How to Do Silk-Screened Stencils
Silk screening, also known as screen printing, is a simple yet versatile technique for printing vibrant ink on a wide range of surfaces such as fabric, paper, metal, wood, plastic and glass. To silk screen a graphic image, first you must make a silk screen stencil of the image. Once a proper silk screen stencil has been made, an unlimited number of prints can be made with it. The stencil may be cleaned and used again.
Things You'll Need
- Silk screen frame
- Synthetic screen mesh
- Photo emulsion
- Screen coating tool
- Halide light
- Glass, quarter inch thick
- Foam rubber four inch thick
- Dark room
- Graphic image
- Clear vellum paper
- Laser printer
- Screen printing ink
- Squeegee
- Transparent tape
- Newsprint
Instructions
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Create a design in a computer program, using a word processing, illustration or image editing program such as Word, Illustrator or Photoshop. If you need a program, you can download Open Office for free, which includes a word processing and a drawing program. Use any combination of type, photos or illustration in the graphic to communicate your idea. Execute the design in black and white. Name the file and save it.
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Load the laser printer with clear vellum paper and print the graphic image on it. This is a film positive of your graphic image. It will look like a clear sheet of paper with the graphic image printed on it.
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Purchase a silk screen stencil frame with synthetic mesh stretched on it. This is a wood or metal frame with sheer synthetic fabric stretched over it, very taut. Wash the silk screen with soap and water, then let it dry overnight. This removes grease and dirt to prepare the screen for coating with photo emulsion.
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In the dark, fill the screen coating tool half full with photo emulsion, and coat both sides of the silk screen stencil with it. Use the sharper edge of the tool to put emulsion on the screen, pulling it across each side of the screen. To finish, hold the sharp edge of the tool perpendicular to the screen and scoop off any excess emulsion. Now the synthetic mesh has an opaque layer of photo emulsion over it. Place the coated screen face down, in a dark area, to dry overnight.
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Cut the foam rubber to fit inside the silk screen stencil frame and place it there. Put foam and screen face down on a flat surface. Put the film positive centered face down on the back of the silk screen and tape in place with a piece of transparent tape. Put the piece of quarter inch thick glass on top of the the film positive. Hang the halide light eighteen inches over the glass. From the flat surface up, you will have foam, screen, film positive, then glass with the light hanging over it.
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Turn on the halide light for five to ten minutes to expose the image on the silk screen stencil, then turn the light off. In the dark room, develop the image with a medium pressure spray of warm water to the silk screen stencil on both sides, until the image appears. Blot both sides of the screen with newsprint and let dry. Now your graphic image is on the silk screen stencil.
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Once dry, place screen printing ink in the silk screen stencil. You can use any color of ink you choose. Hold a squeegee firmly in one hand and hold down the screen with the other hand. Pull the ink across the screen firmly with the squeegee to print. You can print on fabric, paper, wood, metal, plastic or glass. Clean the ink out of the silk screen stencil when finished printing.
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Tips & Warnings
Use the proper ink for the material you are printing on. The best beginner inks are Speedball or Versatex brand water-based inks, which are good for printing on fabric and paper. Union Aerotex is a great professional, water-based, fabric ink.
If your image will not develop, shorten your exposure time. If the emulsion washes out of the silk screen stencil, lengthen your exposure time.
Ink jet printers do not make an opaque enough film positive for silk screen stencils without a special software plug in.
