I know there are so many guides out there blah blah blah, but thought I'd do my own step by step anyways! If you are searching for an actual guide on how to do this, check out Instructables
(Pictured: two screens, left cotton woven fabric, right synthetic mesh material. I did not burn the cotton one, it looked rather odd and I highly doubt it will work.)
Screen equipment - the cheap way:
Wooden picture frames from value village $2.99
Staple gun
Scissors
Masking tape
It is a matter of taking the frames apart, they must be flat on my side and have a decent edge so the mesh can be stapled on.
Creating the screen is like stretching a canvas, first I made sure my fabric was on grain, then I stapled the small side, and then the other side, then the edges, stretching as equally as possible as I went along. It wound up with a couple of bumps anyways.
Everything else you need to burn a screen & print:
Photo emulsion and sensitiser. Diazo, from Opus. ~$22.50
Squeegee - Opus $7
Fabric paint - Opus ~$11 each? unsure.
Pack of printable transparencies $expensive.
It was between purchasing the emulsion and sensitiser seperately in giant containers for about $25, OR the kit with much smaller containers but included screen reclaimer as well. I decided to go with the kit because it had a 3 month best-before when kept in the refridgerator. When I actually coated my screen, they were about 1 year expired but still worked anyways.
Follow package directions to mix sensitiser & emulsion, it is ready to use. Coat both sides of the screen evenly with emulsion and use squeegee to spread around. When it is well coated, place in cardboard box, elevating the 4 corners and leave to dry overnight. Or over 2 weeks. As long as it is kept out of light it will be good to go whenever. I had previously thought all this had to be done in a darkroom as the emulsion will solidify when it comes into contact with light, however with the Diazo, it only 'burns' when it is completely dry, so I had plenty of time to securely place it in a box & leave out of the way for awhile.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to use a bright special light or whatever to burn the screen. I used the sun. To be exact, a hot, 22 degree setting sun at around 4PM. Actually, my screen turned out to be a tester, I placed a big sketchbook over top of the screen, and left a strip of emulsion exposed with a nickle or some other change I had on hand in the middle. After a minute, I moved the sketchbook back, exposing a new strip and leaving another coin in its place. I continued on for approximately 10 minutes. Then, with some water pressure and a steel wool scrubber, I rinsed out the circles. I found the circle which was burned for AROUND 8~10 minutes the most crisp, and the outside was hardened enough that it withstood the steel wool.
After the screen dried, it was ready for a test print!
As you can see, my screen is V V V patchy, so I guess less emulsion & more equal elevation next time...
Pretty excited to get my hands on some transparency sheets, there are some photos I'd LOVE to turn into screens. Namely, high contrast black/whites of faces.
Fancier prints of fabric soon to come..!
On another note, I'm working on my entry for the Telio Design Competition, open to students of fashion design. The theme this year is Red + Rouge, and it is quite open for interpretations. The fabrics are fairly limited, although better selection than what I was expecting. Most are really lightweight, however, for a fall/winter collection. i.e. chiffon, mesh, silk charmeuse, jersey and lace. I've got some ideas, mostly needs refinement. I'm just super stoked for a chance to have my design walk down the runways at Montreal fashion week in Feb. And $$ of scholarship.!
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