A Screenprinters Farewell
Print Details
Front
6 color Simulated Process
Beige underbase 55 lpi 230 mesh
Red 55 lpi 230 mesh
Green 55 lpi 230 mesh
Golden yellow 55 lpi 230 mesh
Brown 55 lpi 230 mesh
Highlight white 55 lpi 230 mesh
Golden yellow was reused for Matsui foil adhesive
Back
Left wing
Silver metallic 160 mesh
Puff white 110 mesh
Tinsel foil heat application
Autumn foil heat application
Right wing
Silver metallic 160 mesh
Puff white 110 mesh
Tinsel foil application
Autumn foil application
Bottom back
Matsui foil adhesive 110 mesh
Tinsel foil heat press
Equipment Used
Benmar 6 color 6 station Manual Press
M&R Blue-Flash
M&R Economax D Dryer
M&R First Light Exposure unit
Epson et-15000 all black inks eco tank printer (films)
Toyoda Falcon - Dual Platen Heat Press
The Story
The imagery in this piece comes from artwork that was always present in our home growing up. Those visuals were part of everyday life and quietly shaped how I came to understand imagery, symbolism, and meaning. When it came time to create this shirt, those references were the only place it could begin.
This project was created while my mother was in palliative care. Working on it became a way to stay grounded during a period where time felt fragile and uncertain. The front print was produced using a six color simulated process at 55 LPI, deliberately pushing our older screen printing equipment to its limits. To extend the process without adding hardware, the final yellow screen was reused to apply foil adhesive, allowing us to effectively achieve a seven color result using only six screens by finding one last solution inside fixed constraints.
The wings on the back were built across four screens. Because the scale exceeded what our tables could physically accommodate, each section was printed separately and manually aligned before the next pass. On the lower back, the In Memory Of section required an additional screen for foil application. To achieve the vertical scale we wanted, the shirt was loaded from the side rather than the standard orientation.
During this process, my mother was able to see the finished shirt. She recognized the imagery immediately, understood where it came from, and truly loved it. That moment gave the entire project its meaning.
This shirt exists as a tribute created in real time. It reflects the imagery that shaped my upbringing and a period where the act of making, problem solving, and pushing the craft forward became a way to honor her while she is still here.
