screen printing basics
sometimes referred to as silkscreening, screen printing is a print making technique that creates a sharp edged image. a screen is made of a piece of porous, finely woven fabric stretched over a frame of aluminum or wood. areas of the screen are blocked off with a non-permeable material to form a stencil, which is a positive of the image to be printed; that is, the open spaces are where the ink will appear.
The screen can be re-used after cleaning. However if the design is no longer needed, then the screen can be reclaimed by washing out with a pressure washer and the process can be repeated for a new design.
screen printing steps
1. print out black and white art on a sheet of clear film (each color in the design requires its own screen and we can do up to 6 colors)
2. Apply the film to the back of the screen with tape
3. expose the art and screen using an exposure unit
4. using a power washer, spray the screen, washing away the areas not exposed to the UV light which leaves a negative stencil on the mesh
5. after rinsing, the screens must dry for 1-2 hours
6. set the screens up on the press and register each one according to the location of each color
7. ink is placed on top of the screen
8. using a squeegee (rubber blade), pull the ink over the screen
9. rotate the screens, and repeat the pull for each color
10. remove the shirt and place in a flat dryer
sometimes referred to as silkscreening, screen printing is a print making technique that creates a sharp edged image. a screen is made of a piece of porous, finely woven fabric stretched over a frame of aluminum or wood. areas of the screen are blocked off with a non-permeable material to form a stencil, which is a positive of the image to be printed; that is, the open spaces are where the ink will appear.
The screen can be re-used after cleaning. However if the design is no longer needed, then the screen can be reclaimed by washing out with a pressure washer and the process can be repeated for a new design.
screen printing steps
1. print out black and white art on a sheet of clear film (each color in the design requires its own screen and we can do up to 6 colors)
2. Apply the film to the back of the screen with tape
3. expose the art and screen using an exposure unit
4. using a power washer, spray the screen, washing away the areas not exposed to the UV light which leaves a negative stencil on the mesh
5. after rinsing, the screens must dry for 1-2 hours
6. set the screens up on the press and register each one according to the location of each color
7. ink is placed on top of the screen
8. using a squeegee (rubber blade), pull the ink over the screen
9. rotate the screens, and repeat the pull for each color
10. remove the shirt and place in a flat dryer