Updated 5/4/23
Etiquette will be updated as needed. If information is missing please send questions to brooke@isprojectsfl.com

By Studio Area:

Screenprinting:

  • EMULSION: 

    • Use with permission

    • Report to Ingrid immediately when bucket is running low (¼ bucket remaining).

    • Do not mix new emulsion without talking to Ingrid

    • Store on ground under washout sink

  • MATERIALS:

    • Purchase your own screens. Do not use the studio’s screens without permission from Ingrid. Max screen size is 34x48” (that’s a custom fabricated size)

    • Bring your own ink. Otherwise, all screen printing ink must be purchased from IS Projects. It is not free, and much of it is tied up in active projects.

    • Paper can also be purchased through IS Projects at cost

    • The big, thin glossy paper under the teal screen printing press can be used in place of newsprint, and is always free to use!

    • If you arrange to have films printed, they will be waiting for you on the steel table next to the printer or in the drawer labelled “Moar Films” under the exposure unit

  • IMAGE PREP

    • IS Projects offers full service coat, film printing, and burning ($45) if you do not want to do this yourself, as well as film printing (44” wide, $10 per foot.) Both services take 2-3 business days

    • If you want to learn file prep, arrange assisted studio time with Ingrid or take her screen printing course for basics

  • COATING SCREENS:

    • Ensure there is space in the rack above the sink for your screens. If there is not, talk to studio staff. If your screens will take the last spots, also talk to studio staff.

    • Turn off the dehumidifier while you’re coating. It blasts your screen with hot air and dries that part of the screen prematurely. This can result in that emulsion being unusable and you having to re-coat your screen. 

    • Clean up all emulsion spills

    • Do not leave emulsion in the scoop coater for more than a few minutes. The larger scoop coater has a lid, which you should use if you have to walk away for any length of time (it’s in the middle of the base of the shelf on the mini fridge)

    • Scoop unused emulsion back into the bucket it came from after coating all of your screens. Use a clean bondo spatula to assist (small yellow or white piece of plastic, usually on the shelves in the washout room on in the bucket with the spatulas)

    • Place coated screens gently into the rack over the washout sink.

    • Wash the scoop coater thoroughly. Inside and out, in every nook and cranny especially the coating edge, with help from the green scrubbing pad to the left of the faucet. Water only.

  • EXPOSING SCREENS:

    • Be sure to Windex the exposure unit before use

    • DO NOT attempt to burn a screen until you are ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that your emulsion is completely dried

    • Set your times correctly: 

      • Expose new image: average is 50sec-1:20

      • Post-expose: 5-10 min

    • Be sure to place the cord over the frame and onto the screen mesh

    • Latch and vacuum before burning (not required for post-exposing)

    • Pull your screen out and store your film with your belongings when you’re done

    • Wash out your image with the scrubber with no tape on the handle and the pressure washer with the pressure turned off. 

    • PLEASE RINSE THE SPONGE after washing out your screen. If you do not rinse the sponge, the emulsion hardens in the fibers and kills it. 

  • PRINTING:

    • Confirm availability of print area you wish to use during business hours. 

    • After hours and Open Studio, print areas are first-come, first served (though priority is given to studio renters, members and ISP/NP commissioned projects)

    • Use all equipment correctly

    • If you need instruction on correct printing methods, please arrange assisted studio time or take a workshop!

  • WASHOUT ROOM

    • Any time you use the washout sink, check the floor of Ingrid’s studio for flooding. If there is any water coming into her studio from under the wall, please clean it up, and if there are things on the floor near the water, please carefully move them away. If the things are IN the water, please contact her ASAP.

Why this is a thing: There is a water filtering machine under the washout sink – it’s a big white box with a big tray set into its surface. If the filter needs to be changed or it is otherwise clogged, it overflows through the wall and into Ingrid’s studio. Changing the filter is actually really easy. Please talk to Ingrid if you would like to learn how to change the filter. If it is flooding and you do not know how to change the filter, please stop using the washout sink. 

  • There is very little screen storage available. Please seek permission for all screen storage in advance. 

  • Do not leave any items in the slop sink – wash them as soon as you can. 

  • The Dehumidifier has a drawer full of water at the bottom. If you look at the control panel and see that the little red light is on, you can carefully pull out and empty the drawer. It helps screens to dry faster. 

  • Please do not wash art materials in the sink if there are food items sitting in it. We don’t want chemicals on food things or food on art things. Don’t mix them. 

  • RECLAIMING:

    • Wear an apron, ear protection, and a face shield while reclaiming.

    • Do not reclaim a screen if there are screens on the coating table or anywhere else in the washout room besides the overhead rack. Screens in the rack over the washout booth are safe.

    • If you need instruction on correct screen reclaiming, please arrange assisted studio time or take a workshop!

    • Please be sure to use the correct scrubber and spray bottle for reclaiming – you need Emulsion Remover. It is marked with the Orange Emulsion Remover tape (tape chart is on the wall by the sink)

    • DO NOT GET EMULSION REMOVER ON OTHER SCRUBBERS. That will definitely ruin someone’s day.

