Silkscreen at home. Silkscreen - what is it? Silkscreen with your own hands. Equipment, paints, technique and method of applying silk-screen printing. Negative aspects of silkscreen business

Especially for you, we have prepared a detailed instruction-infographic on how to properly and independently make 1 T-shirt:

The image is clickable.
This is infographic instructions from Printanica

Today a small note about silkscreen printing. This is both a simple and beautiful way to apply images to various products. Despite its simplicity, silk screen printing has long been used as the main method of applying images to various media: fabric, plastic, metal, etc. This method is so simple that you can even do it yourself at home.

Silkscreen (screen printing)- a method of reproducing both texts and inscriptions, and images (monochrome or color) using a screen printing plate, through which the ink penetrates onto the printed material.

Wikipedia ©

Of course, high quality, multicolor and large print runs are unlikely to be achieved at home, but as an art project, it is worth a try.

Stages of screen printing

Stage 1. Choose a black and white image. You need to use a black and white image as the drawing will be one color. To make silkscreen in several colors, you need a special industrial equipment.

Stage 2. Printing an image on a transparent film. You will need to transfer the image onto a transparent film made of thick but flexible plastic, which you can purchase at an office supply store. The film must be of such density that it can be used as a carrier in a conventional inkjet or laser printer. For printing, it is better to use a high-quality printer. Low-quality printers cannot make the image completely opaque (dense enough), which can result in poor-quality T-shirt images.

Stage 3. Application of photo emulsion on a special frame. First of all, you will need a special frame with a grid on which the photographic emulsion will be applied. These materials can be purchased online from hobby stores. Sometimes you can find whole kits for silk screen printing. The photographic emulsion is applied in an even and thin layer on the grid, which is fixed in the frame. After applying the photographic emulsion, the grid should become completely opaque.

Stage 4. Dry the frame with mesh in a dark place. Leave the frames in a dark, cool place. Photo emulsion will take 2 to 3 hours to dry. Use a fan to speed up the process.

Stage 5. Illumination preparation. In order to “illuminate” the photo emulsion, you need a powerful 150 watt lamp or exposure to direct sunlight.

Stage 6. Place the film with the printed image on the grid in dark room. Put under the frame big piece cardboard or and a piece of black cloth, as shown in the picture. Attach the film with the printed image to the grid with adhesive tape, and place a transparent glass or plexiglass on top.

Stage 7. Illumination of the image. The illumination time of the image depends on the power of the light source. As a rule, the image is ready as soon as the photo emulsion has become a pale gray-green color. Illumination time can vary from 1 hour to two and a half hours.

Stage 8. Rinse the emulsion from the grid. Remove the glass, remove the film with the image and quickly wash off the photographic emulsion under a powerful jet of running cold water. As a result of the described procedures, the ink applied on the printer blocked light from reaching the photo emulsion, thus preventing it from hardening. Flush the grid until only the outline of your image remains.

Stage 9. T-shirt print. Place the mesh on the T-shirt. Apply the ink evenly and thinly on the grid. Then lift the screen without moving it in relation to the T-shirt. The design has been transferred to a T-shirt.

Stage 10. Drying ink. Once the design has been transferred to the T-shirt, the ink needs to dry. This can be done in the sun or with a warm but not hot iron. IN industrial production Drying is carried out by a special misty dryer under the influence of ultraviolet rays and warm air.

Conclusion

The instruction is 100% working, but the skills and experience of such work play an important role. If you do not want to pore over the result through trial and error, please contact us - we will make a T-shirt quickly and professionally! If you decide to do it yourself, here's what you'll need:

• doctor blades (3 pcs.)
• wooden frame
• mesh-cloth
• photographic emulsion
• ink
• lamp 150 watts and above

and additionally: glass, black cloth and cardboard. We will make a T-shirt faster and cheaper!
Leave your number and we will call you back!

Delivery: Moscow, Moscow region, Russia (by mail)

Silk-screen printing technique came to graphics in the 20th century from Chinese and Japanese printing on fabrics. This art began to develop in the Soviet countries in the 1930s. Silk-screen printing is distinguished by its brightness and decorative brilliance of color, allows you to obtain relief images, high-quality artistic screen printing.

