Four-Color Screen Printing

Explore the creative possibilities of four-color screen printing in this hands-on, four-session course. With roots in centuries-old stencil printing and a major role in 20th-century commercial design and fine art, screen printing became known for its bold color, graphic quality, and ability to build complex images one layer at a time. 

Students will learn the complete process of producing a four-color print, beginning with artwork preparation and color separation before moving into screen coating and exposure, registration, ink mixing, and printing. Each color will be printed through a separate screen, allowing students to see how individual layers interact and come together to form a finished image.

By the end of the course, each student will produce a small edition of four-color prints and gain practical experience with registration, color sequencing, consistent printing, and the equipment and workflow of the Oolite Arts Printshop. 

Upon completion, students are granted access to Open Studio Hours, which provide self-directed time in the printshop to continue printing, experimenting, and developing personal projects.

Course Breakdown: 

Session 1: Artwork Preparation & Color Separation

• Introduction to multi-color screen printing and examples of four-color prints
• Review of screen printing tools, materials, workflow, and shop safety
• Understanding color separation and how individual layers build a final image
• Preparing artwork for four-color printing
• Creating registration marks and preparing film positives
• Introduction to planning color order and considering transparency and overprinting

Session 2: Screen Preparation & Exposure 

• Preparing and degreasing screens 
• Coating screens with photo emulsion 
• Positioning film positives and registration marks 
• Exposing and washing out four individual screens 
• Checking screens for proper exposure and image quality 
• Blocking out pinholes and preparing screens for printing 
• Setting up the printing station and registration system 

Session 3: Registration & Printing 

• Introduction to accurate multi-color registration 
• Mixing inks and preparing colors 
• Establishing paper placement and registration 
• Test printing and adjusting screen alignment 
• Printing the first color layer 
• Printing subsequent color layers while maintaining registration 
• Discussing ink opacity, transparency, drying, and how colors interact when layered

Session 4: Final Printing & Editioning 

• Reviewing registration before continuing the edition 
• Completing remaining color layers 
• Troubleshooting registration, ink coverage, and consistency 
• Producing a consistent edition of four-color prints 
• Signing, numbering, and documenting an edition 
• Proper screen cleanup and reclaiming procedures 
• Group review of completed prints 
• Discussion of how to plan and produce future multi-color projects independently 

ALL MATERIALS PROVIDED

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).