How to Do Screen Printing
Learn how to make your own screen prints on T-shirts, paper and cardboard with this beginner-friendly guide.
Instructions
Table of Contents:
- Step 1 - Create print templates
- Step 2 - Degrease a screen printing frame
- Step 3 - Coat the screen printing frame
- Step 4 - Expose the frame with your design
- Step 5 - Wash out the design
- Step 6 - Dry and tape the frame
- Step 7 - Choose the right screen printing ink
- Step 8 - Create a screen print
- Step 9 - Clean the screen correctly
- Step 10 - De-coat the design
Screen printing – also known as silk screen printing and serigraphy – is a versatile stencil printing technique where ink is pressed through an open-pored mesh fabric, stretched and glued onto a frame, to print designs on textiles (T-shirts, hoodies, jeans, yardage), paper or posters, and other materials.
In this step-by-step tutorial, we'll guide you through the entire process: from the initial design of your motif to the first finished screen print on T-shirts, paper, or cardboard. This guide is perfect for beginners who have little to no experience with the screen printing process.
Are you ready? Then let's get started!
Introduction
First, we should clarify what can realistically be printed at home with Screen Printing. So, how does screen printing actually work?
You can learn what screen printing is here: What is Screen Printing
In principle, very complex and highly detailed designs can be printed using the screen printing process. These can be on a wide variety of materials, such as textiles (T-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, pants, fabric by the meter, paper products (sheets, bags), cardboard and carton (cards, shipping boxes), glass, plastic, metal, and many, many others.
However, we cannot cover every imaginable application scenario here. This guide only provides the basic fundamentals you need to get familiar with the technique.
The basic procedure always remains the same. Depending on what you want to print on, there are naturally nuances regarding the exact technique.
A one-color print on a light background is quite easy to print. It is important that, depending on what exactly is being printed, different fine screen printing frames and appropriately matching inks must be used. Simple: paper, cardboard, textiles, wood. More complicated: glass, metal, plastics, and other smooth, non-absorbent surfaces.
First, we should clarify what can realistically be printed at home with Screen Printing. So, how does screen printing actually work?
You can learn what screen printing is here: What is Screen Printing
In principle, very complex and highly detailed designs can be printed using the screen printing process. These can be on a wide variety of materials, such as textiles (T-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, pants, fabric by the meter, paper products (sheets, bags), cardboard and carton (cards, shipping boxes), glass, plastic, metal, and many, many others.
However, we cannot cover every imaginable application scenario here. This guide only provides the basic fundamentals you need to get familiar with the technique.
The basic procedure always remains the same. Depending on what you want to print on, there are naturally nuances regarding the exact technique.
A one-color print on a light background is quite easy to print. It is important that, depending on what exactly is being printed, different fine screen printing frames and appropriately matching inks must be used. Simple: paper, cardboard, textiles, wood. More complicated: glass, metal, plastics, and other smooth, non-absorbent surfaces.
First of all: Single-color designs on textiles and paper are very easy to print. Multicolor photos, on the other hand, are a little more challenging.
Material List for Screen Printing up to A3 Size
You need some products to do screen printing:
You can also use one of our kits. Everything you need is already included there.
Screen Printing Kits
So you don’t have to look everything up by yourself, here are our ready-made sets:
Step 1: Create Print Templates
In this guide, we focus on single-color Screen Printing, as it can be done with all of our Screen Printing Kits.
For this, we first need a graphic template, which serves as the basis for creating the screen printing stencil.
Below is an example of a good template available for download.
1. Created in the original size in cm or pixels, exactly as it will be printed later.
Use our Screen Printing DIN Format Calculator to determine the required size for your graphic. You can also download and closely examine our sample graphic.
More templates will be available in the future under Screen Printing Templates.
2. Designs must always be completely black for exposing the stencil. In your graphic program, this means the entire design should be (RGB / HEX #000000) and then printed onto a Screen Printing Film for inkjet printers or Film for Laser Printers.
In this guide, we focus on single-color Screen Printing, as it can be done with all of our Screen Printing Kits.
For this, we first need a graphic template, which serves as the basis for creating the screen printing stencil.
Below is an example of a good template available for download.
1. Created in the original size in cm or pixels, exactly as it will be printed later.
Use our Screen Printing DIN Format Calculator to determine the required size for your graphic. You can also download and closely examine our sample graphic.
More templates will be available in the future under Screen Printing Templates.
