How to Silkscreen With CMYK

Silkscreening, or screen printing, is the process of printing on fabrics.

Printing inks are made up of four basic colors, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (CMYK). With these colors, it is possible to create any color of ink or print. The amount of each type of ink used determines the color produced. While it is possible to mix these inks to get a single color to use for screen printing, it is also possible to lay one color over another to create a four-color screen print by using four screens with each color separation.

Things You'll Need

• Cyan screen
• Cyan ink
• Magenta Screen
• Magenta ink
• Yellow screen
• Yellow ink
• Black screen
• Black ink
• Screen printing press
• Squeegee

Instructions

1. Attach your cyan screen to your screen printing press. Apply black ink on the screen, and lay the screen down over your fabric. Squeegee the cyan ink across the fabric to force it through the screen and onto the fabric. Remove the cyan screen when finished.

2. Attach the magenta screen to your screen printing press, and apply magenta ink to the screen. Lay the screen down against your fabric. Squeegee the ink across the screen, and then remove the screen.

3. Attach the yellow screen to the screen printing press, and then lay it against the fabric. Apply and squeegee the yellow ink across the screen and then remove the yellow screen from the press.

4. Apply the last color separation screen, the black screen, to the press.Lower the screen so that it is pressed against the fabric. Apply the black ink to the screen and squeegee it across the screen, then remove the screen from the press.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to line up each screen with the inking from the previous one.

References

• No Media Kings: How to Silkscreen Posters and Shirts