WHEN IT COMES TO making a screen print. first comes the design process, followed by implementation.
DESIGN PROCESS
SOLVE THE PROBLEM
Most wouldn’t think designs solve problems, but they actually do. For instance what if instead of a red sign with white text that read STOP. Was actually white text on a cloud shaped white sign. The contrast of white on white in the shape of a cloud doesn’t quite have the same effect. And while an art print doesn’t have the same kind of implication a stop sign has, it still starts with trying to solve a problem. In particular being, creating a design that incorporates elements of a professional services practice and industry using concepts that apply to team members across multiple regions.
Generate Ideas
When it comes to proposing a solution for any kind of print, I use the written word and a visual in the form of a sketch.
My main goal for this print was to subtly communicate specifically what the Risk Advisory and Compliance team does. This is why I went with a used water bottle with a broken cap repurposed as a vase. I think it showcases the teams ability to spot weak points within a system, while also providing creative solutions to their findings. Using state flowers was a way for me to incorporate the four different office locations. And to include some individuality and fun, I added stickers from local restaurants to illustrate how each person has had a journey to lead them to this point. And, more directly, to show restaurants they long to visit when the quarantine is over.
Once approved, I moved onto making the proof.
Design development
When it comes to printmaking this is also referred to as a proof. The proof is as straightforward as it gets. It’s a step in the process where the client gives me a thumb or down. Signifying they have checked all the spelling and approved the color or colors. This might be a short step but it’s vital because once I start printing it’s costly to start over.
time to implement the design!
Making the screen
This is the beginning. It starts with a clean screen. A screen that consists of 300 tiny little holes per one inch. Basically it would be like choosing best quality versus the quick draft when using your inkjet printer. Once I have the screen clean and ready, I coat it with a UV light sensitive polymer film. Which when exposed to light will harden and make your stencil. Allowing ink to be pushed through the screen where the harden polymer isn’t.
Once the screen has the film in place. The next step is to place the design which has been printed on some transparency and place it on the screen so it can be exposed to UV light. After it’s been exposed I wash it down with some water and what you’re left with is a highly accurate stencil which can use to create consistent reproductions.
print it!
Now comes the fun/frustrating part. I’ve printed quite a few different prints in my time and while the process is the same if don’t try to minimize variables like humidity, thickness of paper, and alignment. It’s hard to know what you will end up with. So after you align your screen with your paper. You’re ready to print. So you put your head down and start printing. This is an interesting part of the process because once you start. You can not stop. If you do, the ink will dry in the screen. And once dried, the screen is ruined and you have to have to start all over. Once I finish printing all the prints. I let them dry on a rack and take a picture of what I’ve made.
Wrap it up
All most finished. All I have left to do is clean up the press, sign, number, and inspect every single print. Making sure each one is consistent and meets my standards. Once I do that, I’m finished. I wrap them up and send them to the client!