OUGD 504 - Studio Brief 1

After having a discussion with Lorraine about my interest in the use of fluorescent inks, she informed me about 3rd years that have used it previously. From this, we then had brief conversations with them about the medium and the various constraints that come with it. This is what we discussed:

• When possible, try using a glossier stock. If the stock is too porous it will simply absorb the fluorescent ink and won't work.
• As there are different forms that you can buy the ink in, powder or liquid form, the powder is possibly not as good as the liquid. The woman in the print room has had some experience in working with this medium and is possibly good to talk to about how well it works.
• When it comes to photographing our work, especially when it comes to photographing the fluorescent ink in action, we are definitely much better using a tripod and longer exposure time. This is because when working in a dark room, the lighting will be really bad for a camera and will need longer be able to capture a decent image.
• It is important to first screen print a base coat of white acrylic underneath wherever the fluorescent ink will be printed. This enables the fluorescent ink to sit on top of the acrylic and shall work much better; preventing it from soaking into the substrate and therefore not working at all. Obviously when using this method, ensure that the registration lines up perfectly.

This discussion has been very worthwhile and when it comes to actually experimenting with the medium, this will be very helpful to refer to.

Despite having this conversation, I actually never got around to using the fluorescent ink within this project. However, this information will definitely come in handy later on in the year if I ever come to use this substance.