We decided to present the silk-screen printing technique in hand-made conditions. Someone will definitely be interested in this. If something is not clear, ask questions.

So:

PREPARATION

You will need:

1) Mesh (special silk), size 40-50 cm (price - approximately 12-15 USD per running meter). This is a sparse mesh, for medium quality drawings. High-resolution drawings (for example, photographs) are obtained only on silk of 80 units and above (price - approximately 20-25 USD per 1 linear meter)

2) Wooden frames, best size- 40x50, 40x60 cm, preferably with very even corners (the quality of the stencil and pattern depends on whether the mesh is stretched flat), preferably from hard wood that will not spin from constant wetting with water

3) Light-sensitive emulsion (price approximately 25-45 USD)

There are many firms and brands that produce products for printing houses; I use Lately The product of the English company "Autotype", the emulsion is called Autotype 6000. In general, they are 4 types, depending on the grid, paint and material on which the pattern is printed, as well as the equipment on which everything is done. The most convenient at home is the purple emulsion, which is illuminated under a 500 W lamp from 15 to 20 minutes.

Autotype 6000 - just such a type. Emulsions are usually supplied separately with a catalyst chemical reaction, which must be mixed into it immediately before starting work. There is a secret here: the emulsion activated by the catalyst deteriorates over time (within about six months), so it is best to activate it immediately before a large piece of work.

The emulsion is supplied in volumes of at least 1 liter (for about 50-70 average stencils), so it makes sense to divide it into parts during work, and activate only 1 part, then another one, etc. There are also non-catalyst emulsions, the shelf life of which is up to 2 years at home, but they are usually twice as expensive.

The emulsion should be stored in a cool and dark place (the bottom drawer of the refrigerator is fine) at all times while you are not using it. This extends its shelf life.

4) 500 W lamp, with mirror reflectors in the body (those that illuminate billboards are just right), with a 220 V plug, of course :)

5) Glass a little larger than your largest frame, preferably high quality, without opaque stripes, thickness 5-8 mm

6) Red lamp

7) Drawing on tracing paper (or oiled paper), good quality, very black - this is important!

SEAL

1) Paint (price 10 - 25 USD)

There are many inks for printing on fabric using screens made using the silkscreen method (or simply grids), but they all differ in their properties, subsequent processing and price. Some paints simply cannot be used at home, because, for example, to fix a picture, you will need a special, very expensive infrared treatment, otherwise this picture cannot be fixed in any way. Therefore, I recommend to start with silk-screen printing inks on water based, such as Manukyan, Argon (they do not require any processing after printing, they are easily washed off and dry quickly, why the mesh after working with such paint must be washed after 5-10 passes, and very carefully, otherwise the stencil will clog with paint and deteriorate).

Then you can use plastisol paints, which give very high quality and durable prints, allowing printing more than 100 copies at a time, washable only with solvents, but requiring subsequent heat treatment (you can use an iron), the temperature and duration depend on each specific type of paint (the price depends on manufacturer and color of paint, white and black are usually the cheapest for each manufacturer, color ones are more expensive). You can also use acrylic paints, they are easy to use, although they give a dim and not very durable print, and are also processed with temperature for 5 minutes after being applied to the fabric. Such acrylic must be in a paste (because liquid, for the most part presented on our market, will spread over a stencil, it is only suitable for hand drawing). It could be bought in Poland in any store with art supplies. It is not known whether there are analogues in Belarus, there is nothing similar in the stores "All for the Artist". The price in Poland is 8-10 USD. per 1 kg

2) Squeegee - a special thick and elastic elastic band with which paint is applied (also sold together with materials for printing houses). Price - 10-12 USD for 1 running meter, you will need about 30 cm. It is better to nail the squeegee to wooden handle, it will be more convenient to work, it is quite possible that they are sold in ready-made Same

3) Material or T-shirt

MANUFACTURE OF THE Stencil

The stencil is made in a dark room under the light of a red lamp. The mesh (silk) must be stretched over the frame, pulling strongly from the centers to the corners. The mesh must be pulled very tight, so that you cannot push it with your finger. the grid can be fixed on a wooden frame with a stapler or buttons. In a dark room (without direct light), under the light of a red lamp, a pre-activated emulsion is applied to the frame with a grid. You need to apply on both sides of the grid.

