Top Techniques

Welcome to my new page of top tips for techniques on textiles and anything else that I have learnt along the way. If you have any questions or there is something in particular you would like to ask-then post a comment and I will get back to you with an answer as soon as I can!
As a Surface Designer I use many different techniques to get my images/designs onto fabric one that I do enjoy doing is Screen Printing. I do not have regular access to large print rooms since leaving university so I have to adapt and make my work fit into my little 'studio' which is actually my garden shed!
The first step to screen printing is to get your image onto your screen. Unless you are intending on doing lots of printing, then I would not advise in buying all the exposing equipment, I would however, recommend you to buy your screens from Thermo Fax Screens. Simply follow the instructions on the website to get your own image onto a screen.

You will need a crisp black and white image-see the samples below. The black areas will the areas that will be exposed and that is the image that will print-so take care that you don't have too much black on your image. You can create your image using Photoshop or any image package or use one of your own drawings. If you are not competent on the computer,  you can post your image to Thermofax.

Here you can see two samples of images that I have on Screens. The first is hand drawn then, the second created in Photoshop

 

Then once you have your screens you can begin printing! I will post next week on just how easy it is to Screen Print on the kitchen table!