This is Enfu's first print and what kicked started Enfu for me. I'd never done a screenprint on paper before so it was a learn as you go type experience.
I spent a lot of time researching Taco trucks & Ramen stands by taking photos. Then I came up with many sketches on how to make an interesting combination of both.
After coming up with iconic visuals of both these stands that I was happy with I then would digitally clean up and do color separations for the piece.
After adding crop and registration marks on all the negatives I had it printed on special paper. More photos of my process after the jump.
This piece only had 3 colors so I lay each sheet on top of each other to make sure I'm happy with the negative's registrations.
You can see more clearly the other layers when I slide them apart.
My printer, Tom Dewar, pours in the photo emulsion into a device which spreads in evenly on the screen.
The photo emulsion hardens with exposure to certain lights. The negative will be placed on top of this screen and when exposed to this light the unexposed emulsion will wash out with water.
Here Tom sprays the emulsion after the negative had been burned and you can see the emulsion being washed out reveals the holes in the screen in which the inks will be pushed through onto the paper.
The screen is then placed into the machine which aligns the screen into position.
The screen is on a hinge which allows the printer to slide the paper underneath.
The ink is then pulled through the screen onto the paper below.
After the first color is pulled then it is left on a rack to dry while the next screen is being prepped and burned.
The second color is then pulled.
The third and last color is then pulled. Its important that the registration marks be correct because naturally there will be some extremely slight amount of misregistration in each print. Sometimes the test prints turn out looking awesome in their own way.
And there you have it freshly printed prints. There is nothing more satisfying then feeling the inks on the paper and taking it all in.
Now its ready for me to emboss the enfu logo onto each print and for me to sign and number this edition of 100.
And after that packaging them in plastic bags and inserting a Certificate of Authenticity 'seals' the deal.