Screen Printing
Push ink through a stencil.
Screen printing is pressing ink through a stencil mounted on a fine mesh screen. The ink only passes through the open areas of the stencil, transferring the design onto paper or fabric below.
The starter version uses pre-cut vinyl stencils or paper stencils on a small screen. The more involved version uses photo emulsion: you coat a screen with light-sensitive emulsion, expose it under a printed transparency, and rinse out the unexposed areas to reveal the stencil.
Cleanup is significant. Ink dries in the screen if you don't rinse it right away, and water-based ink (the beginner-friendly choice) needs immediate attention. Most beginners start with a single-color print on tea towels or t-shirts.
You’ll love screen printing if…
- you want one stencil to print dozens of copies.
- you like the technical side of getting registration and exposure right.
- you want a craft that can output wall art, shirts, or stationery.
What you'll need to get started
Speedball Beginner Screen Printing Kit
This vinyl screen printing kit comes with everything you need for black-and-white screen printing on fabric.
Speedball Intermediate Screen Printing Kit
Upgrade from vinyl screen printing to a two-color screen printing set with drawing fluid and photo emulsion.
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