Preliminary Work

A successful brand’s logo should be timeless and not comply to a certain fashion or style; to achieve this I opted to work using a simplistic two-dimensional monochromatic palette. It was important to relate the logo to the astronomical object, Earth’s moon. I mocked up multiple designs that incorporated the moon’s form as either full, half or crescent shaped. This was further combined with different accessory styles and typographical representation to create a diverse range of options.

Final Design

The logo focuses on capturing the definitive properties of a moon in a simplified yet considered way. The bold and heavy typeface of ‘moon’ delivers qualities of solidity relating to the physical object it represents, the dense orbital mass. The outline of a moon then interacts with the typography warping the shape of the outermost letters.

Print Design

For the first design I was heavily inspired by the political nonsense ongoing between the United States of America and North Korea. Both of the respective political leaders have such a distinct and memorable identity within their aesthetic and character. I opted to create a design which featured the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un as a satirical illustration. The graphic was simplified to a monochromatic design to be presented on a t-shirt.

Screen Printing

The printing press was designed with the intention to be as economical as possible, using second hand products and products available from my local hardware store. For the base unit I reutilised my Ikea Malm bedside table. I then manufactured a tight fitting lid which would slide on and off the table as required. The press arm was purchased second hand from eBay and this was attached to the softwood lid through large bolts, nuts and softwood spacers. For the printing process to function correctly I needed a t-shirt platen, for this I crafted a removable unit that would slide underneath the lid and remain firm from softwood and MDF.

Silkscreen Canvas

Photo-emulsion

UV Light + Transparency

Burned Screen

Washed Screen

Prepared Screen

Firstly I constructed an A3 timber frame and stretched over a silkscreen mesh, stapling this formed a taut surface. I then painted the canvas with a photo-emulsion that hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light. The next step is to create a transparency of the design using a printer with black ink onto a sheet of transparent film. Once dry the transparency is then affixed onto the screen and positioned directly under a UV light source until cured. The paint under the transparent area of the transparency reacts and hardens, however the paint under the blacked out areas of the transparency remains uncured and can be washed off using a pressured water jet, leaving a template of the design on the screen. Next I had to patch up the design where imperfections had formed in the washing process, this involved painting over pinholes in the design where unwanted ink could pass through. The screen was then prepared for printing by taping up the sides with mask and affixed to the press-arm. A sample T-shirt could then be loaded onto the printing platen, the press-arm lowered and black ink spread across the screen using a squeegee. The T-shirt was then removed from the platen and was allowed to air dry before the design was heat cured.

T-Shirt Design

The completed design features a left chest print of the Moon logo and a large rear monochrome Kim Jong-un print. Black ink was chosen to provide a bold image against the contrasting white fabric. The T-shirt blank, a Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton T-shirt was hand-selected from a collection of samples due to the fit, affordability and build quality.