2. Designs must always be completely black for exposing the stencil. In your graphic program, this means the entire design should be (RGB / HEX #000000) and then printed onto a Screen Printing Film for inkjet printers or Film for Laser Printers.
Screen Printing DIN Format Calculator
Displays the size in pixels for the respective DIN format. Example: You want to print a design in A4 format using Screen Printing on a T-shirt. Then your image should be 2480 x 3508 pixels in portrait orientation to create the best possible template for Screen Printing.
Hochformat (Portrait)
— × — px
Querformat (Landscape)
— × — px
Step 2: Degrease the Screen Printing Frame
A new screen printing frame must always be thoroughly cleaned with degreaser before use! This is necessary because dirt particles on the screen printing mesh can cause problems later on (when coating with photoemulsion) and in the worst case result in a poor stencil. In the worst case, unwanted holes can form in the stencil.
If you have purchased a Dipilu screen printing kit, the degreaser is automatically included. With every kit!
After degreasing, the frame must dry in a place as dust-free as possible. You can also help by using a microfiber cloth and a hairdryer. Please make sure to keep enough distance from the screen printing mesh. The photoemulsion must not get hot.
A new screen printing frame must always be thoroughly cleaned with degreaser before use! This is necessary because dirt particles on the screen printing mesh can cause problems later on (when coating with photoemulsion) and in the worst case result in a poor stencil. In the worst case, unwanted holes can form in the stencil.
If you have purchased a Dipilu screen printing kit, the degreaser is automatically included. With every kit!
After degreasing, the frame must dry in a place as dust-free as possible. You can also help by using a microfiber cloth and a hairdryer. Please make sure to keep enough distance from the screen printing mesh. The photoemulsion must not get hot.
Step 3: Coating the Screen Printing Frame
To create a stencil, the dry screen printing frame must now be coated with Photoemulsion (Dipilu Pro or Dipilu Basic). The video shows this step in detail. The emulsion must be well stirred before use and can be applied evenly with a Emulsion Scoop Coater suitable for your screen printing frame after the air bubbles formed have escaped.
Afterwards, this layer must dry in the dark. Warning: Photoemulsion must not be processed under strong light sources or daylight. The entire process must be carried out under yellow light.
To create a stencil, the dry screen printing frame must now be coated with Photoemulsion (Dipilu Pro or Dipilu Basic). The video shows this step in detail. The emulsion must be well stirred before use and can be applied evenly with a Emulsion Scoop Coater suitable for your screen printing frame after the air bubbles formed have escaped.
Afterwards, this layer must dry in the dark. Warning: Photoemulsion must not be processed under strong light sources or daylight. The entire process must be carried out under yellow light.
This video shows the coating of a screen printing frame with photoemulsion.
Step 4: Expose the Screen Printing Frame with the Design
Once the Photoemulsion has completely dried after a few hours, you can now expose the frame with your own design. This can be done with daylight, but more reliably and precisely with a exposure lamp.
Keep in mind, we still work under yellow light to prevent the copy layer (another word for photoemulsion) from being exposed prematurely.
For the exposure, place your design printed mirrored on screen printing film or screen printing foil (laser printer) onto the print side of the coated screen printing frame and secure it at the corners with transparent tape. The print side is the side of the frame where the mesh is glued with red adhesive.
It is optimal to also use a glass or acrylic plate to weigh down the design, as the foil can warp or bulge during exposure.
It is also useful to use a suitable insert for the screen printing frame that protects the squeegee side of the frame from light bleeding during exposure.
A UV-transparent glass plate and the matching backing with black cardboard are available from us as sets in different sizes.
We offer a backing board in A4 and an A3 set, as already included in A3 format in our Screen Printing Kit Pro, Screen Printing Kit Expert, and Screen Printing Kit with Screen Printing Carousel for multicolor screen prints.
Afterwards, you expose the screen depending on the chosen method. The exposure time depends on the photoemulsion used. With our Dipilu photoemulsion used with the halogen exposure lamp, the exposure takes no longer than 3:30 minutes. With the LED lamp, about 25 minutes.
With daylight, usually an exposure of one minute is sufficient. However, be sure to note that this method is unpredictable depending on lighting conditions, and you must use a deeply black printed template. Also, protect the back of the frame from incoming light.
After exposure, you initially won’t see any difference when you remove the film from the screen. This is completely normal. In the next step, we simply wash out the stencil from the screen with water.
