How to Professionally Silk Screen for Cheap

paint brushes

You can employ an online print shop to do your custom silk screening for you or, if you are crafty, you can do your own silk screening for cheap. It costs a bit to set yourself up to do regular silk screening, but here is an easy, affordable and professional-looking way to transfer an image onto a T-shirt, banner or other surface.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet connection
• Printer with paper
• Two 1-inch paintbrushes
• Embroidery hoop
• Sheer curtain material
• Scissors
• Soft lead pencil
• Surface you wish to silk screen upon
• Non-water-soluble glue
• Screen printing ink

Instructions

1. Select a royalty-free image on the Internet that appeals to you. Save it as a monochrome bitmap file. This will turn the image from color to black and white.

2. Print the image onto paper. Make certain the image is not larger than your embroidery hoop.

3. Take the inside hoop out of the embroidery hoop. Stretch sheer material over inside hoop.

4. Sandwich the inside hoop together with the material by placing the outside hoop on top of it. Fasten tightly together with the embroidery hoop screws.

5. Cut off any excess material.

6. Put the embroidery hoop with material side down on top of the image. Trace around the image with a pencil.

7. Turn the hoop over and paint glue onto the negative spaces where you don't want ink to go. Allow the glue to dry completely.

8. Turn the hoop over and place it onto the surface where you want your image to go. Take the other brush and stipple the ink onto the design. This will transfer onto the surface.

9. Peel the hoop carefully off of the surface and allow the image to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Use sheer curtain material with a tight weave so that the image will look crisp.

• The ink may bleed through the item you are silk screening onto. You may wish to put newspaper underneath the item to protect it while you silk screen.

References

• Community Live Journal: Cheap screen printing tutorial