Screen printing is often used as a method of printing T-shirts.
Screen printing is a method of printing images onto various types of materials such as fabric, signage, plastic and metal. Images must first be converted onto a screen, similar to an image plate, before they can be used to print multiple copies. Screen printing can be done using images that are hand-drawn, printed from a computer or taken from other sources. It is a creative way to put images onto surfaces because of the variety of images that can be converted onto screens.
Instructions
1. Use black-and-white images only. Gray colors will not work well in screen printing, but may be added later if desired, as well as other colors. Separate screens must be made for each color that will be used.
2. Print, draw or photocopy the image onto your transparent film. Transparent film can be purchased at office supply or art stores. If hand-drawing the print, use an opaque black marker especially made for screen printing. These markers can be found at art supply stores.
3. Coat the screen with emulsion using your wallpaper smoother. This must be done in a dark room because emulsion hardens when exposed to light. Utilize a dark room light bulb to ensure that the emulsion does not harden prematurely. Coat the screen as evenly as possible. Allow to dry for two hours.
4. Place the transparency on the emulsified screen and put your sheet of glass over it. Expose to light using the 250 watt light bulb for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the glass and transparency and spray the screen with water until your design is washed out from the emulsion. Your converted image should be remaining on the screen, where you can use it to print on a variety of surfaces.
