PRINTMAKING 101 : PART 2

Awhile back I posted about the origins of my screen printing hobby and the creation of the printing station that I built (if you didn't see it, read it here first). 
    Once I built the station, I couldn't wait to try it out. However, since a garage isn't the most ideal workspace for a "print shop", I was going to have to be creative in how I actually went about the printing process in this place (with coating & drying the screens in the dark, exposing them, washing them, etc.) 
    After collecting the proper supplies —spray bottles, scrubbing brushes, garden hose, emulsion & coater, icing spatulas, and packaging tape— I put together a drying rack for storing and drying the screens.

PRINTMAKING 101

Last spring, I was given the privilege of learning from one of the screen printing masters of all time (okay maybe a slight over-statement...maybe...), Andy MacDougall. If you are in with his inner circle, you may know him as Andy Mac. As many have said before, he literally wrote the book on screen printing.

Anyways, he was teaching a workshop on screen printing at John Brown University, using their recently added printing classroom. He showed us all the ins and outs of screen printing, schooled us on various tips, tricks, and common mistakes of the art. I was instantly enthused.

I left the two day workshop very inspired, and set out to construct my own screen printing table, the same ones that Andy shows you how to make in the back of his book I mentioned earlier.

Several months and saw-dust induced sneezes later, I had my very own screen printing (tired of that word yet?) station, complete with working 24x24" vacuum table and screen hinge. 

Check out some of my images below to see my construction of the station, and stay tuned for later posts when I go into actually making my first print.

Getting my measurements ready for cutting up the wood pieces. One of many hidden  uses for Adobe Illustrator.