work in progress: sample printing

"Go to your studio and make stuff".

                                        --Fred Babb

The quandary seems to be, when we operate within the stint of the everyday--in Spanish, "la vida cotidiana"--how to make the most out of the time we devote to studio work. As of late, the personal strategy has been to spend a considerable amount of time, while not at the studio, pondering on the most suitable strategy to resolve any project issues while at the studio. Also, dedicating time to the details, insignificant as they may be, has been most helpful as well.
In a print studio, these details may very well take the form of printed samples, which will most definitely throw light on the  design itself (is the scale the correct one, is it balanced, does it translate well on fabric), the flawlessness of the stencil (on the screen), substrate behaviour, and most certainly, colour fastness through washing and drying, the ultimate tests.

Getting into the minutiae:

• Pre-wash fabric, using specialized detergents like synthrapol or TNA, or regular household detergents (preferably unscented).
• Correct measuring, so the print will fit without issues in the selected areas, regardless if it is going to be printed in "repeat" or not. 
• On-grain pinning, meaning the lengthwise grain (warp threads, selvage) is perpendicular to the cross grain (weft threads). This step will ensure the images will not be distorted when the cloth is off the table. The experiential preference is to use the smallest stainless steel t-pins, and after pinning, cover them with packing tape, to protect the screen.
• Remove unwanted debris on the cloth, with the aid of a lint remover.
• Most times I will mark the packing tape with a permanent marker to create registration marks, which will allow for the screen to be positioned accurately before every print--this is a most important step if the intention is to print in repeat.
• After printing, the pins are removed, but the material is left to fully dry on the table. 
• Heat-set following manufacturer's instructions, I usually do so by throwing the fabric in the dryer on high for 90 minutes. This allows to set a vast quantity of fabric at a time, while being able to focus on other tasks.

The printed samples are ready to be stitched and put to harsh testing in the kitchen. Once all issues are resolved, the printing of the products goes rather fast and uneventfully, as most problems have been cleared up.