Printing from Clingfilm
In this post I will show you how to use clingfilm to transfer images to paper without a press.
We will print from the texture of clingfilm itself, and also print from relief inked plates.
What is clingfilm?
For my international audience I should probably start by saying clingfilm goes by different names, in your kitchen you may know it as saran wrap or gladwrap, the stronger stuff is called pallet wrap or wrapping film.
What’s so great about clingfilm?
It clings, and it clings to ink, so it works really well as a means to transfer ink from one surface to another. This is printing without a press, and as a bonus the image from your plate is not reversed.
Clingfilm is stretchy and flexible, it lets you distort your images, expanding them and scrunching them up.
Because this method is so quick and (deceptively) simple you can use it to make ‘free’ mono prints after your printing session, which is a good way to build up your supply of chine collee papers. You can also take new prints from existing ones before the ink dries.
Here is a video to give you the general idea of how to work with clingfilm….
Technical info about clingfilm
- It is usually made from pvc, a more environmentally benign version is made from plants (cornstarch).
- One side of the film is stickier, (the inner side on the roll). This will cling to itself, whereas the other side doesn’t do this.
- It reacts to heat; a heat gun will shrink it and cause layers to stick together permanently
Measuring clingfilm
The thickness of the film is commonly measured in microns, written as µ, and pronounced ‘mew’. However, just to make life more comples there are several other measures used; ‘gauge’, mm and inches. Here is a link to a comparison chart if needed.
So what does that all mean for printmakers?
Clingfilm with thickness of 8/9/10µ is very thin, I wouldn’t even try using this for printmaking. The average thickness for kitchen type clingfilm is 12.7µ, this can work at a pinch but tears easily.
If you really want to get into printing with clingfilm I recommend 20 µ (or 80 gauge). This is much stronger and stretchier, and is the type of film used for wrapping pallets.
There are lots of suppliers on line, not all sell single rolls though. I got mine from Viking, about £10 for a 50cm x 300m roll.
Handling clingfilm
Lets be honest, it can be tricky. The thicker stuff is easier to untangle if it gets bunched up.
I cut a piece of clingfilm and rolled two opposite edges round strips of card to make handles. This makes it much easier to control.
Inks
In these examples I used linseed oil based inks.
What is the best paper for clingfilm printing?
The smoother your paper the better the print will be.
For good clear bright prints coated paper with a shiny surface, as used by commercial printers works very well. (try asking for offcuts if you have a local printing firm)
Rough paper doesn’t attract so much ink so the prints will be paler; I’d suggest experimenting with anything you have lying around first to see what you think. I have used it to print directly into my sketchbook, I actually left the clingfilm sticking to the page as it looked good like that.
If you have some wet strength tissue for chine collee use the shiny side for cling film prints.
Chine collee
This image shows a clingfilm print from a relief inked plate. The orange circles are chine collee. If you have seen the chine collee blog post you will know that you glue the chine collee paper on the reverse and arrange it glue side up on the inked printing plate, I found pritt stick worked fine for this.
As the paper sticks to the ink on the clingfilm, you can turn it all over and place it on your printing paper.
I made the print below by crinkling the clingfilm up as I laid it on the inked plate. When I printed it on paper I stretched it out so the image is bigger than the original plate, as well as being distorted.
The next print shows a compressed image; the inked clingfilm was deliberately scrunched up as I laid it on the printing paper.
Window stickers
You may be concerned about how much clingfilm you are using – why not use the inky film to make window stickers.
I stick the used film to a window as I work, the layers build up and look like stained glass.
If you remove the bundle from the window when you’ve finished and put a heatgun on it the layers all stick together and the edges are sealed. I think that is the start of another project – let me know what you do with it!
10 thoughts on “Printing from Clingfilm”
I really appreciate this post and the use of cling wrap as a technique to print! Thanks so much for the art inspiration! Don
Thanks Don – I hope you have fun with it
I have just discovered your work through Pinterest and now your website. Your videos are fantastic and the processes are easy to follow. Thankyou for giving me some new ideas.
Regards
John
I am glad to hear you re enjoying the blog John – thanks for your kind comments
Great demo! I am doing a little research on using the plastic wrap as print material for a demo that I am doing for our local printmaking guild. I have used this method in the past -because like you, I love to experiment with my printmaking materials. Attached are a couple of pieces of artwork that I have done with the cling film. Every print I get is a surprise and the surprise becomes a little more controlled each time I do it. I get to know the technique.
The one that looks like rocks,(Quiet Pool) I inked the film with a brayer, twisted and pulled the film, scraped chalk on parts of it, spritzed mineral spirits on it slightly then arranged it onto my plate. I placed the paper on top of it and ran it through the press. image 1 is what it looked like(actually not the same -but you get the idea)
– Image 2 is what it looks like after I used a little color pencil to darkener blend areas. There is a woodcut on the bottom of the image and I used an etching/monotype combo for the top. The green moss was handmade paper shredded and inked slightly green to print the moss.The pool was one background block of wood inked brow/tan and the wood grain block was made with a wood block where I made the grain of the wood raised and ink it with a hard brayer.
The other (9 Ginkgos) monotype was made with layers of wrap inked blues/greens etc, then laid out in a flowing design, overlapping and moving. I then inked Ginkgo leaves and placed them under, on and throughout the wrap. One run under the press then a little work with my color pencils to bring out the lines of the leaves or emphasize slightly the flow of the water.
I have also used the wrap in my monotypes to create tree/forest shapes and ground texture. It is always a surprise but also always so natural in design that it works for my work. Thanks for new insights of things to do with it- many that you were showing, I had not played around with. Thank you again.
Sorry- It only did one image at a time – These will be backward in sequence!
This is the ginkgo leaves image
And finally the “Quiet Pool” image
The area with the biggest and most clear rocks was not touched in any way with color pencil and is the raw print as it came out.
Hi Barbara
Thankyou so much for sharing these amazing prints, I love the quiet pool one, especially the way you have got the water with ripples and reflections.
You have certainly pushed the clingfilm technique further than I did, and the experimental aspect of your work is very inspiring.
Thanks also for testing out the new feature on the website which allows people to add photos – this is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping blog readers would share, and I am so glad it works, even if only one at a time!
I imagine it is hard to repeat some of these unique experiments, but I hope your demo goes well and inspires members of the guild to have a go.