Evaluating printing techniques

Monoprinting Step-by-step guide:

1. Trace out a reasonably simple image onto a piece of photocopier paper 2. Put some printing ink onto a table or smooth surface; use a roller to spread the ink into a rectangle the size of your piece of paper so the ink is tacky sounding. 3. Put your piece of paper, image side up, onto the ink patch; then firmly draw over the traced outline with a sharp pencil, without putting your fingers onto the paper as that will ruin the monoprint. 4. Take the paper off of the ink patch and you have a monoprint. 5. Additionally, if you want, you can put another piece of paper over the ink patch after pulling up the first bit of paper to get a reverse monoprint.

Advantages: 1. Quite simple 2. Easy to find the materials 3. Can make really intricate designs with practice Disadvantages: 1. Can be difficult to get a clean monoprint 2. Takes a while to clear up afterwards 3. Needs practice

Where is it used? 1. Usually in art pieces 2. Can be used to replicate scientific prints 3. Used by Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin and Pablo Picasso

What skills and knowledge are needed? 1. 2. 3. 4. Steady hands Obviously know how to do a monoprint Concentration Able to draw/trace clearly

Cost: 1. Ink: 6 2. Ink roller: from 4.50

Equipment: 1. 2. 3. 4. Ink Ink roller Pencil Paper

Speed of process: Slow to begin with to make sure the print comes off neatly but gets quicker and easier with practice.

How many can you make? Is it a one-off or easy to make 100? Its quite easy to make two prints from one image but it would take a long time to get up to 100 monoprints although if you used the same image they would all still be the same.

Linocut Step-by-step guide: 1. Get some art shop style linoleum 2. Use a sharp knife to cut the negative space of your design into the linoleum e.g. if you were making a tree, you would cut around the main design of the tree and then add ink. 3. Then flip the print over, so the inked part was face down and put pressure into it to create a print. Advantages: 1. Quite easy to find the equipment 2. Can make simple designs Disadvantages: 1. Difficult to make 2. Kind of hard to cut through the lino neatly

Where is it used? 1. Art 2. Used by Sybil Andrews, Pablo Picasso

What skills and knowledge are needed? 1. Need to have steady hands 2. Know how to linocut 3. Good with a scalpel or Stanley knife

Cost 1. Lino block: 50p + 2. Scalpel: from 12 3. Ink: 6

Equipment: 1. 2. 3. 4. Lino blocks Ink Scalpel Paper

Speed of process: Quite slow if you want to make your design look neat

How many can you make? Is it a one-off or easy to make 100? It would take a really long time to make 100 linocuts so they would basically be one-off prints.

Stencil printing Step-by-step guide: 1. 2. 3. 4. Trace a stencil of the image you want to print Cut the image out with a scalpel or Stanley knife Seal the edges of the stencil with masking tape Use spray paint or regular paint to cover the negative space where youve cut the paper out 5. Peel the stencil off and you should get a clear image. Advantages: 1. Easy to do 2. Can be used on a lot of different textiles Disadvantages: 1. You might have to make new stencils each time you paint over them if you use thin paper to make the stencils Where is it used? 1. 2. 3. 4. Packaging Art (Banksy etc) Magazines Posters

What skills and knowledge are needed? You dont really need any specific skill other than being able to cut images out and be able to paint over things. You also need to know how to make a stencil print.

Cost 1. Paint: 4.50 2. Scalpel: from 12 Equipment 1. Paint or spray paint 2. Scalpel/Stanley knife 3. Card

Speed of process Generally quite quick if you cut out the stencil quickly

How many can you make? Is it a one-off or easy to make 100? Its easier to make a small number as you can use the same piece of card if its th ick enough until it disintegrates.

Screen printing Step-by-step guide 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Mesh is stapled to a wooden or metal frame Masking tape is then stuck around underside of the screen Cut out your stencil Stencil placed under frame but above paper Line of ink placed at one end of screen Use a squeegee to draw ink across screen, pressing firmly Then carefully lift the screen Evaluate your print and repeat if you want or need to

Advantages: 1. Easy to recreate prints without constantly re-applying ink 2. Commercially convenient Disadvantages: 1. Designs have to be simple 2. Screen frames eventually become warped/unusable

Where is it used? 1. 2. 3. 4. Packaging Art (Andy Warhol) Making t-shirts Fanzines

What skills and knowledge are needed? You dont need any specific skills other than knowing how to screen print and being able to concentrate long enough to keep the squeegee at a regular pressure.

Cost: Screen: 24 Ink: 4 each Squeegee: 12

Equipment: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Screen Ink Squeegee Paper Scalpel to cut out the stencil Card

Speed of process: Quite slow as you have to cut out the stencil and organise the ink and frame. Gets quicker once youve done the first print.

How many can you make? Is it a one-off or easy to make 100? Its pretty easy to make 100 identical prints as long as you have enough ink

Letterpressing Step-by-step guide: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. First you organise all of the letters you need to make your text on a board Make sure that theyre stuck securely onto the board Use a roller to cover the letters in a tacky layer of ink Turn the board over so the inked side is facing the paper Press it firmly onto the paper Gently pull the board off and repeat

Advantages: 1. 2. 3. 4. Easy to replicate once youve arranged the letters The actual printing is very quick Easy to apply the ink Good for making identical documents e.g. invitations, business cards

Disadvantages: 1. Takes a long time to arrange the letters for each page

Where is it used? 1. 2. 3. 4. Invitations Books Business cards Art (David Wolske)

What skills and knowledge are needed? You need to be able to organise the letters in the correct order and know how to letter press, also you need to be able to press the final printing board down so it gives a clear impression

Cost: Letters: 25 Press: 40 Ink: 4

Equipment 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Letters Press/some kind of equivalent Ink Card Roller

Speed of process: Pretty quick if youre just replicating the same thing over and over again, but very slow if youre manually printing a book or something that involves changing the letters round.

How many can you make? Is it a one off or easy to make 100? Its pretty easy to make lots of identical things using letterpressing but takes longer and is more difficult if you have to switch the letters around

Photocopying: Step-by-step guide: 1. 2. 3. 4. Choose your image Put it face down in a photocopier Choose how many copies of the image you want Press copy and collect your images

Advantages: 1. 2. 3. 4. Easy Quick Easy to explain Easy to get multiple identical copies of the same thing

Disadvantages: 1. Low quality 2. Expensive to get ink and paper Where is it used? 1. Schools/colleges 2. Copying fliers 3. Art What skills and knowledge are needed? None apart from how to use a photocopying machine

Cost Photocopier: 400 Ink: 100

Equipment 1. Photocopier 2. Ink 3. Paper/card

Speed of process Very quick although it depends on the photocopier

How many can you make? Is it a one off or easy to make 100? Its easy to make as many as you want as long as you have enough paper and ink

Laserprinting Step-by-step guide 1. Choose what you want to print 2. Press Ctrl+P or File Print and then choose how many copies you want Advantages: 1. Easy 2. Reasonably quick 3. Easy to print as many things as you want Disadvantages: 1. Printing ink is quite expensive

Where is it used? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Brochures Magazines Schools/colleges Posters Fanzines Anywhere really

What skills and knowledge are needed? None as long as you know how to use a printer

Cost Printer ink: 20 ish Printer: 50

Equipment 1. Printer

2. Paper 3. Ink Speed of process Pretty quick but it depends on the printer

How many can you make? Is it a one-off or easy to make 100? Its really easy to print out a lot of stuff you just have to take the cost into account.