Blog - Advice & Tips

Copper sulphate is a non-toxic mordant used to etch aluminium, zinc and steel plates for intaglio printmaking. Copper sulphate is a safer alternative to acids - and we always opt for safer solutions here at the Handprinted studio! Metal plates are traditionally etched using highly corrosive acids, which generate noxious gases and can cause burns if they touch your skin. Aci. . .

I (Bridget) was lucky enough to take part on last years Life-Drawing Monoscreen Printing workshop with Tricia Johnson. During the course, we worked with a life model to create painterly screen prints using the mono screen method. We used acrylic based screen printing inks and painted dire. . .

We have recently discovered that you can expose a screen with artwork made by transferring a linocut to inkjet film using a water based ink. Often when we want to convert our relief prints to screen prints we need to use some kind of digital programming to make this possible. With this technique there are no computers involved. . .

Our good friend Sue Brown has recently released her new book Paper Lithography! In this step-by-step guide Sue takes us through the process of making paper lithography prints using the humble photocopy as your plate. . .

Using a simple square block can create a myriad of possibilities of pattern. We have used Speedy Carve and Versafine inks for this project. Cut a square from the Speedy Carve using a scalpel. Draw a quarter circle curve on the block using a pencil. Above the curve draw some simple lines fanning from the …

If you're thinking about ordering a custom screen with us, we need your artwork to the specifications laid out in this blog post. First, these are the technical specifications we require...

These are oil based inks that work beautifully for relief printing. We have a fantastic range of colours including the process range. Process colours are inks specially formulated to create a full spectrum of colours when mixed. There is a Process Yellow, Process Cyan (Blue) and …

Mono screen printing is a great technique if you want to create beautiful painterly prints but achieve the flatness of a screen print. It allows you to incorporate multiple colours in one layer and play with brush strokes and. . .

A multi-block linocut uses more than one piece of lino to create a layered image. Usually, each block is inked with a separate colour. Where the colours overlap, another colour can be achieved. Multi-block linocuts allow you to partially print an edition and create complete test prints as you can go back to each block…

Printing a length of your own designed fabric is so exciting but most of us do not have the luxury of a fabric registration table. So using a bit of logic we have come up with step by step guide to printing a repeat pattern on a length of fabric using an A4 screen. You …

A half drop is a great way of creating a repeating pattern where the repeat is slightly obscured. It can make for a less gridded-looking structure and add complexity to your design. Here's a simple, analogue way to make one...

We have had the pleasure of hosting lots of new and exciting Fab Friday workshops and wonderful Guest Tutors in 2022, exploring a variety . . .

Here’s an easy way to design a repeat pattern (without using a computer) and to block print it on to fabric. We used MasterCut for our block because it’s an easy to cut stamping material that prints beautifully...

Puff Paste is a great way to add a little something extra to your fabric prints! It adds depth and texture and is so much fun to use. In this project, we have exposed a screen and used it to print with Puff Paste onto a tote bag: Half-fill the coating trough with photo emulsion. … Continue reading "Screen Printing with Permaset Puff Paste"

Speedball’s Speed Screens are a great new way of exposing a design at home without the mess of Photo Emulsion. Speed Screens are light sensitive, pre-coated emulsion mesh sheets. This means they’re ideal for a home studio setup as you don’t need anywhere dark for a screen to dry. They come in packs of three …

Speedball’s new UV Light makes it so simple to expose screens at home. It has a fold-out bracket that can be mounted or hand held. Its small size makes it ideal for a home studio setting. For our project, we hung the might from a tripod, but you could hang it from the back of …

Speedball Block Printing Ink is a great water-based ink for relief printing! We love the combination of black and extender to make beautiful grey tones, like this graduated moon, made using the rainbow roll technique! Start by drawing your design onto a block. We are using a piece of Speedy Carve to create two blocks …

We are often asked for guidance with screen printing and the most common request is for help with exposing screens and the problems encountered. Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” – I don’t know how good he was at screen printing but it sounds like he …

Thermal Screens or Thermofaxes are often made using traditional photocopy technology from the 1950s. However, here at Handprinted, we use a machine called a MiScreen to process our screens. The MiScr. . .

Thermal Screens or Thermofaxes are a great alternative to exposed silkscreens. They are made using a Perspex frame stretched with RISO digital screen mesh. The design is transferred to the me...