Serigraph printing was the initial business of Kolibri Art Studios. We invite you to begin your tour with the serigraph studio. Herta Headrick is considered one of the world's most accomplished serigraphers and chromists. She has collaborated and worked closely with many of the world's most important artists. She is well known in the United States, Europe and Asia, and artists and publishers travel from many countries to California to specifically have their work printed at Kolibri Art Studio.

To the left you'll see Herta's work done on a John Powell serigraph, an artist whom she has collaborated with since 1984. This particular project was printed for the United Nations and it's titled "RED POPPIES".

In the serigraph process, Herta and her chromists use black ink on clear acetate to create stencils that will isolate each one of the colors in the original to be reproduced on paper, canvas and/or panel. The whole process can take up to 100 colors or more. Kolibri has printed as few as 4 separate screens and as many 200 screens to complete a serigraph. Each project has its own challenges, and Herta’s expertise allows her to predict and understand the complexities of each piece and efficiently plan production to achieve the best match to any original. In the last fifteen years, Kolibri Art Studio has developed some of the industry’s most innovative printing techniques and ways to enhance serigraph prints.

An extremely crucial and very traditional phase of the serigraph printing process is the challenge of mixing and blending colors for the print. After isolating the color on a mylar (stencil) looking at the original painting, the chromist - or color separator - has to hand-mix the color to match the original, taking into account many variables such as the change in ink color when layered upon another previously printed color. The knowledge of color theory is of utmost importance for this step.

The personnel who handle the serigraph presses at Kolibri Art Studios have many years of experience. They understand what it takes to produce highly detailed prints and manage multiple projects. Their knowledge of fine art printing issues, such as registration, ranks this team among the best serigraph operators in the world. The serigraph press operators at Kolibri Art Studios have an immense responsibility to maintain multiple limited editions simultaneously. Years of experience are required to keep accurate control of registration. This environment requires discipline, and the staff holds itself to high professional standards. The serigraph presses at Kolibri Art Studios are complex versions of the traditional silk-screen press. A serigraph press operator must maintain cleanliness of the press between each new color being printed. Our typical serigraph averages between 80 to 100 colors or more. This means that each print of a serigraph limited edition must be handled and printed for each color.

Kolibri Art Studio's curation and restoration department is excellent in every respect. Its staff has received restoration training in Russia, Italy, and Mexico. Their skills include not only the ability to clean and restore original artwork but also to repair tears, dents, fading and discoloration. Every print has to pass their inspection on both the digital printing process and serigraph before going out to the client.

For a price quotation on serigraph printing, contact Herta Headrick. She will be happy to provide you with a competitive price.

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