HOW TO SUCCEED AT SILK-SCREENING

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Now, make a few sample prints on some scrap paper to get the feel of silk-screening, then go to it! The monotone prints (see Photo 9) can be hung to dry on an indoor clothesline, or on a print dryer ... which can be made of a series of spring-type clothe—spins nailed at three-inch intervals to a strip of 1" X 2" wood.

There are a number of problems that can crop up during printing. For example, the stencil can become clogged with dried ink if you work too slowly. To remedy such a situation, make repeated high-pressure prints on scrap paper. If that fails, just rub the clogged areas from both sides with solvent—soaked rags. Also, your ink may sometimes smear on the bottom of the stencil. This is a result of careless printing, thin ink, or excessive pressure. Usually, the excess ink can be wiped off with a dry rag. If spots of ink come through in unwanted places, a piece of masking tape on the screen bottom will provide a temporary fix. When the print run is finished, scrape any excess ink from the screen and save the "paint" for future use.

You can print a second color on the same sheet of paper (as Susan did) by following the procedure that you used for the first part of the design. (For speedier and more efficient production runs, you might want to use a separate screen for each color's stencil.) When colors are overlapped or side by side within a design, the second printing must be done with precision, using a print on clear acetate as a guide and paper "Z" tabs to exactly position the sheets that have already been printed with one color (see Photos 10 and 11). However, proper alignment—or "registration"—wasn't critical for Susan's finished flyer (see Photo 12).

SAVE THAT SCREEN!

If well cared for, a screen will provide many years of use, so proper cleanup is very important. However, ink removal requires lots of solvent (mineral spirits), so be sure to wear latex gloves to protect your hands. First, though, use paper towels or wads of newspaper to get rid of as much ink as you can. Then put some newspaper under the screen, flood the cloth with solvent, and rub the inside with rags until the mesh is clear, as shown in Photos 13 and 14. (Hold the screen up to the light to check for "pinhole" blockage ... and remove any such "stubborn" ink with acetone or lacquer thinner.)

When you're finished with a photostencil, it can be permanently removed from the screen with warm water and a scrub brush (be sure you won't ever want to use the design again before doing so!). A touch of chlorine bleach can be used to take off any "tough" spots, and the screen should then be washed with dish detergent and rinsed well.

T-SHIRT TALK

T-shirts-with-a-message have become extremely popular in the last few years, and can supply a silk-screener with a profitable home business. (I know of one young woman who—in the space of just a few months—accumulated so many commercial T-shirt accounts that she now works full time at home filling her orders.)

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