If you’re looking for a creative activity which can be as unique and personal as you want it to be, have you considered trying screen printing?
A fantastic experience if you’ve ever fancied having a go at making a design for a t-shirt, a tote bag, or all manner of fabrics, allowing you to make something as individual as you are.
I bought the kit from an ice cream shop of all places. This is a cool activity, but it’s not the usual place I’d look for ideas to try towards my challenge of trying 52 new things in the year. It’s definitely worth keeping your eyes peeled when you’re out and about.
What Is Screen Printing?
In a nutshell, it’s the process of making a pattern or picture, by forcing ink or a dye through a screen made of a very fine mesh, and onto the intended surface, which is often fabric or paper.
The image is created by masking out parts of the screen so that the ink cannot get through.
What Was In The Kit?
This kit I bought was ideal for a first try at screen printing.
It included:
- The wooden framed screen on which the design is created.
- Black fabric ink.
- Wooden spatulas for applying the ink.
- A squeegee to push the ink over and through the screen.
- 6 sheets of sticky vinyl templates to help create a design.
I bought some plain t-shirts to print my design on to, and gathered some newspaper and cardboard to put down where I was working.
Creating A Design
The kit included several sheets of vinyl templates, containing borders, letters, numbers and some shapes which could be used in the design.
If you didn’t want to use the included designs, you could always draw your own onto the backing paper of the vinyl and cut it out. It’s a good idea to draw out your design on paper first so that you’re happy with it.
I decided to keep things simple for my first attempt, so used the prepared templates for my creation.
The templates block out where the ink will go, so you need to remember the print will come out as a negative of what your design.
Remembering It’s A Negative
The wooden framed mesh was constructed in a way that on one side the mesh was tightly fixed to the frame, and when you looked at it from the other side, the mesh was like the base of a tray, with the wooden frame making a raised edge.
The ink goes in to the side that looks like a tray, as it helps to keep it all contained.
The vinyls are applied to the other side, where the mesh stretches over the wooden frame.
As I was using the templates, I didn’t need to think about creating letters that were a mirror image, but I did need to concentrate when I was applying them to the screen. It was a bit like trying to rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time in that it just needed a little more concentration to get it right.
Applying The Design - Trying Screen Printing
The instructions helpfully included a reminder to keep flipping over the screen to check the design was looking how I wanted it to.
Thankfully, the sticky vinyls were easy to peel off and stick down again for those moments when I had put letters too close together or they didn’t sit in a straight line.
Happy with my design, I smoothed over all of the vinyl I had stuck on so that the ink would hopefully not get through when it came to the next stage.
Printing
I laid my t-shirt onto the cardboard and newspaper, and smoothed it out until it was flat.
Next, I put the screen onto the t-shirt, so that the mesh was directly on the fabric, the tray part was facing upwards, and the design looked the right way around.
The ink was much thicker than I’d anticipated, and I scooped out two good sized dollops, and smeared them across the narrow end of the screen which was furthest away from me.
For the first few drags of the squeegee, I lifted the screen at an angle so the ink wouldn’t go straight onto the material, but instead would create an even coating over the mesh. Once it was covered, I laid it onto the t-shirt.
Pulling the squeegee towards me, I slowly smoothed it across the mesh, and repeated until I was satisfied I had covered all of the design.
The Big Reveal - Trying Screen Printing
This is where I messed up.
I thought I had been so careful in lifting the screen off, but I just caught the edges and you can see a few smudges on one of the stars and the edges. Be careful when you remove the screen, and take your time.
Aside from those little defects, I was really impressed with how it looked! It was bold and blocky, I could read the words, the ink looked even, and I’m pretty sure no one else has a t-shirt exactly the same.
Putting the t-shirt on a flat surface, I left it to dry, and around 24 hours later it was ready to wear!
As for the smudges? I think they add a certain sense of home-made charm to it. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. I’m pleased with how it came out for a first attempt.
Cleaning Up
One of the brilliant things about the kit I used is that it’s reusable – but only if it gets cleaned immediately after printing.
Rinsing in warm water cleans off the ink, although it does leave what is known as a ‘ghosting’ effect, which is just where the ink has dyed the fabric of the mesh.
After rinsing, I left everything to air-dry, and was brilliantly surprised that the vinyls had retained some of their stickiness when I came to put them back in the box – that will make it easier when I come to use it again.
Why You Should Consider Trying Screen Printing
- It’s a wonderful mindful activity.
- Who knows where it could lead? Maybe you’ll uncover a hidden talent!
- If you want to give a gift which is one off and personalised to the recipient, why not make a design and screen print it onto something for them?
- If you’ve got an old tote bag or t-shirt, perhaps try screen printing onto it and give it a new lease of life?
- The kit I used only contained black ink, and I think that’s the same for most kits. However, if you’d like to create a multicoloured image, many screen printing workshops offer classes to learn how to do this.
Want To Try It Yourself?
- The screen printing kit that I used was by Print Club London x Luckies
- There are lots of kits available to order and try screen printing at home.
- You can find other kits online at places such as Etsy.
- There are lots of in-person workshops available too, where a teacher will guide you through the process and help you create individual items.
- Class Bento has a selection of classes in London
- Craft Courses has some workshops across the UK
- If you search online for screen printing workshops, you’ll hopefully find one near you.
Cost Of Experience
- I was very lucky as I spotted the kit in a sale and picked it up for the bargain price of £10.
- The kit that I used usually retails between £50 and £60. Depending on your design, you should be able to make 3 t-shirts with the ink that is included.
- Once you’ve got the kit you are set, you can re-use it over and over again, you’ll just need to buy more ink.
- In-person workshops are more expensive, and you’d expect to pay from £70 upwards for a fully immersive experience.
Recommendations
- Wear old clothes. Just in case you spill any ink on yourself, don’t wear anything you mind getting messy.
- Do a test print. To help you get a feel for the process, and to see how your design will come out, it’s useful to do a test print to start with.
- Clean your kit. If you look after your the equipment you’ll be able to do more screen printing on another day.