syllabus

The Art School at DePaul University

syllabus — Printmaking

What do I want from a home studio?
Successful printmaking studios can fit into a tiny corner of a room or fill a large space, and they range from DIY to meticulously professional. I encourage any combination that fits your goals, budget, lifestyle, etc!

Below are suggestions for things you might consider when setting up your space. I’m also happy to share with you practices that work in my studio or help you brainstorm your studio needs.

If you have a studio set-up, supply, or process you’d like to share, please let me know. I love to add to the list!

Jump to:
Relief (Block Printing) **
Intaglio (Plate Printing) **
Screen Printing **

Where to Shop:

Anthem, Blick, Catspit, (Genesis) Art Supply, Gold-Up, Graphic Chemical & Ink, Nazdar, screenprinting.com (sells Rayonet), never-the-less screen printing supply…
There are larger industrial art/printing suppliers too.

Dharma Trading has materials specifically for fabric.
Craft stores, general stores, and hardware stores may have some items too.
Facebook market place often has pre-owned equipment including screen printing screens.

Relief (Block Printing) Space Setup:

A place to set up while you print For example, a table or desk that can get inky while you work, a table with a plastic covering or table cloth, a table made from a sheet of plywood over sawhorses or cinder blocks, a plastic covering spread out on the floor, an outdoor space that you can hose down, etc.
Access to water for clean-up. You will need to wash ink and chemicals off your materials and tools. Some inks and chemicals are messy, but all can go down a standard drain.

Relief Supplies:

Blocks: Relief blocks: EZ cut, wood, linoleum, mounted linoleum, etc.
Block cutting / Lino Tools we have some linoleum tools, but higher quality tools rated for woodblock and linoleum make a big difference. For example Pfeil tools or similar tools at Blick.
Brayer These “ink rollers” come in many sizes and thicknesses as well as hard, soft, and foam options (Blick brayer options).
Baren or Wooden Spoon I suggest a consignment shop spoon or package of cheap wooden spoons as a more economical option. A wooden cabinet doorknob can work if it is an appropriate size and shape.

Intaglio (Plate Printing) Space Setup:

A place to set up while you print For example, a table or desk that can get inky while you work, a table with a plastic covering or table cloth, a table made from a sheet of plywood over sawhorses or cinder blocks, a plastic covering spread out on the floor, an outdoor space that you can hose down, etc.
Access to water for clean-up. You will need to wash ink and chemicals off your materials and tools. Some inks and chemicals are messy, but all can go down a standard drain.

Intaglio Supplies:

Printmaking Supply Kit items here (PDF).
Metal spoon to use as a hard surface to make a rubbing
Hard cardboard scraps or old rectangular Gift Cards to spread ink. Credit cards, hard shower squeegees, or other items can also work as long as there is a sturdy flat edge to spread ink. The cardboard backing from your supply kit printmaking paper will work too.
Towel to blot dry 8x10 inch paper (warning – could get ink on it)
Liquid soap to clean up. I prefer Dawn dish soap.
Paper Towels or Napkins for clean-up.
Shallow space to soak an 8x10 inch paper like a casserole dish, Tupperware bin lid, sink, bathtub, shower floor with drain blocked, etc.
Oil / Vegetable oil removes intaglio ink well, but then you need to clean the oil with liquid soap (or other degreaser).
Tape for the edge of your plate or for registration processes. I like painter’s tape (white or blue varieties).
Watercolor or other colored media to paint over single-color prints
Paint Brushes Synthetic bristles, avoid the high-cost brands and if possible, use what you already own. You may want one brush for fine detail work and at least one brush that you enjoy using to paint. Link to brush bristle styles.
Smock or Apron You will end up wearing ink at some point
Utensils / Ink Knife To scoop ink, try plastic knives or spoons, old spoons, popsicle sticks, kitchen silicone spatulas, or buy an Ink Knife / Palette Knife
Soft Sponge for clean up
Used Rectangular Gift Cards to spread ink
Phone Books to wipe intaglio plates, if you can find them
Tarlatan
Plastic Gloves if you prefer not to have ink on your hands
Additional Ink / Specialty Ink some options include a variety of colors, metallics, monotype-specific, etc.
Ink additives like pigment powders, or various ink modifiers, etc.
Plastic covering a plastic tablecloth or shower curtain or tarp can be helpful for protecting a make-shift studio environment from ink.
Intaglio Tools like a Burnisher, Double Point Scribe, Twisted Etching Needle, Roulette, etc.
Baren or Wooden Spoon I suggest a consignment shop spoon or package of cheap wooden spoons as a more economical option. A wooden cabinet doorknob can work if it is an appropriate size and shape.
Extra Plates Intaglio plates: copper, acrylic, plexiglass, etc.
Printmaking Papers Some of your projects will require specialty printmaking papers and others will be open to printmaking papers or non-traditional materials.
Look for something listed as printmaking paper
The paper is often “sized” for absorption; this is not needed for screen printing
Smooth surface works best, especially for detail
Acid free/pH neutral
Sold in individual sheets or packs of sheets
Usually 22 by 30 inches and ripped down to the size you need
Paper often features deckled edges on 2 sides
Paper weight is by grams per square meter (gsm) and often 250-300gsm
Variety of tones (often neutral colors)
Variety of paper pulps (100% cotton rag, mulberry, etc.)
Printmaking papers are more expensive than many drawing papers
Suggestions:
Arches 88, Rives BFK, Coventry Rag, Somerset Satin, Stonehenge
Sample list of papers at Graphic Chemical & Ink (search for silk screen)
Sample list of screen printing papers at Legion
*You can find these papers locally at Blick or (Genesis) Art Supply as well.
Additional papers or non-paper supports for experiments You may choose different qualities of paper or other paper products like maps, sheet music, magazine pages, origami paper, photographs, color-aid, books, translucent specialty papers, etc. certain fabrics and leather will also work well. A smooth surface is best for detail, but a rough texture can produce interesting results if detail is not important to the concept and design of your work.
Drying line (rope or twine) with clips (clothes pins, small binder clips, paper clips) for hanging prints while they dry
X-Acto Knife with #11 Blades The #11 blade is the standard blade that comes with most knives.
Box cutter
Cutting mat
Ruler A 24” metal-edged ruler or a T-square are good to have
Sharpie Marker because this is always helpful in a studio
Pencil with hard “lead” (#H, 5H, etc.) used to edition prints
Glassine to place between prints to keep them from smudging or sticking