Once the Photoemulsion has completely dried after a few hours, you can now expose the frame with your own design. This can be done with daylight, but more reliably and precisely with a exposure lamp.
Keep in mind, we still work under yellow light to prevent the copy layer (another word for photoemulsion) from being exposed prematurely.
For the exposure, place your design printed mirrored on screen printing film or screen printing foil (laser printer) onto the print side of the coated screen printing frame and secure it at the corners with transparent tape. The print side is the side of the frame where the mesh is glued with red adhesive.
It is optimal to also use a glass or acrylic plate to weigh down the design, as the foil can warp or bulge during exposure.
It is also useful to use a suitable insert for the screen printing frame that protects the squeegee side of the frame from light bleeding during exposure.
A UV-transparent glass plate and the matching backing with black cardboard are available from us as sets in different sizes.
We offer a backing board in A4 and an A3 set, as already included in A3 format in our Screen Printing Kit Pro, Screen Printing Kit Expert, and Screen Printing Kit with Screen Printing Carousel for multicolor screen prints.
Afterwards, you expose the screen depending on the chosen method. The exposure time depends on the photoemulsion used. With our Dipilu photoemulsion used with the halogen exposure lamp, the exposure takes no longer than 3:30 minutes. With the LED lamp, about 25 minutes.
With daylight, usually an exposure of one minute is sufficient. However, be sure to note that this method is unpredictable depending on lighting conditions, and you must use a deeply black printed template. Also, protect the back of the frame from incoming light.
After exposure, you initially won’t see any difference when you remove the film from the screen. This is completely normal. In the next step, we simply wash out the stencil from the screen with water.
Here you can see the screen printing exposure with a halogen lamp. In this case, we are exposing here with the Screen Printing Expert Set. Make sure to always protect the coated frame well from unwanted light exposure.
Exposure with daylight is also possible, but somewhat unpredictable due to fluctuating light conditions. Here, we exposed for about 1 minute in daylight (cloudy).
Don’t feel like exposing your designs yourself? Then use our exposure service for stencil production.
Step 5: Rinse Out the Design
Please make sure to work under yellow light until you wash out your design from the screen printing frame.
Now simply wash out your exposed design completely from the screen with water. To do this, first wet both sides of the frame thoroughly with water and let it soak for about a minute. Then you can easily rinse the design out of the stencil using a garden hose or shower head. Using a pressure washer is also possible.
If this step doesn’t work for you, there can be several reasons. Most often, insufficiently opaque printing on the screen printing film is the cause.
Our service: We expose your design onto a screen printing frame.
Often it’s enough to simply use a tub where the frame can be soaked in water. After 1-2 minutes, you can easily wash out the emulsion residues under water with a sponge.
Please make sure to work under yellow light until you wash out your design from the screen printing frame.
Now simply wash out your exposed design completely from the screen with water. To do this, first wet both sides of the frame thoroughly with water and let it soak for about a minute. Then you can easily rinse the design out of the stencil using a garden hose or shower head. Using a pressure washer is also possible.
If this step doesn’t work for you, there can be several reasons. Most often, insufficiently opaque printing on the screen printing film is the cause.
Our service: We expose your design onto a screen printing frame.
Often it’s enough to simply use a tub where the frame can be soaked in water. After 1-2 minutes, you can easily wash out the emulsion residues under water with a sponge.
Step 6: Dry and tape the frame
Once you have successfully washed out the design and the stencil is ready, the frame with the mesh must be thoroughly dried. The best way is to let the frame dry lying flat horizontally at room temperature. Edges can be dried with a suitable microfiber cloth.
After that, tape off the still open screen edges with screen tape to prevent ink from seeping through open areas during printing. The waterproof screen tape can be removed from the screen residue-free after printing. Please do not use any kind of packing tape under any circumstances, as it leaves adhesive residue that can cause significant problems.
Once you have successfully washed out the design and the stencil is ready, the frame with the mesh must be thoroughly dried. The best way is to let the frame dry lying flat horizontally at room temperature. Edges can be dried with a suitable microfiber cloth.
After that, tape off the still open screen edges with screen tape to prevent ink from seeping through open areas during printing. The waterproof screen tape can be removed from the screen residue-free after printing. Please do not use any kind of packing tape under any circumstances, as it leaves adhesive residue that can cause significant problems.
