What is it? This is where you make a stencil out of paper, card, plastic, metal, etc. and place it over the area that you want to print the image onto. This can be a patter, design, or image. Then you use a spray paint or some ordinary paint and stipple it. This then prints the image onto the area that you wanted the design on.

Advantages: If you use spray paint, then once the stencil is made, it prints very quickly because it only takes a few seconds. Stippling creates a nice effect and can work really well for the stencil if done properly. They both look really good when they’re done, and are good for making images for occasions as well as for recreational purposes. Disadvantages: It can get messy, if you spray yourself or aren’t careful with the paint then you can get a bit messy. Stippling takes a while, and it can sometimes get under the stencil and make the prints not very good.

Where is it used? Spray painting stencils is commonly used for graffiti, in the likes of Banksy. It is also used to print images onto cars, and it can be used to make posters and greeting cards and band logos and various other things. You can even use it to decorate the walls in your bedroom if you want to. Who has used it? As I mentioned in the last slide, Banksy uses stencils and spray paint to create his art on the side of buildings and other urban places. Here is some of his work:

What skills and knowledge are needed? You need to have a basic knowledge of how to paint if you want to stipple your stencil. You also need to know how to stipple which is straightforward. You need to know how to make a stencil and how you are going to make it in order to get the result that you want. You also need to know how to use spray paint responsibly so that you don’t cover yourself and your workspace with paint.

Cost? The cost is quite low because you can make them using paper. You just need two sheets of paper and some paint and a brush or spray can. So the cost is definitely under £10. so it is quite cost effective. Equipment? You need paper, scissors, paint and pallet or a spray can, and tape. So there aren’t many things that you need to make a stencil print. Speed of process? The process is quicker if you use spray paint, but the stencils can take a while to make if you want a detailed one. This is easier to do with a knife. The process of stippling can take a while to get the effect that you want. Spray painting the stencil is extremely quick.

How many can you make? With one stencil you can make as many as you want as long as you make sure that the stencil doesn’t tear. So if you were careful, I don’t think it would be impossible to make 100 copies of the same stencil. This would also be quite quick which is a benefit.

Step by Step Guide: Step 1. Find some paper. Step 2. Make your stencil. Step 3. Put your stencil on a piece of paper and paint it. If you stipple it looks similar to this. If you use spray paint then it looks similar to this (a different stencil).

What is it? This is where you make prints by carving into lino and using paint or ink to print the lino stencil that you made.

Advantages: You can make nice designs that are reusable and can be printed on lots of types of material. It is relatively cheap and a good way to decorate. The stencils that you make are strong and wont break very easily if you make the stencils correctly. Disadvantages: If you aren’t good with a chisel then you can easily mess up your design. Lino can be expensive to buy and you can only use the lino once to make a stencil, so if you want lots of designs then this can be quite costly. You need reliable tools because if you get blunt tools then you wont get the designs that you want.

Where is it used? It is used in interior decorating to make patterns on walls and doors. The designs are usually made into rollers that decorators use to easily print patterns onto the surfaces that they require. Who has used it? Ian Phillips has used linocutting to make pieces of artwork. He makes intricate designs and then paints them carefully so that they print like they weren’t a lino print. Here is some of his work:

What skills and knowledge are needed? You need to know how to use a chisel in order to carve your design. You also need to know about which bits to carve in order to get the right effect. So if you wanted a floral pattern, if you wanted the flowers to have no background and just be single flowers, then you would carve the area around the flowers to emboss them on your stencil. Whereas if you wanted the background with the flowers cut out, then you would carve out the flowers and spread the paint on the background of the stencil.

Cost? Single sheets of lino are quite cheap, you can get them for as little as £1. paint is also quite cheap so this isn’t an issue. Chisels are expensive. A decent set of 8 chisels can set you back nearly £100. so this is what you have to be careful of. Equipment? Lino sheets, chisels, paint rollers, paint. Speed of process? The carving of your designing will be very time consuming, but once the stencil is made, it is quick and simple to print your designs.

How many can you make? You can make many prints from one design, so you can mass produce them if you want to, as long as you clean them every now and then you can make in excess of 100 copies of a design.

Step by Step Guide: Step 1. Take a sheet of lino. Step 2. Carve your design out of the Lino using chisels. Step 3. Paint over your piece of lino. Step 4. Place the lino paint-side down on the surface that you want and press firmly without jolting it. Step 5. You now have your print!