Screen Printing Space Setup:

A place to set up while you print For example, a table or desk that can get inky, a table with a plastic covering or table cloth, a table made from a sheet of plywood over sawhorses or cinder blocks, a plastic covering spread out on the floor, an outdoor space that you can hose down, etc.
Access to water for clean-up. You will need to wash ink and chemicals off your materials and tools (including your screen). Some inks and chemicals are messy, but water-based inks can all go down a standard drain. You may use a basin sink, sink, shower, bathtub, outdoor hose, etc. Access to warm water is incredibly helpful, but not necessary. A sprayer attachment for a faucet, hose, or shower can be helpful too (I use mine for screen printing and washing my dog, Hazel).

Screen Printing Supplies, BASICS / ALL PROCESS:

$1.40 in the form of 4 dimes and 4 quarters to use as “off-contact” (you will only need 2 if you use hinges on one side of your screen)
Dish soap / liquid soap to clean up. I prefer Dawn dish soap.
Scrub pads or scrub brush I prefer the green scouring pads made by a number of brands. 1-2 scouring pads would be great for this class; I often cut them to smaller size as needed.
Soft Sponge for clean-up.
Paper Towels for clean-up.
Tape, 2-inch (Painter’s or Packing – multiple rolls) I like the blue painter’s tape or brown/tan plastic packing tape, but you can also use clear packing tape. You can also buy specialized screen printing tape, but it costs more.
Tape 1-inch (Painter’s) white or blue varieties.
Utensils / Ink Knife To scoop ink, try plastic knives or spoons, old spoons, popsicle sticks, kitchen silicone spatulas, frosting spatulas, or buy an Ink Knife / Palette Knife
Smock or Apron You will end up wearing ink at some point
Plastic Gloves if you prefer not to have ink on your hands
Plastic covering a plastic tablecloth or shower curtain or tarp can be helpful for protecting a make-shift studio environment from ink.
Screen choose a size that works for you with a wood or metal frame. Use lower screen mesh for fabric and higher screen mesh for detailed prints on paper. In class we use mesh counts that range from 156 to 230. Check for used screens on facebook marketplace and other sites. You can also make a DIY screen with any wooden frame, a piece of mesh-like fabric, and a staple gun.
Screen stabilization: If you are able to do something permanent, consider fastening hinge clamps to a board or a table. For a less permanent solution try creating a brace for your screen with a piece of board and two clamps. At the very least, you will want something to prop your screen up between prints (I use ink jars or my roll of tape).
T-shirt press if you print mostly garments, look for used t-shirt presses on facebook marketplace. Or use the T-shirt presses in the IRL/IRL2.
Screenprinting ink in class we focus on water-soluble inks (not plastisol). You can choose water-based or acrylic. Ink options include a variety of colors, metallics, CMYK process, neon, black light, glow in the dark, transparent extender base, fabric ink, etc. The water-based and acrylic inks we use for class can go down a standard drain.
Screenprinting ink additives You can also add items to ink (like pigment powders) or stick items on top of ink (like metallic leaf).
Plastic jars with tight-fitting lids for mixed ink. An emptied pint of ice cream (or gelato) in a plastic container is ideal for a number of delicious reasons.
Printmaking Papers Look for something listed as printmaking paper.
Printmaking paper is often “sized” for absorption; this is very helpful for intaglio processes, and it is not necessary for screen (but is fine to use).
Smooth surface works best, especially for detail
Acid free/pH neutral
Sold in individual sheets or packs of sheets
Usually 22 by 30 inches and ripped down to the size you need
Paper often features deckled edges on 2 sides
Paper weight is by grams per square meter (gsm) and often 250-300gsm
Variety of tones (often neutral colors)
Variety of paper pulps (100% cotton rag, mulberry, etc.)
