HAND PRINTED FABRIC TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

Hand printed cotton fabric by artist Cherie Porter Blackwell  features an
 infinitely repeating pattern of abstract landscape designs
originally hand drawn and then transfer to screen printing film.

Applying traditional printmaking methods to fabrics allows an almost unlimited potential for rethinking and repurposing materials for a variety of applications.  Creating a sufficient amount of hand printed fabric can be done easily with screen printing.  The key skills in this process is an understanding of pattern repeat design, color management, and careful fabric selection. 

Rethinking the screen printing frame is key to simplifying the process.  This method lies outside the normal view that is common with screen printers from the commercial t-shirt industry.  Gone are the need for minute calibrations on a roulette printing stand.  Thinking outside this box, the screen frame becomes a kind of monoprint/monotype matrix which can be hand-held or possibly used with a traditional serigraphy press.

What will separate the artist's unique expression on fabric from the more craft-oriented or commercial fabric approach will of course have a lot to do with vision and application.  We would expect to see image making that is deeper in its artistic statement, highly conceptual, and offering elements of surprise.  Another way to say this is that there is really a lot of printed fabric in the world.  How will you make your mark and hold a strong voice in a field that is still dominated by large scale commercial fabric companies?

Once you have settled on your visual statement, try making your first set of fabrics with simply materials such as hand-cut stencils and one-step textile screen printing inks.  Pull the screens with a medium squeegee on a cushioned printmaking table.  Then take a look at the amount of ink that has be laid down.  You want a smooth application without excess.  If too much is in laid down, either modify your pulling technique or starting thinking about going a harder squeegee or print surface.