Octoprints: Step 1

The Octopus is an ancient symbol of longevity and success. It is said that the longer the legs of an octopus, the more successful the animal was in its endeavors and the longer its life would last. This is why octopus is often eaten raw as sushi, immediately after the animal is killed - sometimes still squirming. Some people believe that consuming these majestic creatures in this state would allow them to borrow from the octopus's strength.

This, of course, is all BS that I just made up on a whim. It sounds good though. In reality octopuses are pretty much awesome and most everybody knows it. So, in the everlasting spirit of longevity, success and awesomeness I'm creating an Octopus shirt for our Etsy store.

So, luckily I had my original screen, a standard Speedball, clean which meant that I didn't have to make a new one. You see, since business is shotty at best, it makes more sense to make a custom screen then to have to use emulsion remover and take the time to clean a screen each time I want to print, then reapply emulsion and reburn it. Then, lo-and-behold, the second you clean one someone wants one of that design and you've got to trash your newest design and go back. It was turning out to be very wasteful. So I make now own now. I'll go over making your own custom screens in a later post.

Grab the emulsion, screen, squeegee (nope, I don't even use a scoop coater) and spread that gooey green stuff out. Then I popped it into my high tech, lightproof drying "rack" which consists of a stack of cardboard boxes covered with a heavy fleece blanket (another remnant from my semester in Dorsey Hall).
And wait. Maybe grab some dinner from your FANTASTIC chef of a wife, play Guitar Hero III, do whatever you need to do. Once it's dry we move on to Octoprints: Step 2, Burning the Octopus.