    • Once you spray emulsion remover on your screen, you cannot take a break until it’s all cleared out. If the emulsion and emulsion remover mix dries on your screen, it can only be removed with haze remover. 

    • There is a white backlight in the washout sink (switch is on the right side exterior of the booth), but it can only be used if you are certain there are no coated-but-not-burned screens in the washout room. This is very helpful for reclaiming, to ensure you have gotten all emulsion out of your screen.

    • ISP offers screen reclaiming as a service ($15) with a 2-3 business day turnaround

  • WASHING INKY THINGS: 

    • Never leave ink on anything! It dries quickly and if it can be removed after drying, it is significantly more difficult than when it’s wet. 

    • Do not leave any items in the slop sink – wash them as soon as you can.

    • Wash inky screen with water in the washout sink, with the pressure turned off. You can scrub with the scrubber with NO TAPE on its handle to agitate ink.

    • Wash all squeegees, spoons, and spatulas with water only. Agitate ink with the green scrubbing pad (usually left of the faucet), and use it to agitate ink left over in the sink with running water. Always use running water when washing ink down the sink – nothing thicker than water should technically go down the drain. Watered down ink is fine.

    • There is a white backlight in the washout sink (switch is on the right side exterior of the booth), but it can only be used if you are certain there are no coated-but-not-burned screens in the washout room.

  • DRYING RACK

    • Please do not leave anything on the large drying rack in screenprinting past Sunday evening. You are welcome to use the drying rack throughout the weekend but please transfer any prints that need additional drying time to the drying rack in the fine art area before leaving. This is our main production drying rack so it needs to be clear before the work week can begin.

Fine Art Area:

  • SOAKING TRAYS:

    • Setting up a tray: 

      • Ensure that the soaking area you intend to set up will not risk splashing water onto art or water-sensitive materials or equipment. 

      • Select a tray and wipe the inside of the tray with a damp paper towel before use. Do not use anything other than water to clean the trays.

      • Fill a clean, empty bucket with water from the sink in the washout room and pour that water into the soaking tray until you reach the desired fill level (usually a little under an inch is sufficient.)

    • Emptying a tray:

      • You may need to ask for help from another person – the trays are awkward when full and it’s easy to splash water out of them on accident.

      • Dump tray water back into the empty bucket 

      • Dump the bucket water into the sink or washout sink in the washout room (use your best judgment – if there are other objects in these sinks, think about what you should do!)

      • If you spill water on the ground, please clean it up. You can use the hand towels in the laundry basket under the bathroom sink for water spills. They have only been used to dry clean hands and shouldn’t be too creepy.

  • SETTING PRESSURE:

  • INK:

    • Taking out ink:

      • NEVER GOUGE THE INK. Use the knife to pull a thin, even layer of ink off of the top surface of the exposed ink.

      • If there is a skin or paper skin on the surface of a can of ink which appears to be in good condition, you can cut around the edge with your knife, lift the skin, and pull a small amount of ink, again being sure not to gouge the ink. If you need more ink than that, you may remove the entire skin.

      • Use one ink knife for every ink can you interact with during your printing session. 

      • Use a separate knife to mix inks.

      • Each ink knife must be completely cleaned and degreased before being used to pull ink from any other can. 

      • Please only take out the ink that you need. Once ink comes out of the can, it must never go back in. You can make a packet of any unused ink you wish to store.

    • Ink maintenance and storage:

      • We do not add paper skins or use anti skin spray in our studio. These things are around (and can be found in some cans) but have been acquired by donation. 

      • Please just close your each ink can when not in use and store it upright.

      • Please wipe ink from the rim of the can before closing if ink somehow gets there.

      • Please very lightly coat the outer rim of the can (or the inner rim of the can’s lid) with Vaseline before closing. **Vaseline coming soon!

  • BRAYERS/ROLLERS:

    • Clean brayers with baby oil only. NEVER APPLY ALCOHOL TO BRAYERS.

  • BLANKETS:

    • Please utilize appropriate blanket order for your process. Blanket order varies circumstantially, but the starch catcher (the thinnest blanket) should almost always be on the bottom.

    • There should always be a sheet of newsprint (or our shiny fake newsprint) in between the blankets and the paper you’re printing on.

    • Do not leave blankets engaged. Always remove blankets from under the roller when you are done printing for the day. 

    • Please put the blankets away after use.

  • BOARDS:

  • DRYING RACKS: 

  • CLEANUP:

    • Ink:

      • Save any unused ink you think you will use in the future (again, never return ink to cans, even if you think it’s clean.)

      • Scrape undesired leftover ink onto phone book with ink knife.

      • Scrape remaining unused ink into phone book with razor scraper

      • Clean brayer, knives, ink palette with an oily or inky rag and a small amount of baby oil. These can be found under the grey Vandercook in the letterpress area if there is not one on the baby oil bottle in the Fine Art Area.

      • Brayers may be stained, and that’s okay. To ensure your brayer is clean, wipe it with a clean rag (also in a bin under the grey Vandercook) after removing most ink with the inky/oily rag from the previous step. Unless the rag comes back clean from the wipe, your brayer is not clean.

    • Press bed:

    • Soaking tray: