A silk screened T-shirt
Expose a silk screen with an image for the purpose of printing it on paper, fabric, metal, plastic or wood. Your image can be a drawing, graphic design or photograph. With a trip to an art supply store and the hardware store, the materials for silk screen making are easily gathered. Once you expose a silk screen, you can make multiple prints from it. Generally, you need one silk screen for each color in your design. Try a one-color design for your first project.
Instructions
1. Purchase photo emulsion and a silk screen frame from an art supply or screen printing supply store. The frame should have synthetic silk mesh already stretched across it. Wash the silk screen with a bit of detergent, rinse completely and let it dry.
2. In a dark area, mix sensitizer into the photo emulsion, stirring thoroughly. Most emulsions come with sensitizer. Coat the silk screen with emulsion on both sides using the edge of a piece of pressed board or a screen coating tool. Wipe excess emulsion off both sides of the screen. Set the screen to dry in a dark place.
3. Prepare an image. It could be a drawing, design or photo. Scan the image into your computer if it does not already exist as a file. Load your printer with transparent vellum paper. Open the image on your computer and print. The image on vellum is called a film positive. Check the film positive for opacity. If it is not opaque, turn it over and go over the image with marker or black ink.
4. Cut a piece of foam rubber to fit inside the silk screen frame. Lay it on the floor and put the silk screen over it face down. Place the film positive centered face down on top and tape into place with transparent tape. Put the piece of 1/4 inch thick glass over the assembly.
5. Hang a halide light 16 to 18 inches over the glass and turn it on. Check your emulsion instructions for exposure time, usually five to ten minutes. Turn off the light. Develop the image with a spray of warm water to both sides of the screen. Blot both sides with newsprint when done and set silk screen aside to dry. Once dry, the silk screen may be used for printing with screen printing ink and a squeegee.
