INTRODUCTION TO SCREEN PRINTING

Screen printing is a great introduction to the art of Screw securely clothes pins handy to
onto work surface. accommodate the
printmaking. Printmaking was originally a form of
communication before becoming an art form. With number of prints you
the advent of the printing press, art prints began to will be producing.
be valued as originals and in the 19th century At this stage, you
can also set up your
artists began producing limited edition prints.
work surface by
This handout is intended to introduce the beginner attaching the hinge
printmaker to the basic steps of screen printing. All clamps to a board or directly to the table top. You will
the supplies listed are readily available and have need these when you are ready to begin printing.
been used with success by beginners, educators and
“ p ros” alike. With a bit of practice, you too can CREATING
make great silkscreen prints. YOUR STENCIL
Materials: The most basic form of screen printing is using
stencils attached to the outside of your screen. If this is
• Pre - s t retched silk screen(s) your first time screen printing, choose a simple image
• Squeegee
which will use only one or two colours in the printing
• Screen printing hinge clamps
• Waterproof tape (1" wide) process. After you become comfortable with screen
• Self-adhesive stencil material printing, you can experiment with more complicated
• Screen printing ink imagery and additional colours.
• Strips of card or poster board Design your image directly on a thick piece of
• Small scrub brush & household detergent paper or special stencil paper, which will be cut into a
• X-Acto knife stencil, or design your image on a
• Containers piece of paper to be transferred to a
• Old or disposable spoons specialty stencil paper or adhesive
• Pencils or pens masking film. Keep in mind that a
• Drawing and Printmaking Paper stencil cut from regular drawing
• Old towels, rags or paper towels paper won’t last.
• Rubber gloves and protective clothing Tip: When image orientation is important, be sure your
• Hair dryer
stencil is adhered the right way around for printing. This is
• Cord or clothesline
• Bulldog clips and clothes pins particularly important if using an adhesive stencil paper, or
• Screen Block Fluid letters and numbers, as your stencil can only be adhered to
your screen one way.
With all stencils, remember that the parts of the
GETTING STARTED image which you cut away will allow ink through the
Ideally you will need a large work space for silk screen and onto the paper. The parts of the stencil
screen printing which allows room for inks, screens, which are left, will block out the ink and take on the
and hanging or laying out your finished prints to dry. colour of the paper.
You will also need access to hot and cold ru n n i n g If a multiple colour print is desired, a simple
water, ventilation and a good light source. design is easier to process for two to three colour
To begin, lay out newspapers or plastic to protect printing. You can either block out design areas on a
your work surface. If you are planning to hang your single stencil as you print each colour, or you can
prints up to dry, string a clothesline and have enough prepare two screens with two diff e rent stencils, each

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 INTRODUCTION TO SCREEN PRINTING
using a diff e rent colour.
B e f o re you begin cutting your
Brown Green
SCREEN PREPARATION
stencil, try colouring it in or Although pre-stretched screens are ready to use,
numbering the areas you want you should always clean your screen with a scrub
to cut away to help you brush and detergent before use. This will eliminate
envision the final print. any soil that may have deposited on the screen during
Registration is necessary manufacture, transport or storage. Be sure to dry the
when using multiple colours Red screen thoroughly as your stencil material will not
in a print to ensure that your stick to your screen if it is damp. You can use a hair
colours will line up correctly dryer to speed up the drying process if desired.
and to prevent different Non-printing area of stencil Adhere the stencil to the outside of your clean, dry
will be the colour of the paper.
colours from overlapping screen and apply enough pre s s u re to ensure that the
when this is not desired. Registration will also prevent stencil is well-adhered. Next, using a water- resistant
a reas of the paper from showing through colours that tape approximately 1.5" wide, run it along the inside
a re intended to overlap. An easy solution for of the screen. Position the tape so that half is on the
registration is discussed on page 3 of this handout. screen itself, and half is on the screen frame. This
Once you are comfortable with basic screen border of tape will keep your screen printing ink from
printing you can consult a book for more complex seeping between the edges of your screen and frame
images, methods and techniques. and in effect ruining your print.
Note: This step will reduce the printable area of the
Cutting Your Stencil screen, and your design should be sized for this final set of
After you have prepared your artwork, you can dimensions. Rub or burnish the tape well to ensure
cut your artwork as is or transfer your work on to a proper adhesion.
sheet of stencil paper. To transfer it, simply use carbon Next, set the screen up for printing by attaching it
or transfer paper. When cutting your stencil keep in to your printing base with hinge clamps. The screen
mind that clean lines will produce a sharp image. We must be placed with the flattest (or outside) side of the
suggest using a quality sharp blade such as a #1 X- screen down. The base can either be a table top or a
Acto knife to make your cutting easier. wooden board that is sufficiently thick to fit the clamp.
Tip: Move the stencil material under the knife, as you The board also needs to be heavy enough to remain
cut, to make clean lines easier to achieve. stable while the screen is being raised and lowered.
Mask-Ease is a common two part vinyl and
adhesive stencil material used for screen printing. Cut PRINTING &
your stencil from the sheet of vinyl and then apply the
transfer sheet of weak adhesive. REGISTRATION
Flip your stencil to remove the Stencil sheet Be sure to have all of your necessary materials and
liner from the vinyl sheet. equipment in place before you start printing. If you
Apply the adhesive side of the a re using colours straight from their containers, it is a
vinyl with even pressure to the good idea to transfer a portion of each colour you
outside of your screen. When want to use to other containers to avoid potential
using stencil material, be sure to contamination of the unused ink.
read through the manufacturer's Next, place a couple of spoonfuls of screen
instructions before use. printing ink across the bottom edge of the scre e n ,
closest to you. With the screen lifted slightly off the
surface of the printing base, use the squeegee to pull

