Information This booklet includes the ins & outs and step by step guides for three specific processes.
WHAT IS SCREEN PRINTING? Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil to receive a desired image. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharpedged image onto a substrate. Basically, it is the process of using a stencil to apply ink onto a substrate, whether it be t-shirts, posters, stickers, vinyl, wood, or other material. Screen printing is a technique you can achieve at Leeds college of art. There are various screens available to you. Such as fabric screens and paper screens.
You can acquire a screen by putting brown tape with your name and course down the side and leaving it in the designated area you will be able to hold a screen for upto one week.
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WHAT TOOLS DO YOU NEED? First consider Health and Safety they’re are measures to take out when Screen printing or for any process these measures will be around the studio and told to you in an induction.
Liquid pigment and transparent base
Equipment:
Paper for screen printing - As well as your chosen stock you should still always have newsprint with you for any spillages or to test your artwork onto.
Pressure washer - To clean your screen. Your Screen you will use a paper screen for artwork and a fabric screen for foiling , flocking & t shirt printing. Squeegee - The piece of equipment you use to pull over the ink over your design. Inks Using water based ink Acrylic paint and transparent base
Ready mixed screen inks Mixing inks
Dryer racks -after screen printing and once you have cleaned your screen off and tidied away your equipment your work is to be placed into a dryer rack this stops the ink sticking to other work or it getting ruined.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO SCREEN PRINT For screen printing the first step you should take is to strip your screen of the previously exposed image this is done using cleaning chemicals (b- strip) which is methylated spirit, this process can also be known as degreasing screen. Next simply leave to dry. The next step is to coat your screen with emulsion take care with step its a crucial part of the process. Only a thin layer a needed. Before you expose your image make sure you have it ready printed from a laser jet printer. Expose your screen by putting it into the exposer unit. After you’ve done this simply wash off and leave to dry before you begin making your prints. Once your screen is dry you are now ready to make your prints make sure you place your screen in the vacuum bed. Before you begin printing make sure your medium is mixed to the right consistency with the ink to ensure the best possible print.
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Using a spatula or a spoon put the desired amount of ink at the top of your design or screen be quite generous so your print is successful. Using the squeegee pull your ink across the design making sure that you have a nice even coat. The best way to achieve this is to make sure you have the squeegee at a comfortable angle.
WHAT IS FOILING? Foil stamping, typically a commercial print process, is the application of pigment or metallic foil, often gold or silver , but can also be various patterns or what is known as pastel foil which is a flat opaque color or white special film-backed material, to paper where a heated die is stamped onto the foil, making it adhere to the surface leaving the design of the die on the paper. Foil stamping can be combined with embossing to create a more striking 3D image.
Foiling is a process you can achieve at Leeds college of art. Its give a different aesthetic to your work rather than just digitally printing something or using metallic colours. You can foil your work either using the heat press or using a fabric screen to achieve the best possible results a fabric screen is recommended.
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WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED? Foiling with a screen: You will need almost the same tools needed to screen print apart from the final step. Image to be exposed on to the screen Fabric screen Squeegee to apply glue Glue Foil Your stock to foil onto Heat Press
Tools needed for heat press Foiling: Stock Variety of different coloured foils News Print Heat Press Your design printed from an ink jet printer.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO FOILING There are two main methods to achieve a foiling finish at LCA. The first method is fairly simply by using a laser jet printed image and a heat press or a laminator. You need to make sure you have your foil cut down to the size of your design and the heat press or laminator at the right temperature which is 160 degrees you keep the press down for 12 seconds. Then you simply put the foil shiny side up on top of your design, in between two sheets of news print and then simply put through the heat press or laminator. This method is the easier option but does not give you as clean of a finish as the second method. The second method utilizes screen printing a glue adhesive onto paper. The first step for this method is to get your screen exposed making sure its a fabric screen. You would repeat the same method as you would for a normal screen print. The main difference between using a screen for foiling and simply screen printing is that you use a glue adhesive rather than an ink. Once you screen print the glue let it dry and then simply repeat putting it through the heat press as you would using the first method. This achieves a clean finish of a high standard which can also be done on thicker and highly textured stock that can not be achieved using the first method.
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WHAT IS LASER CUTTING? Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to cut materials, and is typically used for industrial manufacturing applications, but is also starting to be used by schools, small businesses, and hobbyists. Laser cutting works by directing the output of a high-power laser, by computer, at the material to be cut. The material then either melts, burns, vaporizes away, or is blown away by a jet of gas,leaving an edge with a highquality surface finish. Industrial laser cutters are used to cut flat-sheet material as well as structural and piping materials.
Laser cutting is a really efficient way to cut through materials to leave it with a clean finish. Its also really useful to engrave something. Laser cutting facility’s are available to all students at Leeds college of art.
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PREPARING YOUR ARTWORK STOCK & TOOLS To prepare your artwork for Laser cut you must make your document in illustrator into ‘outlines’ this makes your design a shape so the machine knows what to cut and what to leave. You can select the machine to do different types of cutting . If you are to make your design black outlines the machines default will cut through the black outlines. Its important when laser cutting a design that you select the right stock to tell the machine it is cutting else it either wont produce a deep enough cut or the opposite. This can also be affected if you don’t use the 12mm wood block you place between the laser and your work. You can use lots of different materials in the laser cutting machine. Such as Mdf , card , acrylic , wood & paper.
When laser cutting you must remember you cant cut on reflective services. The only reflective material aloud to be used is mirrored acrylic but you would put it in upside down to avoid the reflection. Acrylic stock produces dangerous fumes , you are advised to have a break and only laser cut on acrylic for up to 15 minutes at a time. Grey Lino is okay to cut on to but you shouldn’t use brown Lino ever because the fumes are even more dangerous then from acrylic.
I IS FOR INFORMATION # 3 STEP BY STEP LASER CUT The first step is to set the machine up with your stock you want cutting. You use the online button which is top right , then the one underneath it which is to show the laser cutter where your work is . Then you miss the menu button and press the bottom one which is the enter button. You will need to put a block of wood underneath the laser which is 12mm this is to make the perfect amount of space between the laser and the material . You repeat this process for every material. You will next need to use the arrow tools next to the online button on the machine and move the laser to the corner of your stock not too close to the edge. Lowest left hand corner first then top right. Once you have done this press enter and it will make the position apply The programme used for laser cutting is called APS - Ethos Use output Material manager setup Material - long list (pick the appropriate material ) Select your stock Cut design Just double check your material manager. Always double check , with small design wont be hot. You should always hover the dust off the acrylic because of the dangerous fumes we don’t want to breathe them in.