Month: March 2018

We are thrilled to have Cranfield’s new Traditional Relief Inks in stock. Cranfield make the hugely popular Caligo Safe Wash Inks.
These new traditional relief inks are oil based, highly pigmented and come in a wide range of colours including gold and silver! We couldn’t wait to
get our hands on that gold. Take a look at our first print with this lovely new ink. 

The ink rolls our beautifully. We’re using a Hawthorn Roller
which looks gorgeous in this colour. 

To get the perfect print, we prepared a board with Ternes Burton Registration Pins and stuck the lino block down with double sided tape. This way, we can get our print exactly where
we want it and can re-ink if necessary. We prepared some black paper with Ternes Burton Stripping Tabs before inking up our block. 

We used a Bamboo Baren to take our print. 

The inks printed beautifully on the black paper. They have a high proportion of pigment so show up on the black very well. It was not necessary to re-ink
the block – this print is with one inking. 

We cleaned up with vegetable oil and finished with white spirit to remove any residue from the roller. Apart from the gold and silver, the other Traditional
Inks can be cleaned up with Zest-it. 

We are so impressed with this ink – it was easy and quick to use and looks stunning on black paper. You can find the full range of Cranfield Traditional Oil Based Inks and everything we used below:

• Cranfield Traditional Oil Based Ink
• Inking Plate
• Palette Knife
• Hawthorn Roller
• Ternes Burton Registration Pins
  and Tabs
• Bamboo Baren

 

I’m a block printer working mainly with lino blocks, my work is largely inspired by nature & normally grows from our wonderful environment here in
Cornwall.

 

How and where did you learn to print?

I studied Illustration originally & while I didn’t necessarily do print as a specific medium in that study it is a way of working that comes very naturally.

Why printmaking?

It’s exciting! When you draw you know what the next mark will be but when you print the whole process of negative & positive shaping, the reverse process
etc. gives a lot of unknowns which has an outcome that feels like magic every time you do the first print.

Where do you work?

I work from home in a workshop which is a dream place to be.

Describe a typical day in your studio.

I mostly enter my studio after I’ve just done the school run & then the dog walk which means I’m generally super inspired by something I’ve seen when
walking & really relaxed because I’ve done some exercise & prepared my head for what needs doing or finishing that day. I get in, put a pot
of coffee on, answer emails, spend too long fiddling about on instagram then get on with the current print block or product I’m designing from a print.

How long have you been printmaking?

A good while but I’ve concentrated on JUST print for about two years.

What inspires you?

Nature, birds, a glorious walk in the woods, visiting somewhere interesting & generally being out & about.

What is your favourite printmaking product?

A really sticky inky ink… ideally in a dark indigo blue

What have you made that you are most proud of?

(My children) But in terms of print product it has to be the lowly ‘For Being Kind’ mug which was developed from a lino block but then I had it screen
printed for me locally on to bone china mugs. It’s my favourite because every time someone buys one they tell me a story about the person they’re buying
it for because they did something especially kind & then often I get a really kind reply from the recipient saying how much they loved it. It feels
like a double positive.

Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?

I sell from my etsy shop & my website www.loutonkin.com I also sell in lots of beautiful shops & galleries, I’ll try to list some (I have a famously terrible memory!)
: Me and East (Totnes), Midgley Green (Clevedon), Era of Leek, Mulberry Tree Gallery, Blue bramble Gallery, Circa 21 (Penzance) Tremenheere Sculpture
Garden, The Poly Falmouth, Morva (Marazion), Cornish Food Box (Truro).

What will we be seeing from you next?

I’m working on a new repeat print inspired by my love of Victorian stained glass.

Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?

The same advice as I’d give for anything, work on what inspires you & do lots of it. Immerse yourself & enjoy it.

