How to | Screenprint a Gradient/Split Fountain

Spread different coloured inks on the screen where you’d like the colours to blend on your print.

I like to overlap the colours slightly, it just makes it a bit quicker for them to blend together. You’ll need to do a few pulls on newsprint first before you start printing on your chosen paper, as it takes a few pulls for the colours to start blending.

The more you print, the more the colours blend. Depending on how many you’re printing, you may want to wash the ink off part way through to start the colours blending again.

Once you’ve finished, you’ll need a separate pot to put the ink in where the colours have merged together.

I screenprinted a gradient background for my River by Moonlight (after Koho Shoda) screenprints, naturally each one is slightly different making it a variable edition.

A quick recap on Screenprinting a gradient/split fountain:

— Spread different coloured inks on the screen where you’d like the colours to blend on your print.

— Overlapping the colours slightly makes it a bit quicker for them to blend together.

— Do a few pulls on newsprint first as it takes a few pulls for the colours to start blending.

— The more you print, the more colours blend.

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