Here is my first formal lesson on How To Screen Print. It is ever so easy and fun. My bet is that once you see the easy basic steps, you will be screen printing fabric, curtains, skirts, socks, bedsheets, valances in no time!
Step 1: Buy a screen. If you are lucky enough to live in London, go to the London Graphics Centre, near Covent Garden. Or, you can try ebay. There you will find special little ebay shops ready and waiting quite happily for you to make a purchase from them. Generally, sellers are quite happy to answer questions so if you are not exactly sure of the size of screen you need, do not hesitate to ask.
Step 2: Drawing an image.
First, you will need to make a cup of coffee and set it beside your screen in an artistic sort of way, demonstrated here. Next, you will need to find an image. I have chosen the Gee How Quaint Florie design to use for part of this screen printing project. You will need to place the drawing on a table, drawing facing upwards (because if it's upside down, you won't be able to see it. I am sure you are very clever and knew that already). Place the silk screen over the drawing, with the flat of the silk screen resting on top of the drawing. Now you can happily trace your nifty little drawing with a pencil that is not very sharp.
Step 3 Drawing fluid.
Now it is time to use the Drawing Fluid you have purchased from a supplier of screen printing materials. I often use Speedball products, but if you have an affinity toward another producer of screen printing materials, please feel free to use your chosen alternative.
Be sure to prop up your screen from the table. I have used my Bright Eyes, Razorlight, Living Etc and Weapons of Mass Creation CDs to prop up my screen so that it is not lying directly on top of the table. You can use your own CD selections for this step. Don't feel you need to use the ones I have just listed, although they are all rather good. Now, simply paint over the lines you have drawn. Remember, the areas you have covered with drawing fluid will actually be the areas that print.
Step 4 Adding Screen Filler
After the drawing fluid has dried, cover all edges on the inside of your screen print with masking tape. Once all of the edges are taped over, drizzle Screen Filler in a nice straight line on the top edge of the screen. Next, use your squeegy (as seen delicated placed on the edge of the screen) and in a slightly firm but gentle motion, spread the Screen Filler evenly over the screen. You do not want to cake and avoid big gloppy messes.
After the screen filler dries, run the screen under a COLD tap. This will wash away the drawing fluid, leaving gaps for your ink to squeeze through when you are ready to screen print.
You can also follow this link for full instruction on screen printing.
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