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    Jacquard SolarFast Dyes 118ml - Purple

    Create remarkably detailed photographs, photograms and shadow-prints on paper or fabric by harnessing the power of the sun!
    Availability: In stock
    €15,90
    i h

    SolarFast dyes are light-sensitive and only develop color and become permanent upon exposure to sunlight (UV). This unique property means SolarFast may be used to create remarkably detailed photographs, photograms and shadow-prints on paper or fabric by harnessing the power of the sun! Anything you place on the painted surface to block the light will create a print in a matter of minutes, whether that's a solid object, a photographic negative or shadow. SolarFast is also great for painting, tie dyeing, screen printing, stamping, batik and more - no heat setting, chemical or steam fixing necessary. The dye leaves fabric completely soft to the touch. On paper, SolarFast has zero relief and will not affect the texture of the surface whatsoever, making it a powerful tool for mixed-media arts. Odorless and safe for children.

     

    SolarFast™ dyes are used to create photograms, continuous tone photographs, shadow prints, and ombrès on fabric and paper. SolarFast™ is also great for painting, tie dyeing, screen printing, stamping, batik and more!

    BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Apply SolarFast™ to fabric or paper.

    2. Place and secure image

    3. Expose to sunlight (or UV)

    4. Wash… and you’re done—admire your print!

    APPLYING THE DYE

    Apply SolarFast™ with a brush, sponge, or brayer.

    ✅ For hard edges, use masking tape to create a window the size of your image. SolarFast™ is just thick enough to prevent bleeding—it will not creep under your masked areas, and it can be applied through a stencil. Remove tape before exposing.

    ✅ For brushed edges, simply brush out the dye beyond the frame of your print.

    ✅ An even coating of dye will produce the best prints. SolarFast™ prints must be made while the dye is still wet, but you do not want to over saturate the substrate. If the fabric is TOO wet during exposure, condensation may form underneath the negative, which can interfere with development. To avoid over-wetting, blot absorbent fabric or paper with a paper towel or rag. Conversely, prints made with dry media will not produce the optimum depth of shade.

    ✅ If printing on paper, make sure to use heavy artist papers like Arches or Reeves. Apply an even coat. Irregularities in the coating will produce irregularities in the resulting print.

    ✅ When printing on T-shirts or garments, be sure to place a piece of paper or board between the layers of fabric to avoid bleed though while applying the dye.

    ✅ SolarFast™ may also be applied through a spray bottle or airbrush (thin first with water), or through a silk screen (thicken first, using the SolarFast™ Thickener).

    CREATING AN IMAGE

    SolarFast™ may be used on its own as a paint, ink or dye for applications such as batik, silk painting, screen printing and tie dyeing. It may also be used to create photograms, shadow prints and sun prints. Photographic SolarFast prints can be made using a film negative.

    ✅ To create a photogram, place any object on the coated substrate prior to exposure. Anything that casts a shadow will produce an image. Flat objects work best. Flat and thin objects, such as leaves or keys, may be held in place with a piece of glass. NOTE: Pure acrylic sheeting allows UV light to pass through and can be used to expose prints just like glass, but many types of acrylic, like Plexiglass, have UV blockers that can prevent or reduce exposure.

    ✅ To create permanent photographic prints on paper or fabric, use a film negative. Negatives may be printed on transparent film though a Xerox machine, laser printer or inkjet printer. For inkjet printing, we recommend using SolarFast™ Film, which is moisture resistant and specially coated to make the best negatives. Traditional film negatives will also work well if they are adequately dense. Higher contrast images work best, and high density is key: the blackest areas of a negative should be completely opaque, and the lightest areas transparent.

    ✅ Layer two negatives for extra contrast or if your printer outputs less ink. Carefully register the two films and use tape or glass to keep them in place. Place the negative waterproof side down (or print side up) on your coated fabric or paper. Use a piece of glass or acrylic to hold the negative in place and keep it flush with the substrate. You may also pin or tape down your negative, but the negative MUST BE FLUSH with the substrate for a good print. If it is not, you may lose detail in the resulting print.

    EXPOSURE TIMES

    See here for recommended exposure times for each color.

    CREATIVE IDEAS FOR USING NEGATIVES

    💡 Hand painted negatives

    Rather than using a printed negative, consider painting directly on a transparency and making a print from your hand painted design. Just make sure whatever you paint with is opaque. Use a paintbrush, paint pen, applicator, airbrush or silk screen to apply the opaque ink to a transparent film.

    💡 Layering negatives

    Layering negatives is another way of creating interesting images. Use two different images and they will be superimposed on your print. Use the same image layered in a different orientation to create symmetrical photographic images.

    💡 Altering digital negatives

    You may also alter the negative prior to exposing, either by drawing or painting on it, or by scraping off some of the inkjet ink. Consider printing a solid black film and scraping the inkjet ink off with a dull tool to create a print of a line drawing (similar to scratchboard, but in reverse). Combing photographic imagery with photograms You may also consider combining negatives with objects for more diverse effects. Place a ribbon, tools or leaves over your negative, for example, for combined effects.

