Lino printing:
The print induction consisted of 2 days where I learned how to use the techniques of lino cut and screen printing to produce prints of art work. I found this incredibly interesting as I had never done it before, I really enjoyed the lino print due to the fact that you could gain intricate and detailed prints from using different cutting tools (gouge).
Linoleum is a versatile material which enabled me to create a variety of different shapes, it also meant that producing curves was incredibly fluid. Within this lesson I produced a floral print, which will be placed inside my interior space for my project a ‘place to exist’. Once I had cut out the piece I wanted to print I then chose to use blue pigment to print with, after the lino was completely inked from the roller I laid it onto the printing press and printed the pattern onto card. This is a very simple and affective process and allows you to produce a variety of different prints in a short space of time to a high quality. The prints were then left to dry on a drying rack. I believe that this process is incredibly good for interior design as it allows you to experiment with wallpaper, artwork and patterns which can be used within any interior space. This can be done by scanning the prints onto Photoshop and editing them to produce a surface pattern which will fit into your space. I think that I will continue using lino printing throughout my degree and career as an interior designer as it enables you to produce personalised prints; allowing you to produce a unique interior.
Lino Prints:
Printing Press: Drying rack:
Screen Printing
Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh frame is used to transfer ink onto the cartridge paper.
On the second day of the print workshop we were introduced to screen printing. Again I have never done this before however I found the process incredibly interesting. I personally preferred lino printing to screen printing but I was able to gain skilful knowledge which I could potentially use for future projects. The first step in screen printing was to cut out a stencil of the print we wanted to produce. For my print I chose to draw a variety of leaves, this will be used as a print within my interior space for my current project. This was incredibly fiddly and I found that the paper was constantly ripping because it was so thin. However once I had produce my first stencil I placed it onto the mesh frame and then applied ink using a squeegee onto the stencil in one swift movement. This then allows the ink to flood through the stencil and transfer onto the card. Whilst the print was drying I used the jet wash to wash all of the ink which had saturated the mesh off and allowed to dry. The majority of my prints were successful however some of them did not obtain the quality I required. Therefore, this shows me that I need to continue practising this technique to ensure that my prints are produced to a higher standard.
I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about different print techniques and am confident to use them again as I believe I need more practise to ensure future prints are successful for my interior spaces. In the future I would like to experiment with more intricate designs other than floral patterns to widen my knowledge and experience within printing.
Charlotte's blog 