How to Make Prints of Your Art?
Art is more than just a pastime—it’s a canvas of opportunity. It not only offers a means to express creativity but also opens avenues for financial gain. This extends beyond simply selling original artworks. Nowadays, art prints on merchandise such as t-shirts, caps, and even paper are trendy.
However, when it comes to transferring your artwork onto a variety of materials, particularly clothing, a standard printer just won't cut the mustard. For such tasks, a modern screen printer, like the xTool Screen Printer, is indispensable.
If you’re an artist looking to turn your brush strokes into bank notes, this article is your golden ticket. It will guide you through the entire process of producing printable versions of your art, and help you to screen your way to success.
In This Article
- Digitalizing Your Artwork for Printing
- Printing your Artwork with xTool Screen Printer
- Conclusion
Digitalizing Your Artwork for Printing
In today’s digital age, artists have a wealth of tools—from graphics tablets for sketching to sophisticated illustration software. So, for those artists who start their creative process using these tech gadgets, their artwork is already in a digital format, making the transition to print nearly seamless.
However, many artists remain faithful to traditional methods – they cherish the tactile experience of pencils, paints, and other manual tools to bring their visions to life on canvas or paper. Such artists have to put some effort into digitalizing their artwork for printing.
They can capture their work with a smartphone or a professional camera. This approach generally works, but for more intricate pieces, scanning the artwork at a resolution of over 600 dpi is advisable to capture every detail.
Photographing/scanning can work when you want to just print on paper. However, when it comes to other printing techniques, like screen printing, you need to create a design stencil. That requires editing of the original scanned artwork. For such cases, you can use editing software like Photoshop to remove all extra elements from the scene and make the original art prominent.
Printing your Artwork with xTool Screen Printer
Screen printing is the best way to replicate and make original copies of your design onto materials. For doing so, the xTool screen printer is the perfect tool artists can get.
Here’s how the tool benefits the artists:
Faster Than Ever
Traditional screen printing processes are time-consuming; they often take a full day to complete due to multiple stencil preparation steps. The xTool screen printer dramatically speeds up this process with innovative laser technology. The pre-coated screens can be laser-engraved, limiting the entire procedure to just a few hours.
A Full Package Solution
Where traditional screen printing requires sourcing various accessories like mesh screens, inks, spatulas, and squeegees, the xTool screen printer offers a comprehensive solution. This all-in-one system comes equipped with everything needed to begin printing right away. Just choose the printing package, and start printing.
Effortless Multicolor Printing
Multicolor printing is another time-consuming aspect of screen printing. With features like the Quick-Release Frame Clamp and 3-axis Micro Registration system, artists can easily swap stencils and adjust for precise, multi-frame overprinting. As per our estimates, you can swap the screen in just 10 seconds.
Lossless Printing
The traditional process, where silkscreen gets exposed and washed, chances are the original design may get distorted. However, since the xTool screen printer employs laser engravers that have a precision of 0.01mm, every print can be reproduced without loss.
Material Versatility
The xTool screen printer isn't limited to paper; it supports a wide array of materials including wood, leather, fabric, glass, and even metals. This versatility allows artists to expand their creative horizons and apply their artwork to diverse mediums.
Step-by-Step Guide to Using the xTool Screen Printer for Art Prints
Printing with an xTool screen printer is simple. Just follow these steps and you’ll end up making great art pieces.
Get a Digital Design
Start with a design. If your art isn’t already digital, convert it. You can photograph or scan your physical artwork. But make sure that the image is clear and high resolution for the best results in the later stages.
Prepare Stencil through Laser Engraver
To make a stencil suitable for screen printing, simply having a photograph of your design is not enough. Convert your image into a grayscale format, which is compatible with laser engraving processes. If your image contains multiple colors divide it into layers, each with a separate color.
Then, use the pre-made coated mesh screen (that comes with xTool Screen Printer) and place it inside the laser engraver. Select the material as ‘Coated Screen’ in XCS software. It automatically inputs parameters for engraving. Remember, you’ll have to create a stencil for each color in your design.
Setup the xTool Screen Printer
After engraving, take the mesh screen and place it back into the xTool screen printer. Before securing it in place, make sure that the screen is properly stretched to avoid any irregularities in printing.
Position the printing substrate (such as paper, fabric, or another material) directly underneath the prepared screen, ready for printing.
Screen Print on the Substrate
The xTool screen printer comes with water-based inks, which are excellent for screen printing. You can use that or any other custom ink—whether standard, textured, or glittered—to the top of the screen.
Using the xTool squeegee, evenly spread the ink across the screen. Drag the squeegee over the screen to transfer the ink through the stencil onto your substrate. Ensure even pressure throughout to achieve a crisp, uniform print. Once done, lift the screen carefully to reveal the printed design.
Conclusion
Art is a great way to relax and share your creative ideas, but it can also help you make money. If you're an artist with lots of artwork stored away, why not print them and sell them? You can do this easily with an xTool screen printer. Give it a try today and see how you can turn your art into profit.
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