 60:40. When working with white acrylic, it’s better to have more of a 72:25 ratio. The more binder used, the less vivid the print. A higher acrylic ratio will create a more vivid print, but there is also the risk of blocking the screen too quickly, if the acrylic dries.
Neon Acrylic Printing
The same 75:25 ratio of acrylic to binder as with white acrylic and binder. This will help achieve a vivid - neon colour expected. Just like the previous examples, this effect is achieved using a silk screen.
Spot Varnishing
The use of spot varnish (readily bought and sold), printed through either a fabric or silk screen. This is most effective on a darker stock, which is less absorbant. A smooth stock is best, as the spot varnish will sit on the top instead of being absorbed. You can print spot varnish on it’s own (as shown in this section), or you can print it on top of a coloured acrylic print.
Foiling & Flocking
Both of these finishes are achieved by printing an adhesive, then using a heat press to stick the foil / flock to the adhesive. As you will see, there is a huge variety of foils available, but flocking is very limitted. The smoother the stock used, the better the finish.
Phosphorescent Ink
Essentially ‘glow in the dark’ ink. This cannot be mixed with any acrylic, as the effect will simply not work. A ratio of phosporescent ink to binder recommended is 75:25. This works better on a smoother stock. To view the effect, the print needs to be left in the light for some time, in order to absorb enough light. Then take it into a pitch - black room to view the desired effect.
Thermochromatic Ink This can be very fun to work with. You can buy the thermochromatic substance in either an ink or powdered form. The prints I have used in this section have been through the use of thermochromatic ink. T The first group have been printed using blue thermochromatic combined with red acrylic (+binder). When you warm up the printed area, the prints should go from a purple - like red, into a lighter red. This is because the blue combined with the red will appear clear. The next group of prints are normal acrylic prints that have been printed and left to dry. A gradient overlay of just blue and red thermochromatic ink has been overlayed in a box. This means that the print underneath should become clearer when the print is heated.
What was the ‘Process & Finishes Methods’ book missing? The first book ensured you knew of each process, and the ways you could produce them. Images are provided for reference, but these are digitally printed, and do not fully illustrate the finish. This is especially obvious with interactive processes, shown under the ‘Wow Factor’ section of the book.
Each section covered in the ‘Process & Finishing Methods’ book on finishes is covered in this reference book. Why not pull a single sheet out to take with you to illustrate your desired finish?
Examples!