I've been wanting to make some silk screens using texture to serve as a backdrop or liven up an otherwise flat looking fabric. So the fun was finding odds and ends in my studio that might work.
I came across this very wide piece of lace purchased ages ago at Clothworld - remember that store. They used to have a sale twice a year, lace was a penny a yard and the limit was 600 yards. You had to measure and cut yourself. I always arrived when the doors opened, armed with a yardstick and scissors and always managed to come home with the full 600 yards. I don't know what I was thinking - all that lace but I can't resist a bargain and now 30 years later, I'm still wondering. Well I found a use for 1/2 yard of it - make a silkscreen from the image.
I laid it flat, scanned it and copied it, but thought it was too flat looking, so I rippled it and like it better.
I scanned the image into my computer and manipulated it in Photoshop Elements.
I also found some interesting netting that I rippled and made an image of.
There are steps you can do in Photoshop Elements to make the image clear, dark and with good line definition before bringing it to a lazer copy. Here is the original copy which I put in PE for manipulation.
The first thing I did was to make an "auto color correction" under enhance. There is still not enough strong line definition to make a good screen.
Next I hit enhance, adjust color and then remove color which will make it into a black and white but still not enough definition.
Next I went to filter, sketch and then photocopy which gives an even-ness to the image but still not dark enough.
Then came enhance, contrast, color correction and remove color - I think it looks good now and will make a good screen. In order to use this image on my Thermofax, I had to have a lazer copy of it. The special screening used in a Thermofax will only react with the toner used by lazer copiers. And the screens did turn out nice, will be fun to use them.
I came across this very wide piece of lace purchased ages ago at Clothworld - remember that store. They used to have a sale twice a year, lace was a penny a yard and the limit was 600 yards. You had to measure and cut yourself. I always arrived when the doors opened, armed with a yardstick and scissors and always managed to come home with the full 600 yards. I don't know what I was thinking - all that lace but I can't resist a bargain and now 30 years later, I'm still wondering. Well I found a use for 1/2 yard of it - make a silkscreen from the image.
I laid it flat, scanned it and copied it, but thought it was too flat looking, so I rippled it and like it better.
I scanned the image into my computer and manipulated it in Photoshop Elements.
I also found some interesting netting that I rippled and made an image of.
There are steps you can do in Photoshop Elements to make the image clear, dark and with good line definition before bringing it to a lazer copy. Here is the original copy which I put in PE for manipulation.
The first thing I did was to make an "auto color correction" under enhance. There is still not enough strong line definition to make a good screen.
Next I hit enhance, adjust color and then remove color which will make it into a black and white but still not enough definition.
Next I went to filter, sketch and then photocopy which gives an even-ness to the image but still not dark enough.
Then came enhance, contrast, color correction and remove color - I think it looks good now and will make a good screen. In order to use this image on my Thermofax, I had to have a lazer copy of it. The special screening used in a Thermofax will only react with the toner used by lazer copiers. And the screens did turn out nice, will be fun to use them. 
These are very cool- I love making thermal fax too- I have a toner copy machine by canon that wasn't too expensive that works too.
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