DIY Screen Printing Machine
Screen printing is the process of copying an image or lettering onto another surface via a special screen and ink. You can make your own screen printing machine at home for a very affordable price by locating a few simple items found at your local craft supply store. This one-color screen printing machine will give you an easy and professional-looking way to transfer images onto a banner, T-shirt or other flat surface.
Things You'll Need
- Computer with Internet connection
- Printer
- Printer paper
- Two 1/2-inch paintbrushes
- Embroidery hoop (slightly larger than the image you want to transfer)
- Sheer material
- Scissors
- Pencil, soft lead
- T-shirt or other surface you want to decorate
- Glue (not water-soluble)
- Screen printing ink
Instructions
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1
Choose a royalty-free image from a stock photo website or draw your own image. If you select one from a website, save the file as a monochrome bitmap, which will store the image in black and white only, not color.
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2
Select an embroidery hoop a little larger than the size of the image you wish to screen print.
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3
Print out the image onto printer paper.
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4
Remove the inside hoop from the embroidery hoop and stretch a piece of sheer material over top.
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5
Insert the inside hoop into the larger outer hoop, keeping the material sandwiched tightly between the two hoops. Fasten the hoop screws tightly.
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6
Cut away any excess material with scissors.
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7
Place the hoop material-side down right on top of the picture and trace around the design with a pencil.
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8
Flip the hoop over and, using a paint brush, paint glue onto the spaces where the ink should not go (creating a negative of the image in glue). Allow glue to dry.
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9
Turn the hoop over again and put it onto the T-shirt or other surface where you want your picture to go. Take a second paint brush and dab the ink with the tip of the brush onto the design.
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10
Peel the hoop away from the surface carefully to reveal your design. Allow the ink to dry completely.
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Tips & Warnings
Select a sheer material with a very tight weave to ensure the transferred image will look sharp.
Put some newspaper underneath the item you are screen printing to prevent the ink from bleeding through.
References
- Photo Credit ink image by Sergey Shlyaev from Fotolia.com
