A positive image must be created for any artwork that is
to become a photostencil for screen printing. A positive must have the following
characteristics:
1) The positive must have "opaque" image areas.
"Opaque" means that the areas that you want to print must block light or stop it
from passing through.
2) The background or NON-printing areas of the positive must be transparent, or translucent, so that light may pass through it.
These two characteristics are very important, since wherever the light passes through and strikes the stencil material, it will harden that area of the stencil. Where the light is blocked, it never strikes the stencil material. That area will stay soft. It can then be washed away, creating the opening in the stencil.
There are several ways to create positives for photostencil production. You should be able to list at least three:
1) Handmade or Mechanical positives - These consist of artwork done on transparent materials (like acetate) using opaque drawing, painting, or transfer materials.
2) Direct Film positives - Using special film in large format cameras, a positive, black image is created on a clear film.
3) Masking Film - Certain special materials called "rubylith" (a red film) and "amberlith" (an amber colored film) can be cut like hand cut screen stencils to produce positive images.
4) Laser Transparency film - A special film is made that can be fed through a laser printer to create a black image on a clear film background.
5) Print a negative on negative film - This will produce a positive black image on a clear film background.
BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE READ THE MATERIAL CAREFULLY. YOU WILL HAVE A WRITTEN OR INTERACTIVE TEST ON THIS MATERIAL.
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