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 INTRODUCTION TO SCREEN PRINTING
the ink across the screen, in one stroke (away fro m 1. If you are using a design with clearly separated
you). Hold the squeegee at a forty-five degree angle so colour areas, the screen can be prepared for a second
that only the leading edge of the rubber strip contacts colour by simply blocking out areas that you do not
the screen. This will flood the screen with printing ink. want to print. This blocking out is done before
Next, prop the screen up and place a piece of test printing the first colour to reserve areas for the second
paper under the screen which has been pre-cut to the colour. You can use either masking tape on the
d e s i red size. Position your paper and pull a test print underside of the screen, or screen block fluid on top of
to ensure that your image Pull or print stroke the screen. Screen block fluid is harder to remove and
is centered. To make the at 45 degree angle if the screen is to be reused, you might want to stick
print, lower the screen with masking tape for this process. Use the
onto the paper, and pull registration guides to make sure the prints are aligned
the squeegee, again when making the second print ru n .
holding it at a forty-five Cross-section 2. You can also choose to create a new screen and
d e g ree angle toward you, of frame Screen stencil for each colour you want to print. Or, you can
this time with a firm Table use the same screen, using a new stencil but being
single stroke. sure to clean and dry it before using a new colour.
Immediately after you pull your print and while This is useful for images where colour areas will
the screen is lifted slightly, do another light flood overlap, and therefore cannot be simply blocked out
stroke away from you, and prop the screen up. Using during printing. Registration between screens is
a flood stroke helps keep the ink from drying in the important with this method.
screen and blocking it. Another way to make registration easier with
Once the paper is correctly positioned, tape two more complex images is to create your stencils with a
pieces of card against the bottom of the paper, and one slight tolerance where colour overlaps. For example, a
against the side. These pieces of card are stencil with a red circle and a black outline
now your registration guides and each a round it could be cut so that the red circle is
subsequent piece of paper will be slightly bigger than intended. Print the red circle
aligned with these registration guides to first, knowing that the opaque black ink will
e n s u re that each print lines up corre c t l y. cover the red area of tolerance. This will help to
This is helpful for both one colour and e n s u re that no distracting gaps will appear
multiple colour printing. between the red and black design are a s .
Once your registration guides are set Although the colours actually overlap they will
you may need to try further test prints to appear to just be printed cleanly – side by side.
practice handling the squeegee, and to To test your second colour, place a test print
see whether there are any areas of your image that from the first colour run under the screen prepared
need changing. To make changes on your screen, you with the stencil which has been cut for the second
can block out areas that you no longer wish to print colour run. Make your print and check for accuracy of
with tape or screen block fluid, however, if you want registration. If there are gaps between areas that
a reas to print that are not cut out, you will have to should butt against each other, or colours overlapping
create a new stencil and screen. in areas where they shouldn’t, realign the screen and
When you are ready to begin your actual print try again. Do this until the image is registered to your
run, lower the screen, and pull the squeegee towards satisfaction. You can then proceed with the second
you. Lift, do another flood stroke. This will become a colour print ru n .
familiar rhythm of working after a while. As screen printing inks are available in both
Following are two simple options for working opaque and transparent colours, it is important to plan
with multiple colour prints: the order of your colours for printing accordingly. If

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 INTRODUCTION TO SCREEN PRINTING
the second colour you print is opaque, it will cover the really large edition, the first prints should be dry by
previous colour, or if it is transparent it will create a the time the later ones are being made. It will then be
new colour. possible to stack them to clear the space for more
When you have finished your run or edition of screen prints.
prints, clean the screen and other equipment Tip: Always make sure that the first colour is dry before
immediately. This is especially important when using printing the second colour, when printing multiple
permanent or acrylic screen printing ink, as it will ru i n coloured prints.
the screen if allowed to dry.
NOTES:
DRYING
Place all prints in a safe place to dry. Although
many screen printing inks that are available now are
water-based and quick drying, it is still necessary to

provide proper drying time to reduce the possibility of

smearing. Print racks are often too expensive for most
people printing in a home studio or work space, so it
is best to make sure ahead of time that you have
plenty of space to either spread the prints out as they
dry, or create a clothesline effect with clothes pins or
bull dog clips to hang the prints from. In the case of a

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