31 January 2012

How easy is this?

I decided to write a brief post about why deconstructed screen printing is easy and FAST to do and how it can be done any time of the year. Here is goes:
  • The screens are easy to store out of the way. I store mine upright and slide them anywhere I can find room. This is in my kitchen also known as my wet studio. See the screens?
  • Setting up screens takes almost no room and is not messy. I can do this on a table top with plastic the a drop cloth.

  • The wet screens can be stacked with spacer until dry in a small space. In this picture I hadn't put the spacers in yet. My spacers are saved jar lids.
  • The screens dry over night (usually) and can be kept in their dry state until ready to use for months. Go ahead and store them upright when dry til you have time to use them.
  • They are self perpetuating which means they keep themselves going. This is what I mean by that. 
  • I make 3 quarts (3000ml) of print paste - fast and easy. This will probably last a year.
  • I take a small plastic dish with a lid and mix 1/2 cup (250ml) print paste with 1 teaspoon of MX dye powder. I do the primary colors and black. That's just 4 small dishes in the refrigerator. This too will last a long time. I will use it before it goes bad - months.
  • Once I "deconstruct" the screens, I will have 6 empty screens that I have washed. They dry quickly - the screen in minutes and the frames can be wiped dry. I can start over again before the work area has been cleaned up by using the left over dye paste to "re-set" the screens for another day. The dye paste also can be stored for months.
  • The batched cloth can be kept warm even in winter with rice bags. These are cloth bags filled with rice which can be heated in the microwave oven and laid on the fabric. Cover with a towel.
  • MOST of the batching occurs in the first hour between the temps of 70-110 degrees Fahrenheit  I am guessing that is 20-30 Celsius.
  • The fabric can be folded in plastic and put on a tray and stored out of the way until batching is complete - about 24 hours.
This is the most efficient way to "color" fabric. It is all contained in plastic, small and doesn't spill. Low water immersion takes up lots of room with tubs and containers and can spill. It is also heavy to clumsy to move.
The time involved is very small for 1. setting up the screens (day 1), 2. deconstructing the screens, 3.re-setting the screens with more dye. (day 2) , and 4. washing out the fabric. day3. It just keeps on going - self perpetuating. This is why I LOVE it plus I really love the results. Quick and rewarding. Now I am NOT  saying everyone "should" do it for these reasons but concerns about time and space really aren't part of the picture.

I hope this is an encouragement. This technique is just too much fun to miss.

2 comments:

  1. This is definitely an encouragement, thank you for your additional info!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for this encouragement, I will try soon!

    ReplyDelete

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