me + my screens

I've been printing a lot lately, so I thought I would share a bit about what I do through these pictures I took yesterday ...

This is my beloved apron. I've had it since day one of Yardage Design (almost 2 years now - that's gone quickly!), and each print run means more wipes and smears of ink - making it even more precious to me.

This is one of the spots in the garden where I wash my screens. I tend to rotate the washing areas so different parts get watered (and spattered with a bit of ink - luckily it's water soluble)! Cleaning your screens well is one of the most important jobs for a screenprinter.

I can't tell you how tricky it was to hold the camera and the hose AND take a decent photo!

I love the residue you get from many, many print runs - it stains the screen, resulting in a beautiful effect.

This screen, used to print Vintage Tram Roll Menu Tea Towels, is by far the most used screen. I have printed hundreds of tea towels using this screen. That's why it looks a little worse for wear (this is actually clean) - lots of staining from numerous colours.

You always know a screen is still good if you hold it up to the sun - the image to be printed should still be crisp, regardless of how stained the actual screen looks, as long as the areas that you print aren't clogged with dried ink, you're good to go.

Above are some of the lovely ink stains that have made their way into the fabric of the screen.

I know I've said it before, I really never tire of lifting the screen to see a perfect print. I hope I'll always print ~ I love it.

Have a great day!