Induction to the textiles print room

I was finally able to have an induction in to the textiles print room and learn what other kinds of materials were available to me at the college to print with. Flock and foil are really easy to print with and give a really different look to a print than when using paints. To use flock or foil, you expose your image to a screen, much in the same way as when preparing to screen print with paint, but instead you print using the appropriate flock or foil glue. Once this has dried , which only takes a matter of minutes, you place the sheet of flock/foil over your image (ensuring that with the foil, it is facing shiny side downwards on to your image) and place it in the heat press. Once you have set it to the appropriate heat and time setting and close the heat press, you take it out and wait for it to cool. Once it has cooled, you gently peel the sheet of flock or foil away, leaving the material only where your screen printed glue was.

Below are some examples of prints with these materials, using the word visual communication.


Here is an image Gareth, the print room technician, prepared for all of us to get the hang of screen printing in the textiles room. It was pretty easy as the beds were the same as the print beds in Vernon Street. But I guess it's always good to have more practise!