Foundations of Screen Printing

This 4-week course introduces students to the fundamentals of screen printing through a structured, step-by-step process. Students will learn how photographic imagery can be translated into screen prints using photo emulsion, while also gaining hands-on experience with ink mixing, registration, and layering. Emphasis is placed on understanding process over speed, building confidence, and developing a repeatable workflow that students can continue using independently. 

Class Breakdown: 

Week 1: Introduction to Screen Printing and Photographic Imagery 

• Overview of screen printing tools, materials, and safety 
• How photographic imagery translates to screen print 
• Introduction to halftones and contrast for printing on paper 
• Overview of artists using photographic screen printing, including Andy Warhol
• File preparation for a single photographic layer 

Week 2:  First Layer Printing and Registration Fundamentals

• Paper setup and print bed preparation 
• Ink properties for paper printing 
• Registration methods using guides and tabs 
• Pulling consistent prints 

Week 3: Second and Optional Third Layer. Color, Drawing, and Layer Interaction 

• Designing a second layer that responds to the photographic image
• Using drawing fluid, markers, or digital shapes 
• Color theory basics for overprinting 
• Transparency versus opacity 

Week 4: Final Printing, Editioning, and Critique 

• Final adjustments to screens and inks 
• Editioning standards and labeling 
• Proper cleanup and screen reclamation 
• How to continue working independently
• Group critique 

Skills Students Will Leave With 

• Understanding of the full screen printing workflow
• Confidence working with photo emulsion 
• Basic registration skills 
• Experience printing multi layer images on paper
• A completed editioned print
• Readiness for independent or open studio screen printing 

About the instructor: 

Matthew Forehand is a painter and printmaker based in Miami, Florida. His art reflects a unique perspective, often patchworking elements of nature and the environment from his family home in Colombia and South Florida. He began studying art in his hometown of Pensacola, and later transferred to The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Matthew is currently the PRINTshop Manager at Oolite Arts and has also had a residency at Oolite Arts and Ox-Bow School of the Arts in Saugatuck, Michigan. He has exhibited his work at Sullivan Galleries (Chicago, IL), Oolite Arts (Miami Beach, FL), and had a solo exhibition at the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood (Hollywood, FL).