hey all -
does anyone have any info about the possibility and method of turning natural plant dyes into inks? i'm looking for safe, environmentally-friendly, preferably all-natural additives.
i'm trying to turn dyes i've made from organic plants into inks suitable for screen printing. i know of at least two companies who have entirely organic apparel, from garments to screen printing. of course their products are patented. because i am using plants indigenous to my area, it is not appropriate for me to just send my graphics off to another company to print them with their plant dyes. i know of an artist that uses organic oil paints on organic muslin. but obviously, muslin is much thicker than jersey and thus retains her homemade plant inks better. so far, i've used a bit of cornstarch to thicken my dyes but the results aren't stellar or consistent.
i'm looking for people who are doing similar experiments or at least can shed some light, shoot some theories about the process. i've been doing a lot of research into the ancient techniques of dyeing and inking so perhaps we can swap wisdom.
thanks!
ct
