Wednesday, December 3, 2014

DIY From Custom Screen Printing Services

By Ida Dorsey


Tee shirt printing has been vastly popular since pop culture references and other types of media has influenced it. There are so many inexpensive ways in achieving this, and it is to each their own techniques. But what is special to this is that any person, provided with the right materials and knowledge, can do this themselves.

One of the many inexpensive procedures is for silk screen printing. There are many custom screen printing services in Fort Worth TX and other cities which they can do any design that you want without having to be through bulk orders. This is why small scale printing can be done easily, especially just by yourself.

The general idea for this process is through coating photo emulsion on the screens and then place a printed image from a clear sheet on it then exposing it to light. This is like cutting the emulsion with the design from the print. This is where you place the ink on the shirt through this hole design.

The materials that you would need for this procedure includes a screen frame or you can also use an old frame that can tightly hold the screens. Next is you need a photo emulsion with sensitizer, and then a bulb which is two hundred fifty watts which can be bought for four dollars, and latex gloves. The room you use should be pitch black.

Of course, you would need a plain shirt, a squeegee which can be bought for fourteen dollars, silk screen fabric ink which can be more or less five dollars, and then a small piece of cardboard or smooth thin piece of wood. This one is used for the inside of the shirt. This is during the printing process.

To prepare the design of the screens, you need to first setup the frame and screens and make sure they are tightly placed. Then you add and splay over the photo emulsion which should be mixed in with the sensitizer. Use the squeegee to evenly spread it. Make sure that the covered area is twice the size of the design to leave room for it.

After fully spreading it you have to leave it on a pitch dark room for about two hours or more until it dries. Go into the room but make sure it is not exposed to any light just yet. Print out the design you have in a clear sheet and then using masking tapes, tape it over the screen. This is what makes it cut out the design on the layer of emulsion.

Do this for fifteen minutes before turning on the lights. Do not peel it completely just yet, take a look first if the cut out is faint enough before deciding to peel off the print out. Be careful not to overexpose it or the image would bleed over the screen.

Clean the screens off with running water until the dried emulsion on the design or the cut out parts are completely gone. Let it dry and lay it over the shirt with the cardboard inside it. Apply the ink over it and spread it using a squeegee over different directions, making sure it is evenly spread. Carefully take it out and let it dry.




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