Screen printing, plotting and creative templates

What is screen printing?

In screen printing, ink is pressed through a screen onto the fabric. If the screen has been prepared beforehand or patterns have been created using special paper, very intricate and colorful designs can be applied to the fabric. A video demonstrating the entire process is linked below.

What are the advantages of screen printing?

Firstly, I can create custom designs using screen printing, designs that are otherwise unavailable for purchase. In this example, I made a chess-playing cat for my son. He loves chess and our cat, so the design is perfect for him.

Isn't screen printing incredibly time-consuming?

If you want to do it properly, with making and exposing the screen, etc., then screen printing is a true art. Fortunately, there are also simpler methods, so even beginners can quickly get started with screen printing. I'm an example – I've screen printed four times now and I'm writing a tutorial for you, since you asked me to.

What materials do I need?

Good Danish Pure fabric :-D

A screen, screen printing ink (please ensure that it is water-based and environmentally safe, e.g. Blue Sign certified), a squeegee, paper tape and vinyl film (to cut out designs).

Alternatively, pre-made transparencies can be purchased. These can then be reused repeatedly.

Proceed step by step

1) Either: Buy a screen printing template - simply enter "screen printing template" into your preferred search engine.

Alternatively: Cut the design out of the vinyl film. This can be done with a plotter, like mine (which allows for very intricate designs), or with scissors or a craft knife. Simply draw your desired design beforehand. It's important that the remaining piece of film is continuous. For example, you can't cut out a double circle, as the inner part will then hang loose and no longer be connected to the rest of the film.

2) Stick the foil onto the sieve.

3) Apply paint

4) Spread with a squeegee

5) Carefully lift off the sieve

6) Thoroughly scrape the remaining paint from the sieve and return it to the paint pot.

7) Quickly wash the sieve and squeegee.

8) Leave to dry for a day (or impatiently blow-dry)

9) Fix with an iron (as hot as the fabric can tolerate and iron for 5 minutes - cover the design with parchment paper or a thin towel)

It's practically finished and ready to wear. But:

10) Wash no sooner than 3 days later to allow the color to bond well with the fabric.

Here 's another video showing the entire process from design creation to printing (without the ironing step). The link leads to YouTube. Note : The first few minutes focus on creating the stencil. You can skip ahead if you buy pre-printed screen printing stencils! Simply enter "screen printing stencil" into your preferred search engine and you'll find a wide selection!

If you're buying foil, it's best to start by watching the video HERE .

Applications of screen printing

They're practically unlimited – it's also great for already sewn items that have stains you can't get out. Just be sure to put something between the layers to prevent the color from bleeding through.

Even better, of course, is to use unsewn pieces of fabric – this also has the advantage that the ink is still washable should the print go wrong. If that happens, however, wash it off quickly and thoroughly with water.