Hi. First of all, I would like to thank you for reading this guide. I'm going to share with you what I've learned from my dad about Silk Screen t-shirt printing. It has been our family business as far as I can remember. Although this kind of business is seasonal, you can always use this for fun. I remember during Junior Years when me and my friends made our very own t-shirt! Now, that's fun!

Now, back to the real thing.  The very first step in learning silk screening is to have the inclination and patience in doing the work because sometimes there are always be the "trial and error" before reaching perfection. If you already got the talent in graphic arts then you already have the headstart.You must learn the art works before cutting your final work in the green film or lacquer base film  if you want your prints to come out as you wish, whether single or multi colored print.

There are two types of silkscreen methods: the film method and the photographic method.

FILM METHOD -- uses the lacquer base film to trace cutting the artwork or your graphic designs according to colors; so you should know how to separate your cuttings depending on how many colors of your print.

Step 1: If your design comprise 3 colors: red, blue and yellow, so you need to cut 3 separate films for your 3 colors according to each size of print. The moment you're done cutting the three colors - set it aside.

Step 2: You must learn how to make your own silk screen frames. take note of each measurements of each color of the print. Example: If you have a measurement of 6 inches by 4 nches print, then place 4 inches extra each of the measurements.

Step 3: Considering you've already have the wooded frame, (you can make it or buy one) of 8x10 dimension, then it's time to attach and stretch the silkscreen to the wooden frame.

Things you need:

Silkscreen (use number of silkscreen mess according to print intended). Ex: if you print is big bold designs, then just use mess #80 or #100 according to the manufacturer's guide. Cause if your design is complicated and have small delicate designs, then you need to use smaller or finer mess. These five mess are usually need or use in photographic processes which is the other method of silkscreening. We will learn that in a little bit.

Wooden Frame

Gun Tacker (JT 21)

Cutter

Small Hammer for tightening staple wires if it does not embed in the wood.

Packaging Tape 2" thick

 Laquer Thinner or Clear Gloss Thinner

PROCESS OF ATTACHING AND SKETCHING THE SILKSCREEN

Attach one side of the frame of the silkscreen. After tacking the two sides, wet with water the whole silk screen before stretching the third side. Let someone hold the frame for you so that you can fully stretch the silk firmly enough without damaging it or tear it apart. Do the same for the fourth side, stretch and tack. Be sure the silkscreen is securely tack using the gun tacker, use the small hammer if the tacker wire does not fully go in the wood.

NOTE: If your silkscreen is stretch loosely, your print will move and will smear or blot the design.

Place your cut film design over a piece of white paper on any plane surface or glass table and place the frame over your design making sure that your design is on the center. Hold firmly the frame over the cut film. Then with a small piece of cloth folded three times or more in order to use the pointed end of the fold which is then wet with a lacquer thinner to be wipe part by part over the film and then followed by wiping it up with dry cotton cloth, to avoid the lacquer thinner to dissolve all the lacquer in the film. So then the purpose of wetting it with the lacquer thinner and wiping it instantly with the dry cloth is to stop the process of dissolving all the lacquer in the film. After seeing the design is already dry and adhered firmly on the screen then slowly peel off the plastic backing of the lacquer film and carefully seeing to it that your design has firmly attached to the silkscreen. By then you are to cover the outside part of the design by brushing clear gloss lacquer. Be sure to brush all surrounding parts of the design with the clear gloss lacquer to avoid pinholes or blots outside your design. Then after drying the clear gloss lacquer, tape all lacquered parts with the packaging tape or paper tapes. packaging tapes is best for water base paints, while paper tapes is best use to cover design using vinyl paints. After all this processes are done, then the frames are all ready for printing, you will surely encounter many problems and hopefully experience will be your best teacher.

GUDIE TO SILKSCREEN PROCESS: PHOTOGRAPHIC METHOD

Materials needed in this process differ only a little from the film method or cutting method. In here we do not use film, instead we use photographic emulsion as film spread directly on the silkscreen. The emulsion is then mixed with photosensitizer after which when the emulsion is dried the positive design is place in direct contact with the dried sensitized emulsion, then exposed to sunlight for 10-15 minutes. After exposure the frame is then wash over a running water for several minutes until the design is totally etched out from the emulsion film. For this process there are sometimes trial and errors, cause if the timing of your exposure is under or over then your design will not comeout as expected. You will then have to try again and again until finally you get the right exposure time and surely your design will come out perfectly etched out well and nice. Processing different colors is just the same in the cutting film method, only this time you don’t have to cut the film but exposed the film for it to cut itself by removing in the running water in your faucet. Photographic method is used in sticker printing and it is also use in T-Shirt printing. Vinyl paint is used in sticker printing added with small amount of vinyl retarder to delayed its quick drying process a little bit in order also not to dry out the screen or clogged the screen. Learning this process or line of work is a great experience. But specializing the trade takes a lot more experience, so try not to hesitate asking more advices to those who are already well experienced and are willing also to share their knowledge to aspiring people like you.

MATERIALS FOR SILKSCREENING PRINTING

1. Silkscreen
2. Wooden frames
3. Gun tacker (JT21 Arrow)
4. Small hammer
5. Lacquer thinner
6. Clear Gloss Lacquer
7. Packaging Tape (2”)
8. Green Film (Lacquer base) for cutting your designs
9. Film cutter
10. Brush for blotting out excess area of designs using clear gloss lacquer
11. Squeeze : different types

• Rounded tip (use in T-Shirt printing) water based paints (Textile paint)
• Hard rubber
• Single Blade type/Vinyl rubber or synthetic rubber (used in sticker painting using vinyl paint)
• Double edge or blade vinyl rubber or synthetic rubber (also used in sticker printing vinyl paint)

Available in all artist supply store used size of squeeze enough to cover your design in one pass.

Ex. Design measurement is 4” x 6”. Then use 8” squeeze depending which way your stroke will be. Water base paint or textile paint advisable to use paint indicate for silk screening (cause you don't have to adjust the viscosity of the paint anymore)

Remember: If your design involve multiple colors and complicated designs, always make sure you do the colors individually -  when the first color is applied to the t-shirt (for example) always give about 2-4 hours for paint to dry well. Then do the next step.

I hope this Guide Helped you somehow, if not - you can always hit the bookstores, I'm sure there are more books to explain the process further and more detailed and used more sophisticated materials. This guide is purely base on my father's 30 years experience on t-shirt printing. He always do everything from scratch, he experimented on paint mixtures and perfect color combination.  

Thanks again for reading and please vote ~ Cheers!