Digital Media Fab Lab Vinyl Plotter Demonstration Rapid Manufacturing for Screen-printing

Eco-friendly Wallpaper Research Proposal
2020-2021

Introduction: My definition of eco-friendly in printmaking is to use the least amount of solvent that is harmful for human and environment during the process and dispose waste, such as ink and contaminated rags, in the right bins for later disposal at a waste facility. For this project, Speedball water based ink will be used.

Eco Friendly aspects for this project:

- Reuse tools and materials, such as ink, containers, mylar, paper and so on.

- Dispose of wallpaper adhesive which is considered to be a non-hazardous waste, either let the waste dry out and treat it as regular waste into the trash bin

- Leftover water based ink which is also considered to be non-hazardous waste can be disposed of in the trash can after completely drying out

Goal: The goal of this project is to create wallpaper using silkscreen process with the least amount of waste that will be harmful for the environment.

Research plan:

Research for materials for the silkscreen process Use Adobe Illustrator to create the design for the vinyl cutter Start the silkscreen process and capture the process on video for the final tutorial

Materials:

Speedball ink:

According to the Safety Data Sheet, Speedball acrylic screen printing ink has no hazardous ingredients under OSHA Hazard Community Standard. During the process making the pattern on the wallpaper, leftover ink will be available to use from previous semesters. New ink will not be needed to purchase. In combination with the ink, Speedball acrylic extender base which also has no hazardous ingredients will be used under OSHA Hazard Community Standard. Both the ink and the base are water based.

Wall adhesive: Roman Pro-543 liquid wallpaper adhesive

According to the Safety Data Sheet, this product has no hazardous ingredients under OSHA Hazard Community Standard.

Paper: The final choice of paper will be decided after test print on a variety of papers: Stonehenge, washi.

Washi paper is made using no chemical, eco-friendly. Stonehenge is 100% cotton with acid-free. (All fine art paper is acid free to protect the artwork) Price: Unbleached Mulberry paper off-white 8.5” x 11” costs $0.59. Stonehenge 22” x 30” costs $3.47 (Plaza art).

Design of the wallpaper:

The design is created according to my interest and my art practice. The design is based on a dream from my childhood. In the dream, there were numerous shapes moving and dancing around in a large space with no music. In the final design, the shapes will have bright colors.

Additional tools: (All the tools in this list are reusable and can be clean with water)

Plastic containers to mix ink (1 Dollar store), quality depends on the number of colors Spatula (1 dollar store)

Silkscreen screen (at local art store or https://www.dickblick.com/products/jacquard-aluminum-silk-screens/) Printing squeegee (at Blick store, any art supply website or your university’s printshop) Mylar (Local art store

( These tools can be purchased on Amazon, Plaza Art website or Blick Art material)

Conclusion: After research and gathering materials, the process will be recorded for the final tutorial.

Step 1: Creating Design for Vinyl Cutting

Use Pencil Tool (N) to draw desired design (stroke).

In this step, the whole layer needs to be duplicated.

Press on the Option on the keyboard, then drag the layer that needs to be duplicated down to copy the whole layer.

Select the stroke using the Selection Tool (V), the inside of the stroke should be solid color, and the outline is none.
While selecting the stroke with (V), click on the “Stroke” on the top left of Illustrator site.

Weight to 2pt, Cap can be selected as desired, in this tutorial Round Cap is selected.

Keep the stroke (or strokes) selected with (V) Go to Object → Path → Outline Stroke (This step is for the original layer).

On the duplicated layer, use pencil tool (N) to connect the stroke creating a shadow shape for the original stroke.

Try your best to line up the ends’ anchor points together to create a closed path If not, Object → Path → Join (option 2).

Then use Pen tool (P) to connect two broken anchors together.

Then change the color of the fill to create the shadow shape.

Moreover, if you want the shape to be thicker or thinner, select the shape with (V), then press (P) to create an anchor point on the path.

Then Drag the anchor point to make the shape thicker or thinner as desired. Do this step with the shapes individually.

To create more shadow shapes, simply copy the shadow layer by Option and drag down the shadow layer.

Then change the fill in color each layer.

Create a new empty layer, then use the Rectangle Tool to frame up the layers for the vinyl cutter.

When using a vinyl cutter, only cut 2 layers.

Tutorial for using vinyl cutter, go to Step 2.

Step 2: Vinyl Cutting With the SummaCut D95

The Images are from the final large size vinyl cutting section.

Before cutting vinyl, you must load the material from the back of the machine.