 

In last week’s blog post we began looking at which
inks were suitable for screen printing onto dark fabrics. We used three different screen printing inks and looked at the difference between standard
and opaque inks when printing with white. All of the white inks printed well onto the black fabric – white inks are usually thicker and more pigmented.
This is not the case with coloured inks – standard screen printing inks are translucent and will therefore show some of the base colour through when
printed. When printing onto white or pale coloured fabrics this is not a problem. Most standard screen printing inks will disappear into dark backgrounds
and you’ll need to use an opaque ink in order for it to show up. Opaque Inks are more highly pigmented and thicker than standard inks. Again, we’ve
tested three inks to help you to decide which to use, this time all in yellow:

Speedball Fabric Screen Printing Ink,
Permaset Aqua Screen Printing Ink and Permaset Aqua Supercover Screen Printing Ink.

All of these inks are water-based and solvent free.

1. Speedball Fabric Screen Printing Ink in Yellow

This is a standard fabric screen printing ink but shows up quite well on black cotton. The black background does show through however and the bright yellow
colour is knocked back a lot. When the ink is dry the colour will fade even more. The fabric will keep its soft handle with this ink. 

 

2. Permaset Aqua Screen Printing Ink in Mid Yellow

 

Again, this is a standard fabric screen printing ink that is designed to print onto pale coloured fabrics. Although the fabric will stay soft, the
colour is really knocked back by the black background and the ink is not bright at all.

3. Permaset Aqua Supercover Ink in Mid Yellow

This is an opaque ink and is a lot thicker than standard screen printing inks. The fabric handle is a little stiffer when printed and the thick ink
means that a more open mesh like a 32T or a 43T is usually required. Opaque inks also tend to dry a little faster so be aware of this when printing
detailed designs and wash your screens quickly after using. The thickness of this ink, however, allows for excellent coverage and a much brighter
end result. This is the only print where the yellow ink keeps its bright colour when printed. 

The screen hand prints above are, in order, Speedball, Permaset standard and Permaset Supercover.
You can clearly see that there is a large difference between the inks. The Permaset Supercover is the only print that remains bright and clear
with none of the black fabric showing through. The Permaset Standard has disappeared almost entirely and the Speedball has faded and darkened.
Use these samples to help you to decide which ink you need for your project! Revisit last week’s project for more on white fabric inks.

 

Screen printing onto fabric tends to get a little complicated as soon as you want to print onto dark coloured fabrics. Standard screen printing inks
are translucent and will therefore show some of the base colour through when printed. When printing onto white or pale coloured fabrics this is
not a problem. Most standard screen printing inks will disappear into dark backgrounds and you’ll need to use an opaque ink in order for it to
show up. Opaque Inks are more highly pigmented and thicker than standard inks. The exception to this rule is white ink. White screen printing ink
tends to be a little thicker and more highly pigmented than other standard inks. In order to help you decide which ink you need, we’ve printed
onto black fabric using three different white pre-mixed inks: 

Speedball Fabric Screen Printing Ink, 
Permaset Aqua Screen Printing Ink and Permaset Aqua Supercover Screen Printing Ink.

All of these inks are water-based and solvent free. 

1. Speedball Fabric Screen Printing Ink in white

Even though this is a standard fabric screen printing ink, it shows up very well on black fabric whilst leaving the handle soft. If you look closely you
can see that the hand is not fully white – some of the black from the fabric is showing through to create a very pale grey.

 

2. Permaset Aqua Screen Printing Ink in standard white

 

Again, this standard fabric screen printing ink shows up very well on black fabric whilst leaving the handle soft. Once again, if you look closely
you can see that the hand is not fully white – some of the black from the fabric is showing through to create a very pale grey.

 

 

3. Permaset Aqua Supercover Ink in white

This is an opaque ink and is a lot thicker than standard screen printing inks. The fabric handle is a little stiffer when printed and the thick ink means
that a more open mesh like a 32T or a 43T is usually required. Opaque inks also tend to dry a little faster so be aware of this when printing detailed
designs and wash your screens quickly after using. The thickness of this ink, however, allows for excellent coverage and a much brighter white end
result.

