Screen Printing/Planning and Executing your Project

A Brief Overview

In screenprinting, you use a fine mesh material, stretched over a frame, to produce a stencil by blocking parts of the screen with filler material. One of the most popular and effective methods is by using a photo-sensitive material called photo emulsion which hardens when exposed to light. We will describe the process of using this substance to make stencils suitable for screenprinting in the section "Making the Stencil". Once you have a stencil, you use it as a pattern for transfering ink onto your printing surface. The screen helps to prevent you from using too much ink and allows a very sharp edged design to be printed, with a little practice. The screen also allows you to deposit the ink more evenly, and more easily, over the printing surface to help create consistent prints.

The process of creating the stencil can take a few days, but once it's created, printing is fast and easy. You can also save stencils indefinitely for reuse, so those few days are a one time deal for each stencil.

Materials

Fabric/Paper

• Keep in mind, when transferring to different materials, different ink will be necessary

Inks

Many inks available for different materials. Brand list:

• Speedball
  • $20 for pack of six

Printing Frame

• Making one
• Buying one
• Makeshift frames
  • Embroidery hoops
    • Usually under two dollars

Screen Material

What to keep in mind

• Nylon
• Tulle
• Silk