How to Silk Screen
Ever wish you can make t-shirts of your very own? Silk screening is a great way to start. Not only can you start printing your own t-shirts, but you can start printing on different kinds of cloth too. Silk screens are also a great gift idea to friends and family. Here’s how to get started.
Materials
Clean screen (available in most hobby shops)
Squeegee
Ink
Film transparency of desired image
Emulsion
Hose with adjustable nozzle
Scoop coater (optional)
Black cloth or black board
Hose with adjustable nozzle
Procedure
Familiarize yourself with the two sides of the screen: The Paper Side and the Squeegee Side. The Paper Side is on the flat side of the screen while the Squeegee Side is located inside the lip of the frame.
Do this step in a darkroom: Coat the screen with photo sensitive emulsion using a scoop coater or a squeegee. A scoop coater is the more reliable tool for the job. Should you choose to use a squeegee, make sure that you have the help of a spatula to ensure that the emulsion is applied evenly throughout the screen.
Leave the screen in the darkroom for two hours to dry completely.
Prepare your artwork by having a high-contrast image and a film transparency. Keep in mind that silk screen image prefer two-dimensional art over complicated three-dimensional ones. Rule of thumb: Keep your silk screen image simple. Remember, every different color requires a different stencil.
Set up your exposure unit to expose the screen to the image you wish to use. To set up the exposure unit, put the black cloth or board on the surface first. Put the screen on it. with the paper side against the black cloth.
Take the transparency with your design, and put it right-side down on the screen. Make sure that the image does not extend to the two inches from the edge of the screen.
Place the screen in direct light. You can also use a lamp with a 250 watt bulb, situated a one or 1.5 feet above the screen.
Expose the screen to flood lights for around 15 minutes.
After the 15 minutes, turn of f the lights and take the film transparency off.
Take the screen to a sink and use a hose with an adjustable nozzle to gently and thorougly rinse the emulsion off. Set aside to dry.
Once dry, tape up the edges of the screen by using clear packing tape and putting it in the inside part of the screen. This will prevent the ink from running into the edges. Check for specks on the screen where emulsion was missed, or parts of images that were washed out. Cover the pin holes with tape, emulsion pen or block out.
Set up the printing screen by setting it in and lining it up in center. Screw it in.
Put an clear acetate on the table, with the printing screen on top of it, not directly on top but propped up so that acetate and screen are actually not in contact with each other.
Put ink in a line two inches above the image, then flood the image with said ink using a squeegee.
Lower the screen onto the acetate and flood again, using a 45-degree angle to print the first copy onto the acetate.
Use the image on the acetate to provide a guide where to orient the image. Adjust the screen accordingly.
Remove the acetate and print the image on the shirt by applying using a strong, even pressure for the ink to pass through the screen.
Once you’re done printing, make sure that the screen is cleaned thoroughly using Mr. Clean.