The screen hand prints above are, in order, Speedball, Permaset standard and Permaset Supercover.
All three of these inks print well on black fabric. Up close, however, the Supercover is the only ink that gives a truly white result. Hopefully these
samples will help you to decide which white ink you need, depending on the coverage desired and the detail of your design. Revisit our blog next week
for more information on the difference between standard and opaque inks when printing with colours!

 

 

Hello! I’m a printmaker living in Brighton. I came to printmaking relatively late as I trained and worked in the Health Service for 20 years before taking
a break to do an Art Foundation which I enjoyed so much that I went on to do a Printmaking Degree and later an MA in Sequential Design and Illustration
at the University of Brighton. In 2016 I left my job, set up Dekko Press and focused full time on screen printing and designing greeting cards. 

Describe your printmaking process.

I usually start by either sketching ideas and shapes in a notebook or collaging cut out paper shapes. I find Photoshop is great for then experimenting
further with the design and colours before creating the layers for my screen images

I expose my screens using a halogen lamp suspended from an old clothes-hanging frame. It took me ages to get my distance and timings right which led to
an awful lot of mistakes and screen cleaning. It’s all quite low tech, I print using a hand built vacuum screen bed, use a drying rack designed for
school classrooms and wash my screens out in the bath.

How and where did you learn to print?

I first got interested in printing when I was doing my foundation at City College, Brighton – I loved the experimentation that different processes offered
and the thrill of never quite knowing what you were going to get when you pulled back the etching blanket or laid down another colour on a print. I
went on to study Fine Art Printmaking at the University of Brighton – which was an amazing experience. I just loved being able to work in the print
room there with the incredible old presses and the space and time to experiment and try different techniques.

Why printmaking?

I love the process; the creative possibilities, the equipment, the inks, the papers and the ability to produce multiples of an image. I feel a real buzz
whenever I walk into a printmaking studio; they are such wonderful places to be.

Where do you work?

I work from home, we recently moved and I’m really lucky to now have a room to use as a studio. I miss the social and creative side of working in a communal
studio with other printmakers but at the moment working from home helps financially and gives me the flexibility of being able to print at any time
of day or night.

Describe a typical day in your studio.

I try and make a list each evening of what I need to get done the following day and then spend the day ticking my way through it! There’s usually a combination
of admin, orders, designing and printing while trying not to get distracted by emails and housework…

How long have you been printmaking?

About 14 years.

What inspires you?

Colour interactions and simplicity and clarity in design inspire me. A lot of the artists and designers whose work I admire were producing work in the
mid twentieth century such as Max Huber, Alvin Lustig, Patrick Heron, Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Barbara Hepworth.

What is your favourite printmaking product?

My hand built vacuum screen bed! It was created from an old drawing board, some plywood and glue, with our vacuum cleaner providing the suction –There
are some great online blogs and videos which I followed for instructions and amazingly, given
my lack of woodwork skills it works really well! 

 

What have you made that you are most proud of?

One of the first screen prints I made when I started Dekko Press was Misplaced which was accepted as part of the Small Print International exhibition.
It’s a small, simple print but having it in the exhibition gave me the confidence to keep printing and start showing my work.

Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?

I often take part in art and print fairs and will next be at the Art Junky at the Phoenix Brighton on the 24^th and 25^th March. For
the May Artists Open Houses in Brighton I will be showing work at 13 Maldon Road. Online I have work on my website www.dekkopress.com and
sell via my Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DekkoPress

What will we be seeing from you next?

More prints are on their way and I am expanding my range of greeting cards

Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?

Experiment and don’t be put off if you don’t have all the equipment you think you need, someone, somewhere will have found another way of doing things!

Find more from Dekko Press:

Website www.dekkopress.com

Etsy Shop www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DekkoPress

Instagram @dekkopress