The best tool for applying the emulsion is the lid of the cassette box, with which the emulsion can simply be scooped out of the can.

Important! you need to try so that the emulsion is evenly distributed in a thin layer, covering the entire work surface sieves (up to inner sides wooden frame) without gaps and holes on both sides. Excess emulsion must be removed, then the emulsion on the mesh must be dried with a hair dryer on both sides.

Put something black under the frame (a T-shirt or a piece of material), then lay it with the mesh side up, put a drawing on it (on tracing paper or oiled paper), press the drawing with glass. A 500-watt lamp is fixed at a distance of 45-50 cm above the grid (it is best to prepare everything in advance). The lamp turns on for 16-20 minutes - the stencil is illuminated. Autotype 6000 emulsion cures in 16-19 minutes. It is best to try to illuminate each new emulsion, to note the exact time. After the exposure time has elapsed, the stencil must be quickly washed with a shower, with a strong pressure of water, preferably cold, or slightly warm, until the pattern on the grid is fully developed.

The stencil is ready, but it is best to print it the next day (the emulsion can still be broken, holes and irregularities in the pattern may form), then it is completely fixed.

SEAL

The stencil is placed on the material with the grid down. The paint is applied to the stencil across the entire width of the pattern with a margin (do not spare the paint here, the excess can be removed later). The stencil must be pressed against the desktop as tightly as possible (ideally, it is better to print with two people: one holds the frame, the other fiddles with the paint). With a squeegee, with a sharp and strong movement, the paint is drawn through the entire drawing so that it is evenly and thickly laid in the drawing area. When the paint is spread over the entire area of ​​the drawing, reverse side the squeegee (it is without paint) must be pushed back with pressure to remove excess paint. Then the frame is gently lifted, the material is set aside to dry.

It will take some time to learn how to type smoothly, so don't be nervous if you don't succeed right away.

You can print large print runs at once (if the paint does not clog the drawing too much). Subsequent processing of the material with a pattern - depending on the type of paint. Regardless of the type of ink, I advise you to thoroughly rinse the frame with the mesh immediately after printing is completed (if the ink remains in the mesh, the pattern may print worse later, and if it hardens there, then the frame itself can be thrown away). The grid frame can be used multiple times.

The emulsion is washed off with a special wash (price 12-15 USD per 1 liter), and if the mesh itself remains in in perfect order(no tears, leftover paint, etc.) you can make a new stencil on this grid.

That's like everything! Good luck!

text prepared Sazska la Contra

Silk-screen printing technique came to graphics in the 20th century from Chinese and Japanese printing on fabrics. This art began to develop in the Soviet countries in the 1930s. Silk-screen printing is distinguished by its brightness and decorative brilliance of color, allows you to obtain relief images, high-quality artistic screen printing.

We decided to present the silk-screen printing technique in hand-made conditions. Someone will definitely be interested in this. If something is not clear, ask questions.

PREPARATION

You will need:

1) Mesh (special silk), size 40-50 cm (price - approximately 12-15 USD per linear meter). This is a sparse mesh, for medium quality drawings. High-resolution drawings (for example, photographs) are obtained only on silk of 80 units and above (price - approximately 20-25 USD per 1 linear meter)

2) Wooden frames, the best size is 40x50, 40x60 cm, preferably with very even corners (whether the mesh is stretched flat depends on the quality of the stencil and pattern), preferably from hard wood that will not spin from constant wetting with water

3) Light-sensitive emulsion (price approximately 25-45 USD)

There are many firms and brands that produce products for printing houses; Recently I have been using the products of the English company "Autotype", the emulsion is called Autotype 6000. In general, they are of 4 types, depending on the mesh, paint and material on which the picture is printed, as well as the equipment on which everything is done. The most convenient at home is the purple emulsion, which is illuminated under a 500 W lamp from 15 to 20 minutes.

