Lena's comments (member since Aug 04, 2008)

Lena's comments from the Q&A for Printing By Hand group.

hi,
blick has a very good selection:

http://www.dickblick.com/products/krylon...

hi michelle,

i buy spray paint at my local hardware store, and they have a great selection of colors. have you tried a hardware or art supply store?

hi tina,
it sounds like you're having great results with versatex inks... i didn't mean to discount them in my previous comment. i should give them a try!

best,
lena

yes! that is a great way to set ink. set the dryer on high heat for at least 15 minutes.

-lena

hi laura,
i've been meaning to try this myself! the mylar would have to be thin, and the thinner mylar is trickier to cut without tearing. but i think it could work very well. let me know if you try it!

best,
lena

hello,
i don't use versatex ink, but i'm surprised to hear that the ink is washing out. while fabric ink does fade a bit sometimes, it's supposed to be permanent! thanks for your tips, tina. it sounds like the versatex ink needs the fixative added. i would also suggest experimenting with some different brands, like speedball and dick blick.

let me know what happens!

hi sam,

you can order great, high quality acrylic blocks here:
http://picturemystamp.com/

but i have also bought cheaper, thinner acrylic sheets/blocks at hardware stores and art supply stores. sometimes they are in the "model making" dept.

let me know if you still have a hard time finding them!

hi annette,
on the joann website, look for the item "sticky back foam sheets". they're a little bit further down on the page.

thanks so much for buying the book!

best, lena

hi elizabeth,
thanks for your question...
i don't know an absolute answer, but i can give you a little more information. working with oil-based ink is more toxic and has much worse fumes, so your friend who mentioned it might have heard this about oil based/plastisol printing. water-based ink gives off some fumes, and it's best to work in a well-ventilated room. you could wear gloves so that the ink doesn't come in contact with your skin. with these two precautions, i would feel comfortable screen printing while pregnant. my first screen printing teacher was very pregnant when i took her class. in my book, i mention using "retarder" if you want to extend the drying time of ink. it is made from toxic chemicals, so i would recommend avoiding that product.

this is a great book, and it discusses some of the health concerns for working with ink. have you asked your doctor about paints and ink in general?

http://www.amazon.com/Screenprinting-Com...

best, lena

hi fiona,
i mostly buy a local brand of screen printing ink at standard screen, here in nyc. i also really like speedball's ink, and union ink. versatex is a very good brand too. the texture and consistency of ink can really vary, not just from brand to brand, but from color to color. each printing project involves some experimentation with getting the ink right, and i can still get frustrated sometimes myself!

you've inspired me to give jacquard inks a try again. i think i'll play around with them this weekend.

best,
lena

hi fiona,

i don't have much experience working with jacquard ink-- but i know that you can mix them with a transparent extender base. it will thicken the ink and then it should coat the carved block similarly to the block printing ink. you might need to do some test swatches mixing different amounts of base to the ink.

i most often use screen printing ink for block printing, because fabric block printing ink can be difficult to find (maybe when the book reprints, i will get a chance to add this tip). i heat set my fabric in the dryer, or with an iron if it's a small piece. i've never used the oven, but i've heard that works too. i have some slight fading with certain colors, but you shouldn't be getting a lot of fading. this is probably a silly question, but are you sure your block printing ink is meant for fabric? i made that mistake once.

let me know how it goes if you try the jacquard ink again, or if you have any more questions!

lena

hi libby,
yes! i'll be offering an april class. are you on my mailing list?

hi laura,
thanks for all of this really great information!
yes when i talk about "rubber blocks" i'm referring to the soft-cute material.

best, lena

hi lindsay,
sorry to hear that you've had trouble! foam sheets are often in the "model making" department, or in the kids craft department. here is a link to the brand i use, called "Foamies"--

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?C...

best, lena

hi karen,
i'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the book!
you're right-- regular block printing ink cannot be used for fabric (if it needs to be washable). but fabric screen printing ink actually works very well for block printing. if you can't find fabric block printing ink, then screen printing ink is perfect. the only issue you may have is if the screen printing ink is too runny (the thickness varies with each brand and color). the ink should be as thin as melted ice cream or as thick as yogurt. if it's too thin, leave the ink uncovered and exposed to air until it thickens.

i don't work with oil based ink, so i'm sorry i don't have any recommendations. just to clarify, in the book i use rubber blocks and not linoleum blocks. i don't recommend using oil based ink with the rubber blocks

let me know if you have further questions!

lena

hi ivana

are those labeled for use on fabric? a long as the package says fabric paint, you'll be fine using those.

best, lena

hi,

any, really!
i usually buy the white speedball brand because they are moderately priced. the pink speedball blocks are slightly better because they crumble less, but are a little pricier. have fun!!

best, lena

hi nicole,

i've never heard of that. the ink usually has directions on the container, and i've never read to wait.... interesting! with stamping, often what happens is the ink that has pressed into the fabric stays through washings, and the ink that just rests on the surface washes away. so if you're having problems with the print fading, you can try pressing longer and harder to get a print that really sinks into the fabric. let me know if you experiment with waiting 10 days. i'd be curious to hear!

best,
lena

you're welcome! best of luck to you...

yes, by "regular fabric ink" i mean the basic (cheap) paints you see at major craft stores. the inks i listed above are better quality fabric/textile ink options.