Printmaking papers are more expensive than many drawing papers
Suggestions:
Arches 88, Rives BFK, Coventry Rag, Somerset Satin, Stonehenge
Sample list of papers at Graphic Chemical & Ink (search for silk screen)
Sample list of screen printing papers at Legion
*You can find these papers locally at Blick or (Genesis) Art Supply as well.
Additional papers You may choose different qualities of paper or other paper products like maps, sheet music, magazine pages, origami paper, photographs, color-aid, books, translucent specialty papers, etc. A smooth surface is best for detail, but a rough texture can produce interesting results if detail is not important to the concept and design of your work.
Favorite paper for designers & protest pieces: Bristol board sheets and pads.
Convenient paper for artists: 18”x24” Drawing paper pad.
Non-Paper Supports, especially for screen Wood, metal, plexi, leather, fabric, canvas, etc. are all great for screen printing. Most flat items can be printed, however if an item is too thick to use the hinge-boards in class, the screen will need to be registered and held in place by hand.
*NOTE: Some materials require specialized inks or processes so ask me if you have something in mind. For example, the processes we will use in class are not appropriate for printing clothing that you plan to wash.
Screen Printing Squeegee (the squeegee with the Speedball kit is not ideal) Choose a squeegee that is not much larger than your design and that fits in your screen. The softer or rounder the blade/edge of the squeegee, the more ink it will deposit (thick ink is often good for fabrics) the harder and flatter the edge the thinner the ink deposit (good for intricate designs on paper).
Mini-squeege I use these regularly in combination with my larger screen printing squeegees. The best are Bondo plastic spreaders or 3M vinyl hand applicators, but old credit cards and gift cards or shower squeegees can also work.
Soft Sponge for clean up
General cleaning products to remove screen clogging and adhesives (for example goo-gone, un-do, turpentine, 409)
Drying line (rope or twine) with clips (clothes pins, small binder clips, paper clips) for hanging prints while they dry
Newsprint for drying screens or “scratch” paper for tests and experiments
18x24” paper large sheets of paper can be helpful for registration if you are not using some form of screen stabilization.
Spray Tack / Temporary Spray Adhesive This must be used in the designated spray booth! It will temporarily tack your paper to the hinge-board or any surface Do not use spray mount or any permanent adhesive on the hinge-boards.
Water-Based Pallet Adhesive This is applied lightly to a printing surface (table, board) with a brush or spreader to adhere your paper to the surface instead of allowing it to stick to the screen. It is a little harder to find than some of the other supplies so here are some links: sgreen adhesive from Ryonet/screenprinting.com, probond adhesive at Anthem, top bond at Nazdar.
Ruler A 24” metal-edged ruler or T-square is good to have
Registration Guides We have some registration tabs / brackets in the classroom, but you can also use registration pins and hole-punch your paper
Transfer Items for sketches like graphite transfer paper or tracing paper
Sharpie Marker, Black
Pencil with hard “lead” (#H, 5H, etc.) used to edition prints
Glassine to place between prints to keep them from smudging or sticking
Digital Storage Device you may want a convenient USB or SD card storage device to quickly transfer images and documents in our Mac-based studio environment (especially when using the transparency printer). Internet connection on certain classroom devices can be inconsistent.
Go DIY with an embroidery hoop for a screen printing frame, nylon stockings for mesh, and mod-podge in place of screen filler
Fan to dry entire screens
Hair Dryer to spot dry materials (use COLD setting on screens so you don’t damage them)
Iron to heat-set fabric ink. Put a layer of fabric between the iron and ink
Screen Printing Book: Print Liberation by Nick Paparone and Jamie Dillow

