Silkscreen Printing Tutorial

Welcome to my kitchen table, and my first tutorial: Silkscreen printing.

Silkscreen printing is an incredibly dynamic, magically messy and superbly rewarding printing technique. I got my basics from Bill Quay's Clare Satow, and have been trying to improve my own technique ever since, so here goes:

To begin, you will need:
A wooden frame, covered with a piece of silk, or synthetic gauze, such as organza or tight-weave net curtain,
Newsprint,
A scalpel,
A Pencil,
Masking tape,
A paintbrush (optional to mix paint with)
A squeegee (I'm sorry I don't know if these have a proper name, but they work in the same way as a window cleaning squeegee)



Tack the screen together using push pins to hold the fabric as taut as possible (this is very important).



For this demonstration, I will be printing on fabric. If you decide to do the same, you will need to mix the ordinary acrylic paint with a textile printing medium in a 1:1 ratio. This medium will bind the paint to the fabric, as well as making the paint go further.



First, draw your design on the newsprint. Once you are satisfied with the image, use the scalpel to (carefully) cut out the shapes. You only need to apply a light pressure with the scalpel, as if drawing with a pencil. Oh, and use a cutting mat. I forgot to put that in the frst picture above.



Once you have cut out your design, tape it to the underside of the screen frame, place it over the surface you want to print on, and apply a generous dollop of the paint-medium mix. Hold the frame down firmly with one hand, and drag the squeegee across the template, spreading the paint evenly.



Once you have done this, carefully remove the screen, and admire your handiwork.



Newsprint will eventually begin to deteriorate, especially if your design has any fiddly bits in it, but you can generally get several prints out of it. Enjoy having a good play with your design!



Once you have printed to satisfaction, leave your fabulous work to dry. If you are working on fabric, you will need to iron it after drying before the piece can be washed.

Enjoy!