Keep the roller (cam roller) of the machine line up with the vinyl.

To secure the roller down, pull the level (located behind the machine) up while holding down the vinyl.

Then make sure the size of the vinyl is bigger than the design.

1. First you must log in to a computer that connects to a vinyl cutting machine.
2. Open the file that you want to cut on Illustrator ( Select everything on the layer that needs to be cut, then flip the stroke and fill of the design.)
3. Open MacSign
4. In Illustrator --> (V) tool --> Select everything on the layer you want to cut --> copy
5. Move to MacSign --> paste (the file will stay the same size as in Illustrator)
6. In case you want to resize the file, hold down "shift" to maintain the proportion of the design.
7. On the menu bar, choose Plotter --> plot --> general tab --> destination --> plotter
8. Cutting tab --> tool -->cutter
9. Quality --> low is the best for small detail design, but for this design standard is good.
10. Uncheck "Cut off media after cutting"
11. Check "Advance media"
12. Click "Ok" to start cutting.

Step 3: Weeding the Vinyl Cutting

The images are from the sample vinyl cutting section for testing.

To weed vinyl, carefully use an X-acto knife to peel off the unnecessary parts of the vinyl.

In this project, I will use the vinyl as a stencil to silkscreen the wallpaper's design. As a result, I will need to weed the positive parts of the vinyl.

After finishing peeling off the unwanted pieces one by one, I will remove the big piece that surrounds the design.

During this process, make sure that the design remains attached to the backing sheet. If the design starts lifting up, simply use your finger holding it down.

Step 4: Transfer Paper

To shift the vinyl to the screen, I use transfer papers in order to keep all parts of the design in place.

Next, gently place the transfer paper on top of the vinyl, then I use a squeegee to smooth out all the bubbles.

Step 5: Placing the Vinyl Designs Into the Screen

Before placing the vinyl cutting design into the screen, it needs to be prepared by washing with water to take off any emulsion or dirt. Then I left the screen completely dry before use.

While waiting for the screen, the backing sheet of the vinyl needs to be removed carefully from the design.

Then, I gently place the design to either side of the screen (I paste it on the inside side of the screen.)

Next, I use a squeegee to flatten out the vinyl while placing down the vinyl.

After that, the transfer paper will need to be removed from the vinyl slowly. If any part of the design starts lifting with the transfer paper, simply use the X-acto knife to hold it down.

If you want to use two vinyl sheets on one screen, they need to be placed far from each other with enough space in between to avoid any ink touching the other vinyl sheet.

Step 6: Before Printing

Before starting printing, the screen needs to be secured into the hinge table so that the screen will not move while printing.

Moreover, the surrounding area of the design will be covered to avoid ink leaking through onto your paper. I reuse the backing sheets, the transfer papers, and masking tapes for this step.

Then, a printing squeegee that is wider than the design also will need to be clean and dry.

Lastly, before the next step, place the screen on top of a tape roll or whatever about the same thickness to keep the screen from touching the table.

Step 7: Flood Stroke

I place a strip of ink on one side that is longer than the length of the vinyl.

Then I use the squeegee to gently move the ink to cover the whole design. This is called flood stroke. Here is a video demonstrating flood stroke and printing. (Skip to 0:50)

Step 8: First Layer Printing

Before printing, I proceed on setting down a piece of paper under the screen (make sure the paper is bigger than the design and lay directly under the design.)

For this first sample print, I use Stonehenge paper (one of the two options listed in my project proposal.)

Next, I rest the screen flat down on top of the paper without the roll of tape.

I then press the squeegee down firmly at 45 degree angle at one end of the vinyl, and drag down to the other end.

Gently lift the screen to expose the print.

Step 9: Preparing for the Second Layer

After finishing printing for the first layer, using a power washer, I am going to use the same vinyl stencil to print the second layer. The screen needs to be clean to get rid of any access ink on the screen.

Let the screen dry completely either air dry or in front of an electronic fan.

Step 10: Continue Printing

For the second layer and any layer after, I tape a piece of mylar on the table below the screen to act as a guide for the print. (Make sure to tape the mylar to the table in a way that you can flip the mylar back and forth, so it still remains in the same place for registration)

The next step would be flood stroke and print on the mylar.

Now, the screen needs to be flipped up out of the way for easy adjustment.

Place the first layer print below the mylar, and start adjusting the paper to the placement that you desire with the second layer on the mylar.

After that, I flip the mylar out of the table, and start printing the second layer on top of the paper.