Step 7: Choosing the Right Screen Printing Ink
Depending on the type of screen printing ink you use and whether you have a way to dry the prints with a flash dryer or not, different approaches to printing arise.
Dipilu textile screen printing inks are water-based inks. If you want to print on textiles and don’t have a dryer that can dry the print directly at 150°C, you should use the appropriate cold fixative, which is simply added at 5-10% by weight to the ink. This ensures good wash fastness of the screen print.
If you print with our screen printing inks for paper, you can simply let them air dry on a drying rack or drying shelf.
If you want to produce very opaque prints on dark textiles, plastisol ink based on plastic is recommended. But be careful, to print with plastisol inks you absolutely need a dryer, as these inks cannot dry in the air (plastic-based inks).
Our recommendation for beginners: water-based screen printing inks, as they have good opacity and are easy to clean from screens and tools (no solvents required). The wash fastness of the prints can be significantly improved with the cold fixer, and unlike plastisol ink, you don’t need a dryer.
Depending on the type of screen printing ink you use and whether you have a way to dry the prints with a flash dryer or not, different approaches to printing arise.
Dipilu textile screen printing inks are water-based inks. If you want to print on textiles and don’t have a dryer that can dry the print directly at 150°C, you should use the appropriate cold fixative, which is simply added at 5-10% by weight to the ink. This ensures good wash fastness of the screen print.
If you print with our screen printing inks for paper, you can simply let them air dry on a drying rack or drying shelf.
If you want to produce very opaque prints on dark textiles, plastisol ink based on plastic is recommended. But be careful, to print with plastisol inks you absolutely need a dryer, as these inks cannot dry in the air (plastic-based inks).
Our recommendation for beginners: water-based screen printing inks, as they have good opacity and are easy to clean from screens and tools (no solvents required). The wash fastness of the prints can be significantly improved with the cold fixer, and unlike plastisol ink, you don’t need a dryer.
Step 8: Create a Screen Printing
Depending on which Screen Printing Kit you use, you can finally start printing. This can be done, for example, with a screen printing machine (press), simple hinges for screen printing frames. You can also simply place the frame on the material to be printed and print freehand. In the video, we show printing with the Screen Printing Kit Expert and the Expert printing machine. Here also as a photo.
Clamp the exposed screen printing frame and pour screen printing ink into the frame above the design. Spread the ink so that it covers the entire width of the design. Then pull the screen printing squeegee slightly angled and with pressure over the design.
For light-colored substrates, two squeegee strokes are enough. One to flood the design with ink, the second is the actual print stroke to push the ink through the screen. For very dark or even black substrates, two print strokes are recommended.
When screen printing with white ink on a black textile, it may even be necessary to let the ink dry briefly after the print stroke. To do this, simply flip the screen up and dry the ink briefly with a hairdryer – or professionally with a flash dryer.
Depending on which Screen Printing Kit you use, you can finally start printing. This can be done, for example, with a screen printing machine (press), simple hinges for screen printing frames. You can also simply place the frame on the material to be printed and print freehand. In the video, we show printing with the Screen Printing Kit Expert and the Expert printing machine. Here also as a photo.
Clamp the exposed screen printing frame and pour screen printing ink into the frame above the design. Spread the ink so that it covers the entire width of the design. Then pull the screen printing squeegee slightly angled and with pressure over the design.
For light-colored substrates, two squeegee strokes are enough. One to flood the design with ink, the second is the actual print stroke to push the ink through the screen. For very dark or even black substrates, two print strokes are recommended.
When screen printing with white ink on a black textile, it may even be necessary to let the ink dry briefly after the print stroke. To do this, simply flip the screen up and dry the ink briefly with a hairdryer – or professionally with a flash dryer.
Step 9: Screen Cleaning
After printing, screen printing frames, screen printing squeegees, and other tools need to be cleaned of any paint residue. You can easily return screen printing ink to the paint container using a spatula. The easiest way is to wipe off any remaining paint from the screen with a paper towel.
For plastisol ink, it’s best to use our special cleaning wipes for plastisol inks, which help remove paint from tools and even your hands.
For cleaning water-based inks from screens, apply our regular screen cleaner for water-based inks or the Eco Color Remover to the screen. Rub the solution in well with a cleaning sponge and then rinse everything thoroughly with plenty of water.
Once dry, the screen printing frame with your design is ready for the next use.
If you work with plastisol inks, you will need a special cleaner for plastisol inks. These must be removed with a solvent.
