TRASH SCREENPRINT DIY

Here is a DIYroute to screenprinting using trash from a local printshop. There is an incredible amount of waste in the printing business and one dumpster can provide a printmaker with more material than they can handle., I just walk in and ask if i can have some of their trash. The card strips for this project are just the end cuts from someones print job. there were stacks and stacks of them being thrown away along with foamcore, adhesive vinyl, canvas and paper stock. This supply stream feels right in so many ways.

Here is a list of other things used in this project

Staple gun and staples

scissors

woodglue

tape

polyester screen

contact cement

I took the stuff straight from the dumpster to my local DIY and arts co-op and found everything else i needed there.

The plan is to use these 3x10" pieces of cardstock to build a screen frame, fit with polyester mesh, and cobble together a simple rig to print with .

begin by folding in half longways. then open and fold each edge to the middle line, again longways. the result is a square shaped tube open along one edge. We need 2 each of this piece per side of the frame, so fold up 8. They should be as uniform as possible.

From the eight folded pieces glue into four tubes. smash the glue and give it an hour to cure

This is how I cut and folded 2 of the tubes into corner supports for the two remaining tubes, which fit snugly. glue all dry spots where tubes meet. put a book on top and let it dry.

the frame will take staples from a gun or use glue or tape tostretch the screen .

the stencil could be exposed emulsion, paint marker, painted on glue or tape.

I cut the big pieces of media to the size of the screen and ran some prints.It worked!