Screen Printing Supplies, VINYL & DRAWING PROCESSES:

SAMPLE KIT (items may vary depending on availability): Speedball intermediate screen printing kit, X-acto knife, Dura-Lar pad, cutting mat, transparent extender base, tape, drawing paper pad, water soluble media
Speedball Introductory Screen Printing Kit
Drawing Fluid & Screen Filler & Screen Filler Remover drawing fluid is the blue resist material and screen filler is the reddish-brown blocking material used for painted on stencils. Drawing fluid comes out with water, but screen filler requires screen-filler remover (some emulsion removers can remove screen filler as well).
X-Acto Knife with #11 Blades The #11 blade is the standard blade that comes with most knives.
Stencil Paper Freezer paper (or wax paper) at your local grocery store works great, but you can also use waxy gift-wrapping tissue paper in lighter colors. You can also purchase specialized screen printing stencil paper.
Cutting mat
Stencil cutter the most familiar brand might be Cricket. In class we have a 12” Silhouette Cameo cutter which uses free Silhouette studio software. We purchase 12” rolls of matte vinyl and 12” rolls of clear transfer tape.
Water Soluble Media Watercolor paints, watercolor pencils, watercolor or washable markers, water-soluble pastels or other medias for screen monoprints (also called screen painting)
Paint Brushes Synthetic bristles, avoid the high-cost brands and if possible, use what you already own. You may want one brush for fine detail work and at least one brush that you enjoy using to paint. Link to brush bristle styles.
Any Mixed Media to create one-of-a-kind prints (mixed media + print = monoprint)

Screen Printing Supplies, EMULSION PROCESS:

Speedball Diazo Emulsion Screen Printing Kit
Diazo Emulsion & Remover premixed emulsion or emulsion base and sensitizer that must be mixed together per instructions on the container (store it in a fridge to extend its use time) and any type of emulsion remover.
Emulsion application materials scoop coater and maybe even a screen holder.
UV-free lighting put some yellow “safe light” bulbs in the light fixtures in the space you are using, or use “safe light” bulbs in clamp lights.
A UV-free space find a place to store screens while they dry. Try and old/used piece of furniture or cheap cupboard.
Sprayer attachment for a faucet, hose, or shower. A dish sprayer or dog sprayer attached to a sink or shower head works well.
Exposure Lights try 2 clamp lights or construction lights from a hardware store. Place them over your screen at 45-degree angles to get an even light across the screen. Or try a screen-specific set up like this exposure unit. Or try used units. Or you can try your luck with sunshine in Chicago.
Glass use a sheet of glass between your exposure light source and your screen to keep your stencil flat. Do not use specialty “UV protected” coated glass. Glass from an old picture frame would work.
Exposure Set Up Layer the following: 1) Dry emulsion coated screen, print side up. 2) stencils placed to be “correct” reading. 3) glass to keep the stencil flat. 4) light shining evenly on the set up.

Additional Resources:

Speedball Screen printing tutorial video series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22OgwP74I1U&list=PLP4qSsVxTu2rGVKT5VNfhHp4TWw0sCYJ0

Screenprinting.com tutorial video series

https://www.screenprinting.com/pages/how-to-screen-print-video-series

Catspit Screen printing videos
All videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions

Minimum studio requirement video: https://youtu.be/ps4pTG8QhoQ?si=HIVX61TlzNR8NZdM

Tutorials @ Lynda.com (FREE): Students can watch video demos and take online courses on Lynda.com, which DePaul offers free access to students and faculty. This is a great resource and is HIGHLY recommended. Use the Campus Connect Login to access this link. https://offices.depaul.edu/information-services/services/technology-training/Pages/online-training.aspx
Tutorials @ Adobe TV (FREE): Watch Photoshop, Illustrator, and more tutorials.
JSTOR (FREE): over 6,000 eBooks and over 150 journals, is available through DePaul’s library but it will also be free and accessible March 19-June 30, 2020 due to COVID-19. https://www.jstor.org/
Internet Archive (FREE): a non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more. https://archive.org/
Virtual Museum Resources/Collections (FREE): “The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Museum Resources, E-Learning, and Online Collections.” http://mcn.edu/a-guide-to-virtual-museum-resources/