After printing, screen printing frames, screen printing squeegees, and other tools need to be cleaned of any paint residue. You can easily return screen printing ink to the paint container using a spatula. The easiest way is to wipe off any remaining paint from the screen with a paper towel.
For plastisol ink, it’s best to use our special cleaning wipes for plastisol inks, which help remove paint from tools and even your hands.
For cleaning water-based inks from screens, apply our regular screen cleaner for water-based inks or the Eco Color Remover to the screen. Rub the solution in well with a cleaning sponge and then rinse everything thoroughly with plenty of water.
Once dry, the screen printing frame with your design is ready for the next use.
If you work with plastisol inks, you will need a special cleaner for plastisol inks. These must be removed with a solvent.
Step 10: Remove Emulsion from the Screen
If the stencil is no longer needed, you can also remove it from the Screen Printing Mesh. To do this, apply liquid reclaiming agent to the previously cleaned stencil. It’s best to apply it to both sides of the Screen Printing Mesh with a sponge, let it sit briefly but never let it dry, and then rinse everything out thoroughly with plenty of water from the screen.
Using a high-pressure cleaner is ideal here. This often eliminates the need for the reclaiming agent. After reclaiming, the frame must be treated again with degreaser and rinsed thoroughly with plenty of water. Once dry, it is ready for use again.
If the stencil is no longer needed, you can also remove it from the Screen Printing Mesh. To do this, apply liquid reclaiming agent to the previously cleaned stencil. It’s best to apply it to both sides of the Screen Printing Mesh with a sponge, let it sit briefly but never let it dry, and then rinse everything out thoroughly with plenty of water from the screen.
Using a high-pressure cleaner is ideal here. This often eliminates the need for the reclaiming agent. After reclaiming, the frame must be treated again with degreaser and rinsed thoroughly with plenty of water. Once dry, it is ready for use again.
Summary
This Screen Printing tutorial might not make you a Screen Printing master, but it contains many useful tips and tricks for creating your own screen printing stencil and your first screen print on various materials.
Check out our other Screen Printing tutorial videos under VIDEO to learn more about the screen printing process.
What you have learned with this guide:
1. How to expose a screen printing stencil with your own design
2. How to create your own single-color screen print on a T-shirt
3. How to remove the stencil from the screen printing frame to make a new one.
We hope this guide was helpful to you.
Best regards from the entire Dipilu team!
This Screen Printing tutorial might not make you a Screen Printing master, but it contains many useful tips and tricks for creating your own screen printing stencil and your first screen print on various materials.
Check out our other Screen Printing tutorial videos under VIDEO to learn more about the screen printing process.
What you have learned with this guide:
1. How to expose a screen printing stencil with your own design
2. How to create your own single-color screen print on a T-shirt
3. How to remove the stencil from the screen printing frame to make a new one.
We hope this guide was helpful to you.
Best regards from the entire Dipilu team!
FAQ
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A blurry print can have several causes.
1. The edges of your screen printing stencil are not properly exposed. Use a deep black template on film or foil for exposure.
2. You are pushing too much ink through the screen. This happens with too frequent squeegeeing. Apply enough ink to the screen before the squeegee stroke so you don’t have to squeegee multiple times.
3. Your screen printing frame has shifted. If you squeegee multiple times, the stencil must not shift. Make sure it is firmly held in the screen printing press or screen printing clamps.
4. Your screen printing mesh is too coarse for the substrate. Example glass: If you print on glass with a coarse screen printing mesh (43T), the ink deposit is too heavy and the glass cannot absorb this ink. Use a finer mesh.
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Classic overexposure. This usually happens due to a screen printing film that is not printed with enough opacity or because of too long an exposure time.
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Possible sources of error:
1. Exposure time too short (Halogen 3:30 minutes - LED 25 minutes)
2. The emulsion was not completely dry before exposure.
3. If you exposed with daylight, the exposure time was too short.
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If you print with water-based screen printing ink on dark textiles, you should use a coarse Screen Printing Mesh (43T) to apply enough ink. Plastisol ink offers the highest opacity.
Solution: Squeegee the ink through the screen multiple times or let ink layers dry partially with an intermediate dryer before overprinting.
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The easiest method is to use a pressure washer. This usually removes all residues from the Screen Printing Mesh without damaging the screen. If you use a wooden screen printing frame, you can also simply re-stretch the frame with new Screen Printing Mesh.