My screenprinting process

Recently, quite a few people have asked me: “Just how is this screenprinting thing actually done?” Well: this is how. (At least, this is how I do it…) 

1. I have a screen featuring one of my designs. Many designs are made with my photos as a basis, but in this case I just drew a badger and turned it into a pattern.

2. Unfortunately, I’m not able to show you how I got my design onto the screen. It involves some photosensitive emulsion, a coating trough, and a ‘big boy’ exposure unit: all materials and equipment that I don’t have at my own studio, which means screen preparation has to take place elsewhere.

3. The screen then needs to be taped around the edges in order to prevent the ink from seeping through the corners and ruining the print.

4. It’s time to mix the inks with some binder and pigments. In this case, I just used a black pigment for a distinctive ‘badger look’… I also add a special chemical at this stage, making the print washfast.

5. Now it’s time for the ‘real deal’: I plop some ink on the top of my screen, covering the area just above my design from left to right. Then, in one or two strokes – depending on the design, ink, fabric, and pressure – I pull the ink through the screen. (This is usually done with two hands – to achieve better pressure – but I would have blocked the camera view if I did that in this picture.)

6. I remove the screen from the fabric (or paper)… et voilà!

7. The print is now ready for further transformation into a finished product, in this case a cushion cover.

8. And, after about an hour of sewing (zipper, piping, etc.): a completed badger cushion!

Coming soon to my new website: I’ll show you some more of the products I recently made. Stay tuned!