True-Grain is a unique, high quality textured polyester drafting film that holds tone, offering a breakthrough in creating hand-drawn prints. Its distinct textured surface and exceptional transparency allow for the direct reproduction of subtle washes and marks, eliminating the need for photography or laser scanning.
By drawing directly on True-Grain, artists can faithfully reproduce a wide range of materials, including pencil, charcoal, and crayon, through photo-screen printing, lithography, and etching. Unlike most drafting films, which are smooth, semi-opaque, and suited only for flat, solid marks made with opaque media, True-Grain’s textured surface captures tonal variation.
As washes dry, deep pits in the film trap pigment particles, creating rich halftones ideal for transferring to photo-sensitive screens or plates. The texture also enhances drawn marks, helping to produce a broad tonal range. With True-Grain, artists can achieve fully resolved drawings using far fewer colours than previously needed.
To successfully transfer subtle tonal detail to stencil material, the drawing surface must be highly transparent, minimising resistance to UV light during short exposures. Thanks to True-Grain’s exceptional transparency, the stencil hardens at a lower exposure threshold, resulting in shorter exposure times. This ensures maximum resolution and detail from the original artwork is preserved in the final print.
