Silkscreening on Glass

Kim Willoughby · Post by **Kim Willoughby** » Sun Sep 14, 2003 5:51 pm

Hi! This is my first post to this site...I was told by my good friend and mentor Cheryl Kumiski that you folks are really great for providing helpful information.

I want to try silkscreening on glass, but I really don't know where to start. Can someone point me in the right direction for a good book or website on the subject? And just so I can start acquiring the materials I'd need, would Fuse Master Lead Free Opaque Enamels be a good enamel to use for silkscreening? Does anyone know a good resource for silkscreening fabric and the stencil/mask material?

I don't want to ask too many questions (but I have a bunch!). I want to achieve an image with a crisp edge and a flat, solid surface, similar to what I've seen in Avery Anderson's work.

Thank you!

jerry flanary · Post by **jerry flanary** » Sun Sep 14, 2003 6:52 pm

Have you ever silkscreened before? If not, Maybe visit a print shop to get some ideas of whats possible (don't inhale!) [-X
Another person who has mastered this technique is Peter Houk at MIT. If there aren't any more responses of interest here why not call up Avery or Peter directly. Also it looks like avery gives classes:

http://igga-nec.tripod.com/averyclass20Oct2001.html

So maybe she'll be in your area soon?!?
j.

Joseph Tracy · Post by **Joseph Tracy** » Sun Sep 14, 2003 9:00 pm

When I fired Fusemaster lead free enamels at fusing temps, they have tended to diffuse and lose their edge. They work well at at 1350 or less. Reusche paints, including the lead free, work better at higher temps. If you have some Fusemaster LF paints do some experiments at the temps you want to fire.
There have been several informative recent threads about silkscreening. So it is worthwhile to look in the archives on the subject. I saved some of them and if you want I wll e-mail what I have to you. I am also doing a church project involving silkscreening and will post what I learn.

Ron Coleman · Post by **Ron Coleman** » Sun Sep 14, 2003 10:08 pm

For a quick read of the basics of screen printing check out the online tutorial below

http://www.squeegeeville.com/printinfo.html

The archives have a lot of info on screen printing too.

For for good source for screens try Pocono Screen. Good prices and very well made screens.

http://poconoscreen.com/ Look at the wood frame screens, 125 mesh is a good starting place. You can go on up to 200 mesh depending on your paint.

Avoid the craft type screens sold by Michael's Crafts and other places, they aren't worth the money they charge. For the same money or less you can buy "real" screen with a heavy wood frame and screen stretched so tight you can play a tune on it.

Use the capillary emulsion films made by Ulano The CDF QT 50 is a good starting point. You'll have to poke around to find it on Ulano's site, they use frames and I can't post a direct link to it.

http://www.ulano.com/

You can buy the Ulano film from Valley Litho.

http://valleylitho.com/

Click on Screen Printing Supplies
then Ulano
Then Stencil films
then CDF films
They sell cut sheets and rolls.

As for paints and mediums Paradise Paints are hard to beat, but they are leaded.

http://www.paradise-co.com/paints/pricing.html

And Thompson Enamel A13 acrylic medium is a good choice.

http://thompsonenamel.com/products/supp ... rials3.htm

I haven't tried Thompson's A14 Screen medium, something new,

And if you want the Real Scoop on screen printing on glass take Avery's Class.

If you had been to WGW this past weekend you would have gotten a good insight into the whole process from Avery herself. [-X

Ron

Carole Burton · Post by **Carole Burton** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 12:47 am

Avery's classes are wonderful. Make every effort to attend one of them.
Best time you will ever spend.
Carole.....S.C.

Pray Isabel stays out in the Atlantic Ocean. I want to buy glass not plywood............

watershed · Post by **watershed** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 1:19 am

What might be easier is Decals. Rivas Girdas (in ceramics) does it all the time. Also there are catalogs of decals out there for china. He just did a workshop here on creating your own decals, but I missed the class.

The lecture involved cutting a screen, then using enamels as the ink, to create the decal.

2 interesting tidbits. HP/apple LASER printer ink has an amount of Iron Oxide in it. SOmeone has run the decal paper through the printer, then transferred the image.... On clay it goes brown but...?

The other idea was to take a Color printer cartridge refill kit, and fill IT with enamels. HMMM...

Greg

lissa · Post by **lissa** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 7:52 am

Transferred the printer ink to the glass how? Do you know?

lissa.

Kim Willoughby · Post by **Kim Willoughby** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 10:50 am

Wow! Thank you everyone for your helpful ideas and links.

I am very curious about using a laser printer to output film since most of my designs are created on a computer anyway. I saw that Valley Litho carries the laser printer film. But first, I need to gain a basic knowledge of how to screen print!

Maybe I can catch Avery's class someday at Corning.

Ron Coleman · Post by **Ron Coleman** » Mon Sep 15, 2003 11:01 am

Kim Willoughby wrote:Wow! Thank you everyone for your helpful ideas and links.

I am very curious about using a laser printer to output film since most of my designs are created on a computer anyway. I saw that Valley Litho carries the laser printer film. But first, I need to gain a basic knowledge of how to screen print!

Maybe I can catch Avery's class someday at Corning.

You can use a laser printer, but sometimes the toner is a little thin for a good screen image. It depends on the printer, There is a spray you can coat your print with to darken it. You need a good dark image for a good exposure. You can stack two images if one is a little thin.

I use an HP Inkjet and the image is always super dark and gives a good screen.

Ron

Deb Libby · Post by **Deb Libby** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 9:56 am

Hi Kim ...
Since we're apparently neighbors and didn't know it (I'm in Concord, NH) and I have been silkscreening glass for years, I'd be glad to help you out with local suppliers and suggestions. My personal preference is Reusche/Thompson for Enamels and Garston in CT for screening materials but you may prefer other enamels (it's a matter of personal preference somewhat). Give me a shout via direct email. Lucky you with Cheryl as your mentor! Avery also gives classes and is a wealth of information too. Good luck,
Deb Libby
http://www.libbyartglass.com

Bev Brandt · Post by **Bev Brandt** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 10:18 am

jerry flanary wrote:...Maybe visit a print shop to get some ideas of whats possible (don't inhale!)

Ahh...you get used to it. If not, downright addicted to it. Then after a while, you can't smell *any* solvents of *any* sort and you know it's time to get out of the printing biz and into kilnformed glass.

- Lithogirl

watershed · Post by **watershed** » Tue Sep 16, 2003 10:25 pm

The HP/ apple laser printer info was this. They printed the image onto DECAL paper, then gave it a cover coat. Now where you get the decal paper?... But it was a direct one step thing, skipping the screen step.

Greg

Tom White · Post by **Tom White** » Wed Sep 17, 2003 9:00 am

Bel decal http://www.decalpaper.com/

Best wishes,
Tom in Texas