Screen printing is a very old technique that started back in the past. The concept dates back to almost 200 BC where it all started with woodblock printing and the recent innovation was brought about in 1911 which later evolved over the last century. The basic idea of screen printing remains the same throughout its journey i.e. is the use of a stencil-like material to create the desired impression by causing a blockage to the ink flow at that point. Today screen printing is a very popular method for t-shirt printing. Many of us love to use screen printing on our simple t-shirts to give them a new and different look. Screen printing is very easy and can be done at home all by you. You just need to buy some of the essential items for this. The materials required can be bought separately or as a kit from online retail sites like Amazon.
Essentials For Screen Printing At Home
If you have a hobby associated with art and crafts, screen printing will be an excellent option for you to paint t-shirts at home and give them an all total new appearance. This could basically transform your old boring t-shirts into some trendy.
So before beginning, you need to get the starter kit. Usually, kits are slightly more expensive but if you are a beginner, a kit is essential for you as loose items might become confusing while creating a screen print. While buying a kit make sure you go through the customer reviews as this is very important for the longevity of the t-shirt painting you are about to create. Poor quality colors or emulsifiers can lead to washing out of the color on your t-shirt or whichever cloth you painted on.
However, You should make sure the kit at least has the following items.
- A frame of any size but not too small
- Red baron squeegee
- Fabric screen printing ink (of the colors you want)
- Drawing fluid
- Speed clean materials
- Parchment paper
- Degreaser for cleaning screen
- Latex gloves
- Photo emulsion remover
- Photo emulsion
- Photo emulsion sensitizer
- Round brush
- Craft sticks
- UV bulb for exposing your screen
- Instructions in the form of a leaflet or DVD or CD
At present, most of the kits come with a DVD containing a detailed guide about how to create a screenprint by using the things present in the kit and how each item is important for the whole screen-printing process. If you have some previous experience with screen printing, then you can just buy these items from a stationary store near you or from online retail sites whichever you prefer.
Block painting ingredients
If you are not painting your t-shirts and want to print a solid block-like structure with this method make sure your kit is supplied with some rollers to create impressions, some strong adhesive, an ink tray, and heavyweights (you can use any weight depending on your target). These rollers are available in the name of ink rollers. These rollers can also be used for fabric printing.
Screen printing hacks and tips
Following are a few screen printing hacks:
- Use a screen with thinner mesh as this helps your ink to pass through easily without applying much pressure. This helps to create a smoother and fine print.
- Using a liquid tape in between the screen and frame instead of a regular tape is quite hassle-free and helps you to save a lot of time.
- Waterproof emulsion helps to fasten your process and is helpful for those interested in a lot of water-based screen painting.
Screen printing can be a good hobby for crafts lovers and also you can gift personalized stuff to your dear ones if you know this unique art. So, what are you waiting for? Go get started and have lots of fun as this is great art. It is also a nice idea to sell stuff online as people are quite interested in buying such stuff.