Ink on mylar can easily be clean using simple green or Windex spray with a paper towel.

Repeat the process for each layer of your design.

Step 11: Last Layer/challenges

A problem occurs when I wash the second vinyl stencil for my last layer.

The lines of the design on the 3M Calendared Film are thin, and the separated vinyl inside could not stick to the screen after contact with water.

As a result, I decide to use the Oracal 631 for my last layer because it has stronger adhesion compared to the other vinyl.

After getting the vinyl ready for the last layer, I use a darker color ink that has a watery consistency but it is mixed the same as the previous layers. However, the lines (the left print on the last picture) are not completely solid.

To solve this problem, I mix new ink without the extender base to keep the ink thick. As it turns out, the lines (right print on the last picture) are solid and more consistent.

To conclude, if you print with vinyl stencil with thin lines and separated vinyl parts, a thicker consistency ink is recommended.

Step 12: Printing on Masa Paper

The other option I have for paper on my proposal is Masa paper, a thin Japanese paper compared to Stonehenge.

For this print, I decide to use the Oracal 631 for both stencils.

Before printing this edition, instead of randomly mixing the colors together to create a new color, I write down the amount and colors I use to mix a new color.

This is a great way to recreate the color again in the situation where the color runs out while printing a large project.

A tip for avoiding the paper sticking on the screen after printing is to use masking tape on a corner of the paper.

Step 13: Adhesion

To pasting the samples onto the wall, I use Roman Pro 543 Wallpaper Adhesive.

With Stonehenge paper, a large amount of adhesive and physically holding down the samples to the wall are needed in order to keep the samples stuck to the wall.

However, with Masa paper, a thin layer of adhesion is enough to hold the samples down.

Step 14: Homemade Wallpaper Adhisive

Instead of purchasing wallpaper adhesive from hardware stores like Home Depot, there are multiple recipes to make adhesive. I will list below two recipes for homemade glue by Noelle Jordan Stillman.

Pectin Glue:

1) Go to your local grocer and buy a box of fruit pectin.

2) Measure out a tablespoon of the pectin and put it into a vessel that has no odor.

3) Using water mix in 2 teaspoons of water.

4) Continue to add water until the solution becomes almost clear.

With this recipe, you should make right before use to avoid molding. However, you can also lay a thin layer of this glue to the back of your paper, and let it dry. Once you are ready to paste the wallpaper to the wall, spray a thin mist of water to the glue side to activate the glue.

-Wheat paste

1. Simmer 1 cup of Water

2. Pour one cup of All Purpose White Flour into 2 cups of cold water, and stir with whisk.

3. Pour into simmering water, then stir for 3-5 mins on medium heat.

4. Stop stirring for about 10 seconds....if a bubble rises to the surface of the paste, pop the bubbles.

5. After paste has heated to a boil, switch stove to low heat and cook the paste for at least half an hour, at this point, the paste should have the consistency of vanilla pudding, stir constantly and adjust as necessary: (Too thick, more water! Too thin, more flour!) It will become thinner and more transparent.

Upon reaching desired (smooth, pliable, and somewhat transparent) consistency, take paste off the heat and let cool to room temp by leaving it sit out, stirring it every 3-5 mins.

The optimal consistency of the paste at the end should be that of a Vanilla Milkshake.

Step 15: Removing Wallpaper

To remove the wallpaper without damaging the wall, I simply soak a sponge in water.

Then I hold the sponge on top of the wallpaper like picture, and use a hard flat card like a credit card to scrape the paper from its corners.

Step 16: Printing on Newsprint Paper

For the large size design vinyl sheets, I decide to print on newsprint paper which is available at Florida State University printshop.

The last picture is where I already paste the prints on the wall using the same wallpaper adhesive I use for the sample prints.

As you can see with the gap in between, I did not line the paper correctly due to the fact that I did not cut prints all straight and even. You could paste the wallpaper and cut the edges afterward.

However, this is an example of how my design looks as a wallpaper.

Step 17: FSU Fab Lab

For the final use of the vinyl stencil, I decide to print on a 4' x 8' bulletin board to keep in the FSU Fab Lab as a record of my research.

The process would be the same as printing on paper. However, I will not be able to use the hinge table to hold down the screen because the the size of the board is large. For a better printing process, I move the screen around the board.

Moreover, I use a smaller squeegee compared to the size of the vinyl because the board is not completely flat as paper. With smaller squeegee size, it will be easier to print all the details of the design onto the board.

The video below is a short video of the process printing the bulletin board at the FSU printshop.