We love picking up new skills, and one such skill we wanted to learn was screen printing t-shirts!
A good screen printing setup will hold the screen in place so you can apply shirt ink through a screen and onto the t-shirt. The unit we used did a great job doing just that, and allowing us to create a unique print. If you want to do multiple colors to create a design, you might want to look into a multi or four color print station that will rotate the screens, keeping your shirts in their positions.
You are going to apply the emulsion to the screen, I applied it to both sides of the screen to make sure I got a good covering on that the emulsion was built up throughout every pocket of the screen, this is what is generally suggested. I then left the screen to rest for 24 hours in a dark room, for my my lightless garage. Then you are going to adhere the logo you want to print on a shirt to the underside of the screen, in reverse of it’s final desire, that way the logo is correct when applied on the other side.
When it came to the lighting unit, and burning the screen, it’s a bit more art then science. You’ll have to nail it down as you go, for me I used it in a completely dark area, about 12 inches from the screen and applied direct light for 7-8 minutes.
When it’s done, you should be able to freely spray water onto the screen using a jet or flat spray of a garden hose. If the screen lifts up, then you did not burn the screen long enough, if the screen does not fully remove the excess emulsion, then you burned it too long, or the light reflected back from your table onto the other side of the screen. I might recommend a dark towel under the screen to prevent that in the future.
Pick up your screen printer Here, screens and accessories Here, and lighting unit Here.
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