How to Build Your Own Screen Printing

Screen printing creates multiple images in a variety of colors.

Screen printing is an art form that works equally well on fabric and paper. Early screen printers were prized for their ability to print show bills and flyers. Today screen printing gives a retro look to artwork and t-shirts. Professional screen printing equipment can be expensive, especially if you have only a small project. But most screen printing projects can be completed on simple, wood-framed equipment.

Things You'll Need

• 2 pieces of wood, 1-by-18, 24 inches
• Hand saw
• Wood, 2-by-2, 18 inches
• 2 Jiffy clamps
• 4 wood screws, 1 inch
• Drill
• Phillips head drill bit
• 2 G-clamps
• Work table
• 2 carriage bolts (optional)
• Picture frame, 18-by-24 inches
• Sheer nylon fabric, 24-by-30 inches
• Staple gun

Instructions

1. Find the center of one of the 18-inch sides of a piece of 1-by-18-by-24 inch wood and mark. Measure 2 inches from the corner on the 24-inch side and mark. Draw a line from the center mark to the 2-inch mark. Repeat on the other side of the board. This will make two small triangles. Cut these triangles off the board. This gives the board the proper shape to fit into a t-shirt. Leave the second board rectangular. These boards are the platens.

2. Measure 4 inches from both ends of the 2-by-2-by-18 inch wood and mark both spots. Screw the Jiffy clamps onto the wood at the marks. Jiffy clamps are specialized screen printing equipment. Essentially, they're clamps on hinges. The clamps hold the screen in place while printing and lift it out of the way to remove the printed object and prepare to print again. The technical term for the wood with Jiffy clamps is the Ledge.

3. Clamp the ledge to the table with the G clamps. If the table is old, and you plan on using your screen printer for a long time, you can bolt the ledge in place with carriage bolts.

4. Butt the the rectangular platen against the ledge and place the paper on the flat surface. If screen printing t-shirts, place the cut platen inside the t-shirt so that the shoulders rest on the angled side. Butt the flat side of the t-shirt platen against the ledge. The shirt will be upside down. Be sure to put your screen into the clamps upside down to match the shirt.

5. Remove the backing and glass from the wooden picture frame. Staple the nylon to one end of the wooden frame and stretch it tightly across the back of the frame to the other side and staple in place. Pull the sides taut and staple them into place. Clamp the screen into the Jiffy clamps. The screen printing set-up is now prepared for your stencil and first printing project.

Tips & Warnings

• A cared-for screen can be used for many years.

• Use caution when operating a saw.

References

• Broken Pencil: How to Make a Screen Printing Press
• Screen Printing Tee Shirts: Screen Printing Press Plans
• Screen Printing Dog: How to Build a 1 Color 1 Station Screen Printing Press