How to Build a Silk Screen Light Box

Silk screen printing refers to the art of imprinting stencilized impressions onto cloth and fabric through woven mesh. Silk screen printing uses a screen and a light box, as well as a heat source and compression unit to imprint the inked image or design on materials, such as T-shirts. You can silk screen print at home, but first you will have to make your own light box.

Things You'll Need

• Plywood (2 by 2)
• Dresser drawer
• Hammer
• Nails
• Fluorescent lights
• Silk screen
• Glass

Instructions

1. Collect the materials you need and have them handy in area. Clear off a table to work on. You may have to go to the lumber store and purchase four pieces of 2 by 2 wood panels to act as your frame.

2. Nail the wood panels together to create a box. Alternatively, you can use a small cabinet or dresser drawer as the light box. If necessary, use a power saw to cut the plywood pieces down in size.

3. Inserting the light source can be tried in two ways: Either drill a small hole at the bottom of the box and insert the lamp cord into the hole or place two to three 20-watt fluorescent strip, blacklight bulbs on the box floor.

4. Place a sheet of non-ultraviolet (UV) coated glass on top of the fluorescent bulbs. Place the silk screen on top of the glass.

5. Cut a square of foam to fit inside the screen. This will act as the cover, and it will compress the screen to the film.

References

• Reuels: Silk Screen Printing Instructions