Preparing the Screen
- Stretch polyester mesh tightly to frame; fasten with glue or tacks.
- Coat both sides of stretched screen with light-sensitive emulsion.
- Dry with yellow light.
Exposing the Screen to a Photographic Image ('Photographic Method')
- Place chosen negative into enlarger and project to print size.
- Place high-contrast film of print size on enlarger base and expose.
- Develop film.
- Put film on coated screen and expose screen to very bright light (6000 watts for 5 minutes). (Emulsion will harden where light burns through open areas of film.)
- Remove film and wash screen with water. (Emulsion that has not hardened will wash off.)
- Dry screen. (Screen now has positive photographic image on it.)
Preparing the Screen for Drawn Image ('Open-Screen' Method)
- Cut rubylith to size of finished print.
- Put rubylith on coated screen and expose to very bright light. (Light is held back by the rubylith, but hardens the emulsion outside its area.)
- Remove rubylith and wash screen with water.
- Dry screen. (Screen now has a blocked border with an open inner area.)
Aligning Screen and Print Table
- Hinge the screen to the table.
- Align print paper on the table under the screen (use registration pins for accuracy) and secure corners.
- Attach drawing to base paper (if using open-screen method).
Preparing for First Color
- Bring hinged screen down to paper.
- Prepare area to receive color
- Photographic screen: using pen, outline area for first color.
- Open screen: using pen, trace area for first color.
- Lift screen and, on underside, apply blockout fluid around outer edge of color area, extending in a 2-inch band all around.
- Dry blockout.
- Prepare print-sized "mask" paper with somewhat larger cut-out area that includes some, but not all, of blockout band.
- Bring screen down again and put mask cut-out over area to be printed. Tape mask opening to blockout area to ensure no ink seeps out.
Applying First Color
- Place ink on screen beyond area to be printed.
- Using squeegee, pull slowly and firmly down the screen until open area is covered. (For richer color, lift screen slightly, and, using some of the ink, pull squeegee to fill the pores of the screen; then, lower screen and, using remainder of ink, pull squeegee a second time to apply the ink to the paper.)
- Lift screen, remove print, and hang to dry.
- Insert paper to apply first color to remaining pieces.
Preparing for Further Colors
- Clear ink from screen with varsol or thinners.
- Remove paper and tape.
- Remove blockout with water.
- Dry the screen (with hair dryer if in a hurry).
- Begin again to outline or trace for new color.
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