The preparation for making a screen print might begin with a series of drawings, photographs, collage work or the manipulation of other materials such as textile, thread and yarn. To create detailed images a stencil is made on a screen coated with a light sensitive emulsion which is hardened by exposure to UV light. This preparation process can take considerable time, for example in the making of drawings or collage, taking and editing photographs or in other digital work to produce the positive transparency needed to make the stencil. Alternatively paper stencils might be hand cut for more spontaneous work and trial pieces. The two might be combined in a single print, though a UV exposed stencil is much longer lasting than a paper stencil.

Slides below show some of the mess that goes on before the production of a pristine print!