Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Heidimin on October 05, 2008, 07:29:49 PM
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Many months, wrist surgery and a new computer later, I'm finally getting to work on processing all the info and scans I gathered from the AHW collection at Broadfield House. One of the most amazing finds for me was some boxes full of artwork for the screen-printed tumblers. I thought I'd post a few, as they really help to illustrate the design and production process.
Many of the designs are built up of repeated motifs, photocopied and pasted to build up the overall design. The design then needs to be broken down into a number (sometimes only one, but usually two or three) of screens which will be applied in sequence to the tumbler. This isn't necessarily the same as the number of colours in the design, because colours that only appear in distinct horizontal bands around the glass can be applied to the same screen - a "split-screen" design. I've attached some pics to show what I mean. Presumably each screen cost money to apply, so reducing the number of screens to a minimum keeps costs down. Sherdley/ Ravenhead didn't do this, but some US companies divided their catalogues into one-screen, two-screen etc, presumably with a price differential applied.
I think this is one way in which AHW brought his experience in textile design to bear on the new media of glass and enamel. There are pictures in the collection of him and his wife Susan working together on screen-printed textiles in the studio at their house.
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A split screen would certainly be quicker to apply than two separate screens, I assume it was automated, but imagine having a paint roller in each hand: up with each roller simultaneously to apply the paint, swop to the squeegees and back down again with both hands to squish the paint through the screen. Two colours done!
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The technical term for repeating designs is 'Step and Repeat'.