Autotype 6000 - just such a type. Emulsions are usually supplied separately with a chemical reaction catalyst, which must be mixed into it immediately before starting work. There is a secret here: the emulsion activated by the catalyst deteriorates over time (within about six months), so it is best to activate it immediately before a large piece of work.

The emulsion is supplied in volumes of at least 1 liter (for about 50-70 average stencils), so it makes sense to divide it into parts during work, and activate only 1 part, then another one, etc. There are also non-catalyst emulsions, the shelf life of which is up to 2 years at home, but they are usually twice as expensive.

The emulsion should be stored in a cool and dark place (the bottom drawer of the refrigerator is fine) at all times while you are not using it. This extends its shelf life.

4) 500 W lamp, with mirror reflectors in the body (those that illuminate billboards are just right), with a 220 V plug, of course :)

5) Glass a little larger than your largest frame, preferably high quality, without opaque stripes, thickness 5-8 mm

6) Red lamp

7) Drawing on tracing paper (or oiled paper), good quality, very black - this is important!

SEAL

1) Paint (price 10 - 25 USD)

There are many inks for printing on fabric using screens made using the silkscreen method (or simply grids), but they all differ in their properties, subsequent processing and price. Some paints simply cannot be used at home, because, for example, to fix a picture, you will need a special, very expensive infrared treatment, otherwise this picture cannot be fixed in any way. Therefore, I recommend to start with water-based silk-screen printing inks, such as Manukyan, Argon (they do not require any processing after printing, they are easily washed off and dry quickly, why should the mesh be washed after working with such paint after 5-10 passes, and very carefully, otherwise the stencil will clog with paint and deteriorate).

Then you can use plastisol paints, which give very high quality and durable prints, allowing printing more than 100 copies at a time, washable only with solvents, but requiring subsequent heat treatment (you can use an iron), the temperature and duration depend on each specific type of paint (the price depends on manufacturer and color of paint, white and black are usually the cheapest for each manufacturer, color ones are more expensive). You can also use acrylic paints, they are easy to use, although they give a dull and not very durable print, and are also treated with temperature for 5 minutes after being applied to the fabric. Such acrylic must be in a paste (because liquid, for the most part presented on our market, will spread over a stencil, it is only suitable for hand drawing). It could be bought in Poland in any store with art supplies. It is not known whether there are analogues in Belarus, there is nothing similar in the stores "All for the Artist". The price in Poland is 8-10 USD. per 1 kg

2) Squeegee - a special thick and elastic elastic band with which paint is applied (also sold together with materials for printing houses). Price - 10-12 USD for 1 running meter, you will need about 30 cm. It is better to nail a squeegee to a wooden handle, it will be more convenient to work, it is quite possible that they are sold ready-made too

3) Material or T-shirt

MANUFACTURE OF THE Stencil

The stencil is made in a dark room under the light of a red lamp. The mesh (silk) must be stretched over the frame, pulling strongly from the centers to the corners. The mesh must be pulled very tight, so that you cannot push it with your finger. the grid can be fixed on a wooden frame with a stapler or buttons. In a dark room (without direct light), under the light of a red lamp, a pre-activated emulsion is applied to the frame with a grid. You need to apply on both sides of the grid.

The best tool for applying the emulsion is the lid of the cassette box, with which the emulsion can simply be scooped out of the can.

Important! it is necessary to try so that the emulsion is evenly distributed in a thin layer, covering the entire working surface of the sieve (up to the inner sides of the wooden frame) without gaps and holes on both sides. Excess emulsion must be removed, then the emulsion on the grid must be dried with a hair dryer on both sides.

