How to Make a Silkscreen

Silkscreen started as a commercial means of producing signs and cards. It gained importance as an art form with the Pop Art movement in the 1960's. A silkscreen is a piece of mesh fabric held taut in a frame. A stencil is affixed to the mesh and ink forced through onto a sheet of paper or fabric. Here's how to make a stenciled silkscreen print.

Things You'll Need

• Frame
• Screen
• Pencil
• Tracing paper
• Scissors
• Duct tape
• Masking tape
• Stencil material (clear acrylic or paper)
• Squeegee
• Ink
• Rags or paper towels
• Rubber gloves
• Newspaper
• Iron

Instructions

Prepare

1. Get your design ready. Photocopy onto a transparency or print from your computer on special transparencies.

2. Prepare a frame and mount silkscreen material in it. You can buy pre-made screens at the art store. You can buy a wood frame for needlepoint at a craft store. Assemble the frame and stretch the screen by pulling tight and stapling.

3. Attach the frame with hinges to the table. Wash screen with mild soap and water. Rinse and let dry.

Stencil

1. Prepare the stencil. Use cut stencils from a thin material such as translucent film or paper.

2. Position your printing paper under the frame.

3. Lay the cutout on this paper and lower the screen.

Print

1. Get a sheet of test paper and put screen over it.

2. Ink the screen by putting ink at the top edge of the screen. Pour a generous amount of ink onto the frame.

3. Take the squeegee and drag the ink across the screen. This forces the ink through all the open areas of the mesh.

4. Check the paper and do more passes until you get an even coverage.

5. Set the paper aside and go on to the next piece of paper or fabric. Keep printing until you are done. Print all the prints in one color before continuing with the next color. Allow the ink to dry before printing another color. Use different screens for each color.

6. For editions, line up the paper. Line the test piece up and mark the edge of the paper. Tape pieces of cardboard next to the lines you drew. These are your registration guides.

Tips & Warnings

• Tape the edges of the top and bottom of the screen and the inside of the frame so you can lay your squeegee against it. This helps with clean up.

• Pick a squeegee that is two inches shorter than the inside width of the frame.

• If your design uses multiple colors, you will need to cut a separate stencil for each color. In silkscreen printing, each color is printed in a separate run.

• Allow for margins around your print.

• Use textile inks for shirts. It cleans up well and air-dries in 30 to 60 minutes. Heat set with an iron or put in the dryer on high setting. Use printing ink for paper.

• For a shirt, limit the size of your design to 10.5 inches wide by 16 inches long.

• Wash your t-shirt before printing. Place a cardboard insert under your shirt so the ink doesn't weep through.

• All paper or fabric should be the same size so you can accurately line up the registration.

• Clean the screen thoroughly after use. Do not allow the ink to dry because this will clog the mesh. Use a solvent like mineral spirits to clean and use a stiff brush to scrub any stubborn ink off.