THE FIRST COLOR



The first reduction screen

   This is the other screen that is hinged to the same bed. With the photographic print on the screen bed, I am able to see through the translucent screen. Then with the screen elevated from the image with a few strips of mat board I paint on the screen. Everywhere that I want to be any additional color is painted with screen drawing fluid. When it is dry, I go through to steps of making screen filler stencil. here.

I have mixed Speedball Fabric ink to make a soft, light and warm gray. Add color to white ink instead of the other way around. I use textile ink for most of my printing - it dries to a nice mat finish.

The first color printed

I have cut white Stonehenge 100% rag paper that comes in 22" x 30" sheets for my edition - I always cut a few more that I expect my edition will be to make room for mistakes. You can see the deckle on the paper in the photo of my prints below. As the deckle is on the left, I have registered  the prints on the right.





       Then I set up my area for printing. I have the ink   that I mixed, the paper that I cut, paper towels and a squeegee that is about 2" wider than my print. When I print, I lay the wet prints on my counter top. I don't try to hand them on a line as that would take too long and my ink might dry in the screen. I like to keep a good pace when I am printing - I don't answer the phone.

      I set each sheet of print paper into the register guides and pull the ink across the screen in just one pass. The ink goes on the hinged side of the screen. I always print by pulling the ink with the hinged side away from me for consistency

      On the left, you can see the printed first color of the edition. The ink dries quickly and I could safely stack the prints after an hour.