Put something black under the frame (a T-shirt or a piece of material), then lay it with the mesh side up, put a drawing on it (on tracing paper or oiled paper), press the drawing with glass. A 500-watt lamp is fixed at a distance of 45-50 cm above the grid (it is best to prepare everything in advance). The lamp turns on for 16-20 minutes - the stencil is illuminated. Autotype 6000 emulsion cures in 16-19 minutes. It is best to try to illuminate each new emulsion, to note the exact time. After the exposure time has elapsed, the stencil must be quickly washed with a shower, with a strong pressure of water, preferably cold, or slightly warm, until the pattern on the grid is fully developed.

The stencil is ready, but it is best to print it the next day (the emulsion can still be broken, holes and irregularities in the pattern may form), then it is completely fixed.

SEAL

The stencil is placed on the material with the grid down. The paint is applied to the stencil across the entire width of the pattern with a margin (do not spare the paint here, the excess can be removed later). The stencil must be pressed against the desktop as tightly as possible (ideally, it is better to print with two people: one holds the frame, the other fiddles with the paint). With a squeegee, with a sharp and strong movement, the paint is drawn through the entire drawing so that it is evenly and thickly laid in the drawing area. When the paint is distributed over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe drawing, the back of the squeegee (it is without paint) must be pushed back with pressure to remove excess paint. Then the frame is gently lifted, the material is set aside to dry.

It will take some time to learn how to type smoothly, so don't be nervous if you don't succeed right away.

You can print large print runs at once (if the paint does not clog the drawing too much). Subsequent processing of the material with a pattern - depending on the type of paint. Regardless of the type of ink, I advise you to thoroughly rinse the frame with the mesh immediately after printing is completed (if the ink remains in the mesh, the pattern may print worse later, and if it hardens there, then the frame itself can be thrown away). The grid frame can be used multiple times.

The emulsion is washed off with a special wash (price 12-15 USD per 1 liter), and if the grid itself remains in perfect order (no tears, remaining paint, etc.), you can make a new stencil on this grid.

That's like everything! Good luck!

text prepared Sazska la Contra

Many people have heard about silk screen printing. Using this technology, you can make various products: business cards, labels for various products ( matchboxes), branded bags, inscriptions on pens, lighters, inscriptions on various souvenir and gift products, as well as on textiles.

In order to obtain high-quality and multi-color images and photos on porcelain, metal, fabric and other products in the traditional way to create silk-screen printing, bulky and expensive equipment, as well as considerable experience, were previously needed.

Plan. Recently (from America), the latest technology for the CIS and Eastern Europe has appeared, which immediately became very popular, because. it can be used to make silkscreen at home. Using this technology, you can produce all the same products as with the usual method, only your desire alone is enough.

To work, you need a computer, a printer, you may need a scanner, and later you can purchase a digital camera. If you draw well, you can do without computer equipment.

The process takes place in two stages: the negative of the image is prepared, and then transferred to the product and developed.

1. The sketch is printed on a printer or drawn on a sheet of paper.
2. Then, having previously removed the control, screen film
   paste on your sketch.
3. The sketch with the film is placed in a special frame and placed on sunlight Or you can use a UV lamp.
4. After a few minutes (according to the instructions), the film is placed in water, rinsed, and the excess coating is removed with a soft brush.
5. Dry the wet negative on a napkin or cloth under UV or sunlight.

Now you can proceed directly to transferring the image to the product.

1. Place the negative on the product by placing any plastic panel under the product.
2. Paint is applied to the negative tightly attached to the product with a special plastic spatula. Any paint used for screen printing is suitable.

The used negative after washing with water is again ready for use an unlimited number of times!

For work, it is proposed to purchase a starter kit, consisting of an exposure frame, 5 A4 sheets for regular drawings, 5 A4 sheets for high-resolution drawings, and a plastic spatula. The price of the kit is $268.

The desire to put an exclusive image on clothes or objects once arises for everyone. Some solve the issue easily by contacting a printing salon, others do not look for easy ways and decide to organize a “workshop” for applying images to media using a home screen printing method using a stencil.