    💡 Chopping up your negatives

    You may also collage with negatives and make a print from the collage. Use clear tape to attach different parts of negatives, or simply place them carefully on top of your sensitized substrate and keep them in place with glass, tape or pins. You may also consider cutting parts of your negative out or altering the edges. Jagged edges look pretty neat!

    APPLYING THE DYE

    💡 Multiple colors

    Your print doesn’t have to be one color. Consider applying more than one color of SolarFast to your substrate. Stripes, splatters and drips can produce beautiful effects. Use colors with similar exposure times for best results.

    💡 Print full color photos by making CMYK separations (faux C-print)

    This is an advanced process, but it is so cool! You can print fully color photographs with SolarFast by printing each process color separately.

    1. First separate the image into CMYK layers in Photoshop or another design program.
    2. Make a negative for each layer.
    3. After coating and exposing each color, wash, dry and then print the next color. Use Blue, Red, Golden Yellow and Black.

    This is a long process, but it is definitely worth it. Your resulting image will look like a fully colored photograph (C-print).

    💡 Print on colored fabric

    You don’t have to use SolarFast only on white fabric. Consider printing on previously dyed fabrics, patterned fabric, your old clothing, or even found paper. The background color just has to be lighter than the SolarFast color you are using. Dyes are transparent, so the under color will affect the resulting color of the print: printing yellow on a blue fabric, for instance, will produce a green print.

    💡 Use SolarFast to embellish a painting

    SolarFast does not need to be heat set, steamed or chemically fixed—it just needs to be exposed to sunlight. This makes it ideal for embellishing or repairing artwork on fabric. Use SolarFast to color in a design or to add accents to a piece of artwork. You can also use it on top of another SolarFast print to fill in areas or to superimpose images.

    💡 Embellish your SolarFast prints

    SolarFast doesn’t change the hand or feel of fabric whatsoever, so you can always rework fabric printed with SolarFast. Use dyes, paints, pens or inks to embellish your prints.

    💡 Print photographs on wood

    Why not? It just takes a little extra patience. Wood must be uncoated and untreated. Use pine or a light-colored wood for best results.

    1. Sand off any finish before applying the dye. After exposing, you will have to hand wash the wood surface.

    2. Use a sponge to gently scrub the surface.

    3. Use hot water and keep it submerged at least 10 minutes.

    💡 Screen printing with SolarFast

    SolarFast makes the ultimate screen-printing ink: no heat setting required, soft to the touch, no in screen drying, permanent and it cleans up with water. What’s more, you can easily superimpose images and create continuous tone prints!

    1. Use SolarFast Thickener to bring the dye to the desired viscosity. Print as normal.
    2. While still wet, expose the print to sunlight.
    3. After exposure, wash in hot water with SolarFast Wash.

    To super impose images, simply lay a negative on top of the print before exposure, as directed in the SolarFast instructions. Screen printing is a great way to apply solid blocks of dye without having to mask off areas or use a brush. Screen printing SolarFast is also a great way to superimpose imagery onto a pattern.

    💡 Coloring SolarFast for ease of use

    Because most SolarFast Colors are colorless until exposure, they can be difficult to work with. If you want to color your dyes for better ease of use before exposing, use a colorant that won’t stain your substrate. We recommend Pearl Ex or iDye Poly. You may also use a small amount of paint or powdered pigment.

    GENERAL TIPS

    ✅ If printing T-shirts or clothing, put something between the layers of fabric to prevent bleed through. Board, wood, plastic, glass, wax paper, freezer paper or anything nonporous will work well.

    ✅ To keep the substrate and the film as flush as possible, always make prints on a hard, flat surface. Using glass is a great way to keep the negative and substrate flush. You may also clip or clamp the substrate and negative between the glass and a board. This will ensure optimum clarity in the resulting print.

    ✅ If you over wet your fabric or paper, blot it with a paper towel or allow it to dry slightly before placing your negative.

    ✅ It is better to overexpose than underexpose. Even if the color development looks complete, leave your print in sunlight for the full suggested time.

    ✅ If masking the edge of your print, you might find it easier to remove the tape before placing your image. Removing the tape will make it easier to smooth out any wrinkles in the fabric.

    ✅ Stretching the fabric before applying the dye and printing may produce distortions in the resulting print. For best results, keep fabric taught when applying the dye, but do not stretch.

    ✅ Double up your negative for better density or contrast if your inkjet printer puts out less ink. You may also feed the film through your printer more than once for a denser negative.

    ✅ If printing without film or glass, misting the substrate with water during exposure will keep it wetter longer, which may help produce deeper or brighter colors. A retarder may also be used to keep the dye wetter longer.