Preparing & Exposing Photographic Silkscreens For use with Lesson 3 FOR EDUCATION USE ONLY ©2009 The Andy Warhol Museum, a museum of Carnegie Institute

Preparing & Exposing Photographic Silkscreens

For use with Lesson 3

FOR EDUCATION USE ONLY©2009 The Andy Warhol Museum, a museum of Carnegie Institute. All rights reserved. You may view and download the materials posted in this site for personal, informational, educational, and non-commercial use only. The contents of this site may not be reproduced in any form beyond its original intent without the permission of The Andy Warhol Museum. Except where noted, ownership of all material is The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.

In a darkened room or in a room with a yellow safe light, pour the emulsion into a scoop coater

Coat the screen, applying 2 thin coats of emulsion on each side of the screen.

If your scoop coater is smaller than the width of your screen, coat as shown in this slide.

Once you have one coat on this side, turn the screen upside down to apply the second coat. Then apply two thin coats onto the back side of the screen, again flipping the screen upside down in between coats.

Wipe off any excess emulsion that gathers around the edges.

Store the coated screens in a dark room or light-tight box until they are dry. Screens should dry with the flat side down (the side you used the squeegee on should be facing up). They need to dry perfectly flat. If the screen is tilted even the slightest bit, then the emulsion might dry unevenly and run off the screen.

If you are coating more than one screen, stack them using small blocks in between each one.

Once the screens are dry they may be put in black plastic garbage bags until you are ready to expose them

Expose the silkscreen with the students’ Film Positives. There are different types of exposing units. This one is a light table with clear glass and florescent light bulbs.

This process involves direct contact exposure. There must be no space between the Film Positive and the screen. Build a flat that is larger than your image, but small enough to fit inside the screen to ensure direct contact. Cover the flat in padding and black fabric to protect the screen.

Weigh down the flat with something heavy.

A screen exposure chart should be included with your emulsion. If not, you will need to test exposure times. A good time to start with is 5 minutes.

After your exposure time is up, rinse the screen on both sides. The emulsion that was not exposed to light (because it was blocked by the opaque black areas of the Film Positive) will wash away. Wash the screen until there are very few white bubbles remaining. Store the screen on a flat surface to dry or use a fan.

When dry, screen is ready to proof.

Cutting Stencilsfor use with lesson 5


The first color stencil is Layer 1 the background color. This should be the lightest color of your color combination.

Draw the background rectangle or square in the center of your paper.

Cut this shape by using a cutting tool.

Using the student’s collage as a guide, trace the shape(s) for Layer 2 in the center of another piece of paper.

Cut these shapes, as well.

Repeat the process for Layer 3.

Stencil and Photographic Silkscreen Printing

For use with Lesson 6


Tape your silkscreen using two-inch masking tape.

Tape both sides of screen.

Place your Layer 1stencil on top of a pieceof your final printingpaper. Make sure theopen area of the stencilis in the center of thefinal printing paper.

Keep the stencilFrom moving by tapingit to the printing paperusing two small pieces ofblue painter’s tape.

Place your silkscreen inthe hinge clamps,securely tightening theclamps.

Register the stacked stencil and print paper to the silkscreen. Use tape brackets on the print surface/table to mark the corners of 3 sides of the printing paper. These marks will be guides so that each piece of paper is placed in the same place on the table, ensuring that the printed shape is in the same place on each piece of paper.

Carefully remove the small pieces of blue painter’s tape holding the stencil in place on the final paper.

* Be careful to not move the stencil from its position.*

Carefully close the screen over the stencil paper.

Print the first color using enough ink for adequate coverage.

The stencil will stick to the back of the silkscreen because the ink acts as an adhesive.

For large areas of color (like the background Layer 1) you may need to flood the silkscreen or make two passes with the squeegee.

Continue this process, placing each piece of paper inside the tape marks until all 10 pieces of paper are printed.

Remove the stencil from the silkscreen and discard.

Clean the silkscreen and squeegee thoroughly. The two-inch tape you placed around the edges of the silkscreen in Step # 1 should remain until you are finished printing.

When Layer 1 of your print is dry, place the photographic Film Positive for Layer 4 onto your print and register it to the first printed layer. Tape this to your print using two small pieces of blue tape to ensure the Positive does not move.

Register your next stencil (Layer 2) to the Film Positive. Once it is in the correct place, use two small pieces of painter’s tape to secure it to the print.

Remove the Film Positive.

Place the stacked stencil and print paper under the silkscreen and use tape to mark the edges of your print, as in Step #4.

Repeat the previous steps for printing and cleaning the screen.

Register your next stencil (Layer 3) to the Film Positive. Once it is in the correct place, use two small pieces of painter’s tape to secure it to the print.

Remove the Film Positive

Place the stacked stencil and print paper under the silkscreen and use tape to mark the edges of your print.

Remove the small pieces of blue tape that secure the stencil to your print.

Repeat the previous steps for printing and cleaning the screen.

To print Layer 4, register your Film Positive to your print using small pieces of painter’s tape to secure it to the print.

Clamp your second silkscreen with the photographic image burned onto it in the clamps and securely tighten.

Register your print to the screen and place tape marks on the corners of 3 edges of your paper.

Remove the Film Positive.

Print your final layer and clean your screen.

Documents

Preparing & Exposing Photographic Silkscreens For use with Lesson 3 FOR EDUCATION USE ONLY ©2009 The Andy Warhol Museum, a museum of Carnegie Institute