Silk screen printing

Today, no one needs to explain what screen printing is. This printing technology allows you to apply images to a variety of surfaces made of fabrics, plastic, glass, ceramics, leather, cardboard, etc. To apply a high-quality and bright image consisting of many complex details, especially if you need to make a whole batch of products with the same image, usually necessary bulky costly professional equipment and those who have experience with such equipment.

Salons undertake the manufacture of any batch of products with a pattern, but the final cost of a unit depends on the quantity. The most optimal print run for screen printing is 100 units. It will not take much time to make it, and the cost will be several times lower than, for example, when ordering one product. If you want to save money and test your abilities, you can try organizing a workshop right at home. And in order to put a fairly simple picture on one bag, sweatshirt or T-shirt, you only need a special set, which includes screen film, ten A4 sheets (five for regular drawings, five for high-resolution images), an exposure frame and a plastic spatula. All these tools are freely available in specialized printing stores, but their use requires special skills and craftsmanship. In this case, the "home" method of screen printing can help.

Home screen printing technology came to us from America, and is slowly gaining popularity. To work with it, in addition to the main one, you will need a little: A printer and a computer, possibly (but not necessarily) a digital camera and a scanner. In general, everything that is in almost every home. And if you draw well, then a printer with a computer is not needed.

A few nuances about screen printing

Using screen printing as a way to transfer an image to media at home, you need to carefully consider all its pros and cons.

The advantages of the printing method include:

• The ability to use any shade of color.
• Obtaining a bright clear picture at the output.
• Possibility of drawing the image on any surface.
• The durability of the finished product external factors: temperature, weather, ultraviolet.

The disadvantages of home screen printing include:

• High consumption of paint and the possibility of imprints, in places where the product loses a layer of paint.
• The need for materials and tools.
• Prolonged drying.
• The need to spend on tools that are more expensive than the manufacture of thermal transfers for image stickers.

If the shortcomings of the "historical" method of transferring an image to a medium do not bother you, and you are ready to pay them for a chic exclusive option, feel free to get involved in the work.

Stages of work

Printing an image at home will require special care and perseverance. But in general, it is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.

First you need to make a negative of the image. For this:

1. Draw on paper or print on a printer a sketch of the desired image in mirror image;
2. After removing the control, stick a screen film on the sketch;
3. Put the sketch with the film in a frame and put it in sunlight (or under an ultraviolet lamp);
4. After a few minutes (the exact time should be indicated in the instructions for the film), put the film in water, rinse, remove the remaining coating with a soft brush;
5. Dry the finished negative by laying it on a cloth or paper towel - again, in sunlight or under a UV lamp.

"Image" prepared. Now we transfer it to the media:

1. Putting something hard and even (preferably plastic) under the carrier, put the negative on the carrier - in the place where the future image should be;
2. Place the negative firmly against the media and use a plastic spatula to coat the negative with silkscreen ink - any screen printing inks will work.
3. Note the time also indicated in the paint instructions.
4. Dry thoroughly ready product with the image on a flat surface.

By the way, the washed negative can be used several times. This fact reduces the cost of mass silk-screen printing, since the bulk of the funds are spent on the creation of the negative.

If you want to further reduce the cost of the product, you can try to make the paint yourself. But do not immediately expect a perfect result. Don't risk immediately applying the image to the "finish" media, it's better to practice on the "rough" surface.

Production of paint for screen printing

The process of preparing the paint itself is not so complicated, it is more difficult to find all the necessary elements.

To make a dye you need:

• offset ink,
• casein infusion (one tablespoon of casein powder is diluted in cold water- eight hundred milliliters)
• laundry soap, grated, mixed with water and boiled in a water bath to the state of grease,
• drying oil,
• desiccant,
• clear varnish and
• White Spirit.

As well as any can of tin and a paddle rail with a cross section of twelve by three millimeters.

To prepare the dye, offset ink is placed on the bottom of the jar with a two-centimeter layer, a tablespoon of desiccant is poured into it - mixed, then a couple of tablespoons of liquid laundry soap- and mix again. Now casein infusion, filtered through gauze, is poured in small portions. At first, the paint will become too liquid, but will soon thicken again.