beginner blues first post

[MearlH]

just finsished my first 7 color print out of my studio apt and was sadly disipointed. major registration problems due to cutting paper to size, no vacume table, no space etc. have a ton of questions so try to keep it to a minimum. i am burning my screens in my closet and using tracing paper to draw my image and burn. Was going to copy my image to transparency originaly but found no one that can do it at the size i wanted (basicaly anything biger than a standard 8 x 11) what do you people do. also i cant seem to find larger screens. I am currently using, hinges from art store, i have 1 screen that i reburn every time i need to layer another color. Does anyone use the film i hear so much about and how it works think its called rubylith? i am new to this site, but have already learned alot from previous threads i have been reading. Any tips would be great.

[kim_a]

Many people tile 8.5x11" transparencies together, other have larger format printers and source larger sizes of film, some people have them made by vendors. Some artists are old-school and cut rubylith as well as paint and draw directly on films and piece together their separations from that. In the end, it's all about the type of artwork you are making and what fits, I usually print and tile, but last week I did a print for a university assignment where I used masking tape, star-shaped stickers and letraset transfer lettering...

Screens are cheap online, buy aluminum, hinge-clamps should be enough for a beginner as long as you've got a good surface to print on that allows you some room to move your paper under your screen (or just plan where you burn your image). If you get a premium account on here, there are free plans for building a vacuum-table top that will help, a lot, and save you some headaches. Print on standard sized paper at first, then cut once your print is done, just go to a commercial printer and ask them to cut your stack down using their machine, either make friends and get them to do it free, or pay them a tiny amount and ensure you get good, even cuts.

Welcome, what is your favourite cheese, and good luck.

-Kim

[SkatRadioh]

Seven colors for your first print?! Sounds crazy. I've been running into copy shops that only do 8.5x11 transparency more often now and you could double up transparencies and tile them together. While it may run a bit more expensive, but worth it for some projects, ask around at print/design shops if they can make or have a source for transparencies. They might be able to do it for you. Can't imagine it'd be hard to find in Chicago. GMgraphics has been my choice for fairly priced screens. Rubylith is a film with a red layer that you can cut and peel away to make your image.

Support the site and get a premium account! Keep searching the forums and more people will be willing to help you with your questions.

[MearlH]

also a norwegian, smoked jarlsburg, thanks for the advice (tiling seems so obvious now that you point it out, i will try that next. The print i finished i think was a little ambitious for my second attempt, think i will try a simpler concept on my third attempt and try to conqure some of the techniqual problems i am having. thanks (spelling not my strongest asset)

[MearlH]

literally just joined 30 minutes ago, but was looking at the premium account option, seems cool. maybe next paycheck i will. thanks for the advice, i am assuming i can get rubylith at like a dick blick?

[SkatRadioh]

Yeah, my first print was only two colors and that caused me enough problems to start with. 100 sheets with a lot of bullshit.

If you can find the Jay Ryan/Aaron Horkey collaboration threads and sift through all the pages I think I remember Jay posting a bunch of photos that may give you an idea of how you can work. There's a variety of drawing on film, using rubylith and using a key image to create other separations that might be your style. There's any possible way to do it as long as your blocking light when you burn a screen.

Edit: Welcome to the community!

[SkatRadioh]

horkey / ryan collab. process thread

Horkey & Ryan collab print #2

I unno if Jay put a condensed process album together because there's probably a LOT of posts by users (including me) goggling over every post of pics making it unbelievably long to page through.

[Mazza]

If you're in Chicago you should look into Screwball Press....I think you can print there for a membership fee. It'll save you a lot of headaches.

[boatdreams]

Get rubylith here: Art Supplies, Craft Supplies, Acrylic Paint, and more at MisterArt.com

If any of the Blick stores in Chicago have it, it would be the one on State Street. They've got Duralar, though, which is a type of clear film. You can take that (or vellum) and put it through the oversize printer at Kinkos for some of your films (might get pricey if you do them all this way, though).

[Quinine]

I used to have transparencies printed at Kinko's. They could do up to 11 x 17. Make sure to tell them to print black only and make sure your image files are BITMAP before you go or send them. There are other threads on here about places that output large films as well. Good luck.