We’ve wanted to release a line inspired by First Nations for quite some time and today I’m happy to present the Ojibwe Collection for Fall & Winter 2012.

Subtle native patterns and pieces such as the dream catcher and carved stones receive the Ok Zebra treatment to bring hints of urban culture. Each design features it’s own signature hand-drawn illustration to create a natural texture reminiscent of First Nations drawings.

This line was a lot of fun to create and we hope you’ll enjoy just as much as us .

All photographs are courtesy of Megan Campagnolo

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• Categories: Art, Screenprint

It’s been a few weeks, but we’ve finally arrived at our finished product! Without any further delay, part 2 of the Droppin Heavy Crewneck.

Step 1 – Once the goods have been delivered (patience is key), you can begin prepping the screens by burning your printed transparency onto the screens’ emulsion. Strong lightbulbs are used for getting the perfect negative.

 

Step 2 –  After washing out the screen to remove the burned emulsion, align your screen to the surface of your textile. In this case, 1″ –  2″ under the neck line is prime real estate for this design and most front prints.

 

Part 3 – Choose your colour scheme and paint base (water-based vs oil-based) ahead of time. The options are overwhelming, so its important to ensure you get exactly the look and feel desired, with no surprises. When ready, lower the screen and flood the squeegee 4-8 times depending on the textile.

 

Step 4 – Lift the screen in one smooth motion to avoid streaking and… TA DA! You’ve got yourself a beautiful print. Make sure to put the garment under a heat press or dryer to allow for the paint to “cure”. This will provide longer life to the design.

 

Part 5 – Once you finish the first screen, wash and switch to print any secondary designs or colour selections. Repeat the process until you have enough swag for all your friends to look fresher than  grannie’s apple crisp!

If you enjoyed watching our process, come join us on Facebook for updates on upcoming swag. We like friends . If you have any questions or want further details on the screenprint process, don’t hesitate to drop us a line on our Contact page.

Until next round!

 

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• Categories: Art, Screenprint

I recently started getting into screenprinting (if you’re not familiar with the term, it is the process of pressing inks through a “burned” screen to leave an image on paper or textile) and find the technique not only stress-relieving but quite fulfilling.

Today I wanted to take you through the process from A to Z. I’ve recorded the steps in still images which will hopefully give you an idea of what it takes to get to the final result. I challenged myself with this design and decided to produce it within 24hrs! This is the turnout

Step 1. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this image. The IDEA or thought contained within the safe/mind is always the most important. In this case the concept my brain conjured up for this print was of this swaggeristic old chap can be connected to Aloe Blacc’s – I Need A dollar.

Step 2. At this point I refine the illustration on a tracing sheet and outline the lines with my favourite stylos. In this case a Micron, Tradio and Sharpie Paint Marker.

Step 3. Once inked, I scan the image. Simple.

Step 4. Going back to step 1, I recall what colours I had envisioned for the print and separate the colours to get a better idea. Can always alter the colours later.

Step 5. At this point, the screen has had the image burned through the emulsion (seen in purple) and is ready to have ink applied or squeegied over the image.

Step 6. Once the first colour has been printed and heat pressed the second colour can be registered and printed. Switching colours is time consuming but well worth the variations!

Step 7. Voila! The print can always be re-printed as long as the screens are kept.

This is brief view at the process from idea to print, but hopefully will give you an idea as to enjoyment it can bring. The time challenge I added to this print made it very interesting but in no way stressful and the end result turned out as planned! I’ll be putting the process for one of our upcoming releases next week. Check back soon, this one will be the first of 2012 but in a limited run!

If you’re interested in this print, send us a comment on this post or on Facebook asking for one of the limited 6 (each with their uniqueness). We’ll ship it to you for FREE . First 6 get the goods!

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• Categories: Art, Screenprint