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Realizing emerging trends

M.TAF 4

Ms Anila Khokhar

What is linocut?

Linocut is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut. The material is linoleum which was

first manufactured in 1860 as a floor covering material. It is made of rubber and linseed oil with

a hessian backing. The material is softer than wood which makes it easier to cut into the surface

with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge.

The surface is cut in reverse of the final image. The areas cut away will be white (the paper

colour) and the area left in relief will hold the ink and print black or a colour.

To make a print; the surface of the carved blocks is inked using a rubber roller. Then a sheet ofhandmade Japanese paper is laid on top. The back of the paper is rubbed by hand with a baren(bamboo leaf covered disc) or the back of a very old smooth wooden spoon.

When all the inked parts of the image are transferred evenly onto the paper, the paper is peeled

away from the block and hung up to dry. Using the hand method of printing allows for more

subtlety and fine detail to be revealed as the pressure used can be varied.

After the print has dried it can be hand coloured by the artist using watercolors paints or

gouache.

No two colour prints in an edition are identical as subtle variations in colour mixes and

application result in each print being unique.

HISTORY OF LINOCUT

The linocut printing technique was first used by the artists of Die Brcke in Germany from 1905-

1913 where it had been similarly used for wallpaper printing. However, the artists initiallydescribed their prints as woodcuts which sounded more respectable.

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Subsequently, the Japanese adopted the screen printing process and used woven silk to make the

mesh and lacquers to make stencils. The use of silk is where screen printing got its alternative

nameSilk screening or silk screen printing.

In 1907, it was Samuel Simon near Manchester who patented the first ever industrial screen

printing process. Many years later close to the First World War, John Pilsworth of San Franciscodeveloped the Selectasine method, which basically introduced the concept of multi-color printing

using the same screen. Different areas on the screen were blocked out for different color inks,

thus resulting in a multi-colored image. This technique became hugely popular for printing signs

and posters in large quantities.

From using hair to silk to polymer meshes, screen printing has come a long way today. The basic

technique remains the same but with innovation and the introduction of electronics and

computers, screen printing is no longer recognizable as the technique Simon patented.

Equipment Used In Screen Printing

No matter what kind of screen printing machine you have, there is some basic equipment that

will be required. The stencil or screen is of prime importance since it determines the design and

image output. It refers to the frame, the mesh and the photosensitive material on which the image

is created. The Squeegee is the rubber held in a rigid handle. Ink of course. The substrate refers

to the surface on which the design is to be printed. The machine base, which holds the substrate

and allows the screen to print on it and is often the base of the entire screen printing unit. Here

are some tips on helping you select the best screen printing equipment for your use.

Applications of Screen Printing

The substrate or surface on which screen printing can be carried out is too many to be named.

Any surface that can be stretched and printed on is a surface for screen printing. The CD covers

you see are all screen printed. Beautiful cotton fabrics, silk and polyesters can all be screen

printed on. Posters, signs, flyers, advertisements on buses, t-shirts and even watch dials are

screen printed. Thus there are many applications of screen printing.