How to Do Silk Screening at Home

Silk screening, generally known as screen printing, creates dynamic, durable and beautiful prints. You can print designs on everything from posters to canvas totes, and it only takes a few simple tools and materials to get started.

Things You'll Need

• Wood or metal frame stretched with screen mesh Foam rubber 4 to 6 inches thick Screen printing ink Squeegee Light sensitive emulsion Halide work light or other light source Piece of glass slightly larger than your frame Weights Design on transparency or film Printmaking paper T-shirt or other materials to print

Instructions

Basic Silk Screen Setup

1. Clean your stretched frame with mild soap, rinse, and let it dry for at least an hour. Coat the screen with light sensitive emulsion in a dark room (check instructions for light conditions appropriate to your emulsion). Coat both sides, then scrape away excess emulsion. Let the screen dry overnight. If you didn't buy a pre-stretched screen, attach your screen fabric to the frame taut enough that you can bounce a coin on it. If you use a staple gun, take care not to rip the screen mesh with the staples.

2. Put your art or design on a transparency. Either draw with India ink on translucent vellum, or print the design on vellum or heavy transparent paper on a laser printer. Ink jet printers often do not create an image opaque enough for burning a screen. Some laser printers are too hot, and will melt vellum. If you draw on vellum with India ink, go over your lines or brush strokes twice for opacity. You can also send your graphic file to a film output service for a film positive. Many copy shops will copy onto a transparency, but you may need to ink the back side with India ink to make the copy opaque enough to successfully burn a screen with it.

3. Check the emulsion instructions for exposure time before completing this step in the dark. Place your foam rubber on a flat surface, then put your coated screen frame over it (leaving the flat side of the frame facing up). Put your transparency upside down on top of the screen. Place the glass over the transparency, and weight it at the edges with books or heavy objects. (Heavy ink cans work well for weighting.) Hang your light source about 18 inches above your screen and turn on the light for the recommended exposure time. It may be necessary to do a test screen with graduated exposure times to hit the proper time for the emulsion you are using.

4. Develop your screen with warm water. Spray the screen until the image area is free of emulsion. If your screen doesn't develop, use more water pressure. After developing is complete, blot both sides with newspaper to remove excess emulsion. If your emulsion comes off too easily, ruining your image, increase your exposure time. If your image does not develop and the emulsion is solid where the image should have washed out, decrease your exposure time.

5. Let the screen dry, then place it over the T-shirt or paper that you are printing. Add ink to one side of the screen, creating a reservoir for the ink. Holding the screen frame down firmly with one hand, pull two or three strokes with the squeegee and lift the screen to check your print. Clean the screen immediately when you're finished. If your print smudges, try a finer screen mesh. If insufficient ink gets on the T-shirt, use thinner ink or a wider screen mesh.

Tips & Warnings

• Well-stocked art supply stores carry basic silkscreen materials. Comparison shop, as prices may vary dramatically, and be sure to check with your local industrial screen print supplier.

• It typically takes a few tries to burn a perfect screen and make pristine prints. Don't get discouraged.