Learn to screen print photos to make custom gifts.
Screen printing is the art of using screens and chemicals to reproduce photos and images to display on paper, T-shirts and fabrics. You can easily screen print photos and images at home. By learning screen print photos, you can make your own personalized items and gifts for yourself, friends or family.
Instructions
Making Stencils
1. Select the proper screen. Use an aluminum-framed screen with a mesh count of about 260 for paper printing or 110 to 160 for fabric. The flat side of the screen acts as the printing side. The side with the lip of the frame will be the squeegee side. Wash with a degreasing detergent before using. Dry thoroughly.
2. Reduce your photo to a black-line, colorless drawing using a picture manipulation program. Make sure each section to be filled with color is completely filled in in black. Print several copies--one for each color that you plan to use--on transparency paper.
3. Apply emulsion to the screen. In a dark room using photo-safe lights, use a spatula to create a thick line of emulsion at the top of the screen. Use a squeegee to distribute the excess. Spread it evenly on both sides of the screen covering. Allow the screen to dry in a dark area for two hours.
4. Place, in this order, a black cloth on the table, the screen with flat side facing down, your transparency prints atop the screen, and the glass plate. Position a lamp with a 250-watt photo flood bulb about 18 inches above the glass and turn it on.
5. Wait 15 minutes and turn on the lights. Immediately remove the glass and transparency. Spray the surface with cold water. Thoroughly spray the screen down with a shower head or water hose to completely wash out the design. Allow the screen to dry completely.
Printing Artwork
6. Install two hinge clamps at the far end of a hard, flat surface. Place the acetate on the table. Fasten the screen inside of the hinge clamps with the squeegee side facing upwards so you can lift the screen without removing it from the clamps. Cover any open areas that you don't want printed with packing tape.
7. Apply ink to the screen. Prop the screen up a few inches, just high enough to lift the screen from the table surface. At the top of the screen--about 2 inches above the image--apply a generous amount of black ink. Using your squeegee, firmly press and pull the ink downwards to flood the image with ink.
8. Lower the screen to print the image onto the acetate. Use your squeegee to flood the image one more time to ensure the ink remains wet. Raise the screen with the hinges to reveal the first print of your image. Carefully remove the acetate from underneath it.
9. Transfer the image. Gently lift up the acetate and place your canvas flatly underneath it. Lower the acetate to find the exact image position. Remove it and lower the screen. Using the squeegee, apply pressure and sweep the ink downwards through the screen. Lift the screen to reveal your first print and carefully remove the canvas.
10. Dry and repeat. The canvas should dry within 20 minutes. Wash your screen thoroughly to prevent the ink from drying. If you are using multiple layers of colors, repeat the process--once for each color--with intervals of at least 20 minutes between steps to prevent colors from bleeding.
