Promo Sticker Run #1

I do silkscreening out of my garage at home in Arcata, California. This was an idea I had to promote my art business and to help out some fellow musicians.

I had a few ideas for some stickers that I wanted to print for one of my bands, and I also wanted some stickers for my art business itself. I didn't anticipate needing hundreds of either for the moment, so I figured why not offer some space on the screen for some of my friends?

I sent out some emails and got a few prompt replies. I worked up some art for my own ideas and then arranged the jpegs the other folks sent me. Turns out I also needed to print up some medical pot stickers, so the screen filled up fast. I was printing on pieces of vinyl material cut to approx. letter size. The screen itself could have fit more art. This was also way to use up some of this material I had.

I figured I'd print from 50-100 sheets of vinyl. This was a one color job, but I like to print on a variety of colored material. I thought about using some black and then some white ink, but ended up just doing the black because the stencil started to break down during cleaning. This pink emlulsion I used is not designed for the solvent based ink, so it doesn't last too long.

This old screen has served me well and may have to be retired soon because it has a small tear in the middle. It didn't affect this run at all since it was taped up and off to the side anyway.

I finished the run in about an hour. I ended up printing about 70 sheets with very few blems. The cutting wasn't too tedious and I finished that by the next morning which was the famous 4.20. Around here that's a big deal to a lot of people. Tonight just happens to be the night of a show I'm highly anticipating at The Alibi in Arcata with Slough Feg and Trigger Renegade. Both are classic metal bands with different flavors of a twin guitar attack. All I know is that I really like both of them and so do many other people who know a good rock band. This will be fun!

So, back to the stickers. They turned out great!

The bands will each get a nice handful to use as they please. Silkscreened by hand in Humboldt County. We've got rabbits, chickens, hippos, skeletons, motorcycles, and sweet leef. The only one without an image is for The Plague, which is a local underground music publication that is a great supporter of our local music and scene. I can't wait to stick some of these and also to see them around town!

I still have some folks who are responding to my original offer, so another run will be coming soon! I like the idea of offering this once every so often as my way of supporting the scene. Stay tuned...