OUGD 504 - Studio Brief 1

'Screen printing is arguably the most versatile of all printing processes. It can be used to print on a wide variety of substrates, including paper, paperboard, plastics, glass, metals, fabrics, and many other materials. including paper, plastics, glass, metals, nylon and cotton.' It is used in order to produce an array of various forms of design, and gives a much more personal touch to any piece.

'The equivalent of the printing plate for the screen printer is the screen - a wooden or aluminium frame with a fine nylon mesh stretched over it. The mesh is coated with a light sensitive emulsion or film, which - when dry - will block the holes in the mesh. The image that needs to be printed is output to film either by camera or image-setter. This film positive and the mesh on the screen are sandwiched together and exposed to ultra-violet light in a device called a print-down frame. The screen is then washed with a jet of water which washes away all the light sensitive emulsion that has not been hardened by the ultra-violet light. This leaves you with an open stencil which corresponds exactly to the image that was supplied on the film. Now the screen is fitted on the press and is hinged so it can be raised and lowered. The substrate to be printed is placed position under the screen and ink is placed on the top side of the screen, the frame acting as a barrier to contain the ink. A rubber blade gripped in a wooden or metal handle called a squeegee, not unlike a wind-screen wiper, is pulled across the top of the screen; it pushes the ink through the mesh onto the surface of the substrate you are printing. To repeat the process the squeegee floods the screen again with a return stroke before printing the next impression.' 

- www.printmaker.co.uk

It is a very simple and popular process that can be applied to a very wide variety of design outcomes. It adds different textures and aesthetic qualities that, although many people try, cannot be fully achieved with digital print. Screen printing is a technique that is only really used for short-run print jobs, as it is quite a time consuming and at times a laborious process, only really suited to producing a limited amount of prints. Although you can only really apply one colour at a time, you can work with multiple layers in order to create an image made up from as many different colours as you want, including full colour photographs. In order to do this, you need to consider many factors during the design stages; things such as printers marks, halftone and channels.

Foiling is a process that involves the use of a thin sheet of metal that is applied to a substrate by heat. Glue is applied to the desired area and then the foil is placed on top of this area. Once the heat is applied, the glue melts slightly and binds the foil to the substrate; once peeled away only the area that had glue will be covered in the foil. The use of foil within design can really add a touch of elegance and class to a design, making it stand out from everything else.

Flocking is applied in the same way as foil is, through the application of heat. It leaves a textured feel, almost fluffy, that is slightly raised from the rest of the stock. This can often give a very natural and organic feel, but isn't a very common material within graphic design.

Spot varnish is a type of lacquer that is applied to a piece as a finishing touch, leaving the surface glossy and shiny. This is often used to make certain parts of the design stand out, without using different colours or stocks. To me, this seems like quite a commercial process that is often seen on magazines and books, not something that is really used by the average graphic designer.

Embossing, as well as debossing, is a process that involves pressure forcing the stock to become indented with a certain design. This is often done with a stamp, made from metal or wood, that is placed along with the substrate, under some sort of clamp that applies quite a bit of pressure. It allows you to make a mark onto the stock without actually printing anything, something that is often used very creatively. I think that embossing is quite a common process, but used correctly can really bring strong results.

Laser cutting, which can be used to cut designs that will later be embossed, is a simple process that is done mainly by machine. Once the design is sorted and ready to go, it is put into a software that is hooked up to the laser cutter. This is a big machine that has a laser inside of it which moves around, cutting whatever design you want. It can be used to cut very small details as well as cutting large shapes, perhaps numerous sheets at a time. Done correctly, this can make a design look much more professional and clean, as opposed to cutting it by hand which could lead to rough edges and mistakes.