Screen printing is an art form for many. It is amazing to be able to create high quality products in minutes. The attention to detail this process can bring is also impressive. Screen printing t-shirts is a difficult process, so people avoid it. What if we said that you were wrong? Imagine if you could design your own t-shirt designs from the comfort of your home.
Screen Printing: What is it?
Screen printing is also known as Silk Screening. It’s a way to print designs on a tee-shirt. Screen printing uses thick inks that are applied directly to the shirt, rather than soaking them in. Screen printing is typically done on fabric or paper. However, with some specialized inks it is possible to print on metal and plastic as well as glass and wood.
How does a screen printing machine work?
Screen printing is a basic method that involves making a stencil on a fine meshscreen and then pushing paint or ink through the screen to imprint your design on the shirt underneath.
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One screen should be used for each color. To ensure that the colors match correctly, screens must be registered before printing. The ink is applied one at a time to the fabric or surface through the screen before printing begins. Each piece is dried once it’s complete.
How to screen print T-shirts at Home
Screen printing is often viewed as an expensive process and difficult to do by DIYers. It is actually not as complicated as you might think.
Supplies Required
- You can purchase a screen and a frame from your local art shop.
- Photo Emulsion und Sensitizer
- Gloves
- A 150-watt bulb
- T-shirts
- Squeegees
- Silk Screen Fabric Ink
- To fit inside the shirt, use cardboard
- Design Software
- Glass piece
- Dark Room
The Process
- You must first choose an image. CorelDRAW is a quality design program that can help you create the image, slogan or idea you want to transfer to your shirt.
- Print the image, letters, or shape on regular paper. Then cut it out.
- Take your frame and apply Photo Emulsion to it. This step should be done in a dark area as the material reacts to sunlight. The photo emulsion should be applied using a squeegee and the instructions on the bottle.
- After the screen has dried, you can transfer the image to it and then place a glass on top to keep it in place. To expose your image, you will first need a 150-watt lightbulb. Your photo emulsion instructions should tell you how long your exposure will last depending on the size of your screen. You will also find the distance your light source should be from your monitor in your photo emulsion instructions.
- Once the time has expired, take out the glass and the paper cutout. The faint image will appear on the screen.
- Use high-pressure, lukewarm water from either a garden hose (or a showerhead) to clean the screen. Keep your eyes on the image. The image will become more vibrant and the rest will disappear.
- Place your tee shirt on a flat surface and smooth it.
- Place the silkscreen on top of the shirt, so that the recessed end is facing upwards.
- Paint the screen with paint.
- Use a squeegee to apply paint to the image. Do not press any buttons.
- Remove the screen carefully from the shirt by gently lifting it.
- Hang your shirt and dry it. Then, wash the screen with cool water.
- To ensure that the ink sets, dry the shirt by ironing it.
Screen Printing – Make it Perfect
Screen printing is great for creating unique t-shirts, company logos, and team names. Even better, professional-looking clothing is affordable and something you can do again and again with the right materials.