What is it? Screen printing is where you have a stencil that you put into a mesh frame called a screen, and then you roll paint over the frame and print the stencil design onto a material.

Advantages: This is an easier way to print stencils than stippling. It is quick to do after you make your stencil. You can re use the stencil and print multiple times in a row. Disadvantages: It can be quite expensive because of all the equipment that you need. It can get messy because of the paint. The stencils are usually made out of paper so they can tear easily.

Where is it used? Mostly in art because it would be difficult to use it for many other things. Who has used it? Dan Mather has used it to produce artwork. He uses lots of colours and designs to create fictional and abstract art. Here is some of is work:

What skills and knowledge are needed? You need to know how to attach your stencil to the screen, and how to evenly spread paint over the screen using a roller.

Cost? Relatively cheap because you can make a screen out of tights material and wood. However rollers can be quite expensive and so can acrylic paint. Equipment? Paper, scissors, knife, paint, paint roller, screen. Speed of process? Quick after you have made your stencil. You can quickly spread paint and roll it.

How many can you make? As many as you want really. If you have a strong stencil, then you can reuse and re print it lots and lots of times. So you can make multiple copies of the same design.

Step by Step Guide: Step 1. Take a piece of paper. Step 2. Make a stencil. Step 3. Attach your stencil to the screen with masking tape. Step 4. Spread an even layer of acrylic paint over the screen using a roller. Step 5. Place a piece of paper under the screen and press firmly or use the roller to press the screen onto the paper. Step 6. Remove the screen and you have your print!

What is it? This is where you use a printing press. You spread ink over the metal letters that you want to print, and use a handle to press the letters onto a piece of paper.

Advantages: It gives you a nice effect. You can print the same thing multiple times. You can arrange the letters how you want. Disadvantages: It is time consuming to arrange all of the letters. You have to make sure that you don’t press too hard or the letters will smudge. You have to re arrange the letters every time you want to print something different.

Where is it used? It was used many years ago to produce the first ever mass produced book. It started the mass production of books that weren’t hand written. Who has used it? Johan Gutenberg used it by inventing the first printing press and producing the fist printed bible ever. Here it is:

What skills and knowledge are needed? You need to know how to arrange the letters, how to spread the ink, and how to use the printing press once you have done this.

Cost? The press is very expensive, they can cost thousands of pounds to buy, but once you have them the cost is cheap because you only need ink and paper. Equipment? Printing press, ink, paper, metal letters on a slide. Speed of process? Once you have arranged the letters the process is quick. You just spread the ink, put the paper in and press it.

How many can you make? You can make unlimited amounts of one piece of text. So you can have as many as you want and the press is reliable so wont break very easily if you are careful.

Step by Step Guide: Step 1. Arrange your letters. Step 2. Put your piece of paper in the press and ink the letters. Step 3. Roll the paper under the letters and press the letters onto the paper. Step 4. Take your paper out of the press and you will have your text printed!

What is it? This is where you use a machine to identically copy images or text through the use of lasers.

Advantages: It is a quick and easy way to copy your work or an image that you have produced. It is cheap and can print you lots out of one ink cartridge. The results are good if you have a decent photocopier. Disadvantages: If the copier isn’t good then the results can be patchy or low quality. They are expensive to buy. The ink cartridges are also expensive and you need two if you want black and white and colour.

Where is it used? It is used in offices, schools, libraries, in lots of different places. Who has used it? Teachers, managers, and general office workers. There are no special artists or anyone who used a photocopier.

What skills and knowledge are needed? You need to know how to use a photocopier. This can be confusing if you have never used one before, so get someone to help you for your first time.

Cost? The copier itself is expensive, in excess of £200. the ink cartridges are also dear, they can set you back at least £12. paper is cheap though. Equipment? Photocopier, and paper, and ink. Speed of process? Really quick, it takes less than a minute usually to produce one copy of your text or image.

How many can you make? You can make as many as you want if you have enough ink. So you can have in excess of 100 copies of one sheet, or many sheets.

Step by Step Guide: Step 1. Take the design or text that you want to copy. Step 2. Open the top, and put your design in faced down. Step 3. Close the top, and choose how many copies you want. Step 4. Press the start button and wait. Step 5. Your copy will appear out of one end, and that is your copy!

What is it?

Advantages: Disadvantages:

Where is it used? Who has used it?

What skills and knowledge are needed?

Cost? Equipment? Speed of process?

How many can you make?

Step by Step Guide: