Lena’s Comments (group member since Aug 04, 2008)

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

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.js...

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.

carolyn,

i use both regular fabric ink and screen printing ink for rubber block printing. hmmm, i wonder why you aren't getting nice opaque prints? (just checking, you are using the rubber material and not lino? linoleum blocks need to be used with oil based ink. i learned that after several frustrating attempts at printing!).

ink varies so much. i've found that the texture and opacity varies, not only from brand to brand, but also from color to color, and from jar to jar!

when i print with rubber block stamps, i make sure to have a cushioned surface below, like a towel, so that the stamp can press better into the fabric. and i also press for up to 20-30 seconds, giving the ink time to press in.

i hope it goes better next time!
lena

hi carolyn,
i'm glad to hear you like the book-- thanks!

i've gotten a few questions about this. since writing the book, i've realized that some of the inks i discuss are difficult to find in stores.

what is most important is to look at what type of surface an ink is for. so, any fabric ink can be used for any fabric printing project. for example, regular fabric ink can be used with screen printing, and screen printing ink can be used for stamping. additionally, fabric ink can be used on paper (but not vice versa). i use only acyclic/water-based ink for all of my projects projects.

i hope that clarifies things! let me know if you have any more questions.

best,
lena

hi chris,
printing on dark fabric with a light color is tricky... i often print with white on darker backgrounds, which works very well, but haven't tried much with colors. i buy a white called "bright white" or "opaque white" which is meant for darker surfaces.

also, you can mix some extender base into your ink to slow the drying time.

good luck with your project!

lena

hi leah,

i haven't printed on umbrellas or outdoor-type gear before. regular water-based fabric ink holds up through years of washings, so it should work for an umbrella too. oil-based ink might be used to print commercial umbrellas, i'm not sure. but i don't work with oil-based ink. best of luck to you! it sounds like a fun project.

lena

hi bea,
thank you!
unfortunately i don't have a paper source to recommend. i've never printed wallpaper. i will ask around and post here again if i find out about a good paper to use.

good luck!

lena

hi!

here's a list of the water-based fabric inks that i use:

AquaBrite Ink from Standard Screen
http://www.standardscreen.com/aquabri...

Speedball Ink
http://www.dickblick.com/zz432/07/

Union Aerotex Ink
http://www.dickblick.com/zz432/21/

Blick Ink
http://www.dickblick.com/zz432/15/

i've found that from color to color, the ink can vary a lot as far as the thickness of the ink, and the softness to the touch when it dries. i always wash and dry a finished project to soften the ink more.

hi,
i'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying the book so far. thank you!

any water-based fabric ink will be fine to use. i recommend Speedball brand. the ink will need to be heat-set to make it washable (either ironed or tossed in the dryer on high heat).

http://www.in2art.com/art-supplies/sp...

it sounds like a great project!

lena

thanks liz! it's so nice to get positive feedback on the book-- especially from another designer!

hi liz, hi becky,

becky-- i don't mind at all! i'm glad you chimed to help with the question. i would love for this to be a forum where people can compare notes.

liz-- it's unlikely that the problem is with your fabric, so don't worry too much about that! although it should be washed and ironed before printing because some finishes on fabric can interfere with printing.

it's hard for me to guess what the problem is without seeing your project in person, but i would recommend first trying to get perfect prints on paper. if that isn't possible, the problem might be that the mesh size isn't right for your artwork. if you can get nice prints on paper, but then have a problem on fabric, you might not have the right mesh size for linen.

also, experiment with how much pressure you use with the squeegee, and how many passes back and forth with the squeegee.

let me know how those experiments go!

best,
lena