How to Make a Silk-screen Press

Silk screening, the use of a very fine screen filled with emulsion to stencil ink onto fabrics or other materials, can be a difficult process. If the screen is not lined up properly when it is set down upon the fabric, the finished print may turn out poorly. To remedy this, a printer can purchase a silk-screen press, but commercial presses are often prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, it is not difficult to make a basic press yourself.

Things You'll Need

• Silk-screen frame
• Two hinge clamps
• Screws and screwdriver
• Permanent marker
• Clear spray enamel
• Board at least a half-inch thick and several inches wider and longer than the silk screen frame

Instructions

1. Attach the clamps of both hinge clamps to one of the shorter edges of your largest screen frame. The clamps should be close to the corners of the frame, and the frame should be screen-side down and as far into the clamps as it can go. Tighten the clamps enough so they will not slide or wiggle on the frame.

2. Lay the frame onto the board. The frame and the hinge clamps should all be entirely on the board, with nothing hanging over the edge on any side. Line up the edges of the hinge clamps' screw plates with one edge of the board so as to leave the maximum possible extra board space around the screen frame.

3. Screw the hinge clamps down to the board, with the frame still attached to both of them. Use half-inch-long screws so that they will not poke out of the bottom of the board when fully screwed in. Ensure that the hinge clamps are screwed down tightly enough that they will not wiggle on the board.

4. Using a permanent marker, trace the outline of the screen frame onto the board. You do not need to trace the side that is attached to the hinge clamps. This traced outline will be a guide to help you line up any screen frame you attach in the same position as before.

5. Detach the frame from the hinge clamps and attach a smaller screen frame, if you have one. Before tightening down the clamps, measure the distance between the frame and the marked guide you drew on the left and right sides, then place the screen exactly in the middle. Trace the outline of this screen frame onto the board the same way you did with the first. Repeat this step until you have drawn guides for every screen frame size you have.

6. Detach the frame from the clamps and spray a coat of clear enamel onto the board, making sure to cover all the guides you drew. This will help to protect them from fading as you work with your silk-screen press. Once this coat is dry, the press is ready for use.