Newspaper!

Cheap and dirty screen printing: take one.

I decided I HAD to try using newspaper to block the ink.. it seemed so easy and so perfect for the times that I didn't really feel like planning ahead too much, but just jumping in instead. So, I just cut some large block letters out of newspaper and gave it a go! I'm sorry I don't have any photos from the process, I didn't think about starting this blog and recording all my thoughts/process until after the fact.

[HEY]

Doing the large, chunky graphics actually worked fairly well.. the edges are decently crisp, and the newspaper was actually pretty successful in blocking the ink, and held up really well through my very short run (6, I think?).

The downfall to the newspaper was that I just used the first coat of ink to stick the newspaper to the screen.. therefore, the placement wasn't super accurate, as the paper moved slightly when I lowered the screen. Since the newspaper wasn't flush against the surface when I started, some ink did get underneath the surface and onto the paper where I didn't necessarily want it. I wonder if spray mounting it to the screen first would make a difference? I guess that's an experiment for another day.

I also tried adding a second color, to see how a little bit finer details would work with the newspaper, and to see what overprinting would look like.

[two colors, oh boy!]

Cutting the newspaper into finer pieces made it harder to handle itself, but it still worked to block ink just as well, although I still had the same issue with getting ink underneath before I started.

[overprinting...]

The overprinting? Not so hot.. the ink is more opaque (and on thicker) than I had envisioned it to be. I don't really like it, but it was worth a shot.

I definitely need to work on judging the amount of ink I need to coat the area with one pass, if possible... I seem to have to do a few, in all kinds of different directions in order to cover all the area with ink.

I also need to work on keeping my hands clean, because I kept getting little fingerprints everywhere.. that's probably the most avoidable problem I've had so far, though!

Overall, though, this method could work for short runs, if I can figure out a way to stick it to the screen better in the first place...