Lazy Gear: Screen Printing

    

The past 3 days I've been preparing all the screens which is a timely process, today being the first day I've actually managed to print as I've had to prepare 3 A1 screens for the trousers and an additional one A4 for the T-shirts. We've decided to make another screen for a small logo on the front of the T-shirts as well as a pocket sized design, while the A4 print will go on the back.

I was quite concerned about the screen I prepared above for the tracksuit bottoms as the design is composed of finer lines than the others, however I was happy with the level of quality in the outcome. Although they're not fully detailed it would be impossible to make the design finer as the quality would decrease dramatically.

The tracksuits have been quite difficult to print, the screen is smaller than the size of the bottoms so I've had to print them multiple times, the back especially I'll have to reprint the bottom of the trousers as well as the top as I wanted the logotype to be situated on the the wearer's bottom.

I had to divide the screen into sections to print the bottom and top (where there were gaps) separating the rest of the screen using tape. I successfully managed to print the front of the end of the trousers today and will have to wait till it's all dry to go over the back top and bottom. I'm unsure what to do about the crotch area as I obviously had to flatten the trousers before I printed, so it meant I had to fold them, leaving a gap in the print, I may have to print over this however it will be very tricky manoeuvring an A0 sized screen to the exact point in this print and covering the rest of the screen to avoid overprinting the rest of the trousers.

The faded print works really well with my concept of these rivalling the designer market, with a more handmade anarchist outlook. I did have to repaint the logotype in places just to touch up the ink but I'm pleased with the broken aesthetic in the print.

    

To achieve a broken aesthetic I thought the best way would be to alter the quantities of emulsion so there's more than usual which gives this more translucent look. Another way being overdoing the print so it blotches. Looking at the outlook I felt it mirrored Supreme's 'Blood and Semen' tracksuit print with the bubbled effect. (Featured in the coloured image below)