Preparing & Exposing
Photographic Silkscreens
For use with Lesson 3
FOR EDUCATION USE ONLY
©2009 The Andy Warhol Museum, a museum of Carnegie Institute. All rights reserved. You may view and download the materials posted in this site for
personal, informational, educational, and non-commercial use only. The contents of this site may not be reproduced in any form beyond its original intent
without the permission of The Andy Warhol Museum. Except where noted, ownership of all material is The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding
Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
In a darkened room or in a room with a
yellow safe light, pour the emulsion into
a scoop coater
Coat the screen, applying 2 thin coats of
emulsion on each side of the screen.
If your scoop coater is
smaller than the width of
your screen, coat as shown
in this slide.
Once you have one coat on
this side, turn the screen
upside down to apply the
second coat. Then apply
two thin coats onto the
back side of the screen,
again flipping the screen
upside down in between
coats.
Wipe off any excess
emulsion that gathers
around the edges.
Store the coated screens in a
dark room or light-tight box
until they are dry. Screens
should dry with the flat side
down (the side you used the
squeegee on should be facing
up). They need to dry
perfectly flat. If the screen is
tilted even the slightest bit,
then the emulsion might dry
unevenly and run off the
screen.
If you are coating
more than one screen,
stack them using small
blocks in between
each one.
Once the screens are
dry they may be put in
black plastic garbage
bags until you are
ready to expose them
Expose the silkscreen with the students’ Film
Positives. There are different types of exposing
units. This one is a light table with clear glass and
florescent light bulbs.
This process involves direct contact exposure. There must be no
space between the Film Positive and the screen. Build a flat that is
larger than your image, but small enough to fit inside the screen to
ensure direct contact. Cover the flat in padding and black fabric to
protect the screen.
Weigh down the flat with something heavy.
A screen exposure chart
should be included with
your emulsion. If not,
you will need to test
exposure times. A good
time to start with is 5
minutes.
After your exposure time
is up, rinse the screen on
both sides. The emulsion
that was not exposed to
light (because it was
blocked by the opaque
black areas of the Film
Positive) will wash
away. Wash the screen
until there are very few
white bubbles remaining.
Store the screen on a flat
surface to dry or use a
fan.
When dry, screen is
ready to proof.
Cutting Stencils
for use with lesson 5
FOR EDUCATION USE ONLY
©2009 The Andy Warhol Museum, a museum of Carnegie Institute. All rights reserved. You may view and download the materials posted in this site for
personal, informational, educational, and non-commercial use only. The contents of this site may not be reproduced in any form beyond its original intent
without the permission of The Andy Warhol Museum. Except where noted, ownership of all material is The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding
Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
The first color stencil is
Layer 1 the background
color. This should be the
lightest color of your color
combination.
Draw the background
rectangle or square in the
center of your paper.
Cut this shape by using a
cutting tool.
Using the student’s collage
as a guide, trace the
shape(s) for Layer 2 in the
center of another piece of
paper.
Cut these shapes, as
well.
Repeat the process for
Layer 3.
Stencil and Photographic
Silkscreen Printing
For use with Lesson 6
FOR EDUCATION USE ONLY
©2009 The Andy Warhol Museum, a museum of Carnegie Institute. All rights reserved. You may view and download the materials posted in this site for
personal, informational, educational, and non-commercial use only. The contents of this site may not be reproduced in any form beyond its original intent
without the permission of The Andy Warhol Museum. Except where noted, ownership of all material is The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding
Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
Tape your silkscreen using two-
inch masking tape.
Tape both sides of screen.
Place your Layer 1
stencil on top of a piece
of your final printing
paper. Make sure the
open area of the stencil
is in the center of the
final printing paper.
Keep the stencil
From moving by taping
it to the printing paper
using two small pieces of
blue painter’s tape.
Place your silkscreen in
the hinge clamps,
securely tightening the
clamps.
Register the stacked
stencil and print paper to
the silkscreen. Use tape
brackets on the print
surface/table to mark the
corners of 3 sides of the
printing paper. These
marks will be guides so
that each piece of paper
is placed in the same
place on the table,
ensuring that the printed
shape is in the same
place on each piece of
paper.
Carefully remove the
small pieces of blue
painter’s tape holding
the stencil in place on
the final paper.
* Be careful to not
move the stencil from
its position.*
Carefully close the
screen over the stencil
paper.
Print the first color
using enough ink for
adequate coverage.
The stencil will stick to
the back of the
silkscreen because the
ink acts as an adhesive.
For large areas of color
(like the background
Layer 1) you may need
to flood the silkscreen or
make two passes with
the squeegee.
Continue this process,
placing each piece of
paper inside the tape
marks until all 10 pieces
of paper are printed.
Remove the stencil from
the silkscreen and
discard.
Clean the silkscreen and
squeegee thoroughly.
The two-inch tape you
placed around the edges
of the silkscreen in Step
# 1 should remain until
you are finished printing.
When Layer 1 of your
print is dry, place the
photographic Film
Positive for Layer 4 onto
your print and register it
to the first printed layer.
Tape this to your print
using two small pieces of
blue tape to ensure the
Positive does not move.
Register your next
stencil (Layer 2) to the
Film Positive. Once it
is in the correct place,
use two small pieces
of painter’s tape to
secure it to the print.
Remove the Film Positive.
Place the stacked
stencil and print paper
under the silkscreen
and use tape to mark
the edges of your
print, as in Step #4.
Repeat the previous steps for printing and
cleaning the screen.
Register your next stencil (Layer 3) to the
Film Positive. Once it is in the correct
place, use two small pieces of painter’s
tape to secure it to the print.
Remove the Film Positive
Place the stacked
stencil and print paper
under the silkscreen
and use tape to mark
the edges of your
print.
Remove the small
pieces of blue tape
that secure the stencil
to your print.
Repeat the previous steps for
printing and cleaning the screen.
To print Layer 4,
register your Film
Positive to your print
using small pieces of
painter’s tape to
secure it to the print.
Clamp your second
silkscreen with the
photographic image
burned onto it in the
clamps and securely
tighten.
Register your print to
the screen and place
tape marks on the
corners of 3 edges of
your paper.
Remove the Film Positive.
Print your final layer and
clean your screen.
