Ink, Screens, and Tees: A Short and Sexy Guide to Screen Printing

All you really need to know about the screen printing process in a condensed, easy to digest format.

Trying to learn about the apparel screen printing process? It's not as easy as it looks my friend. Fortunately we've been around the block once or twice and have it down to a science. Everyone can print a T shirt, it's printing them well that's the difference maker.

So where do you start? Well, what is screen printing? To condense it down, It's a method of printing where ink is pushed through a mesh 'screen' onto the material being printed. Usually this is done with a squeegee. While this process can be used on various surfaces and materials, we will focus on apparel prints using apparel specific inks.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of production, let's talk about the most important part of any good print: the ARTWORK. Say it with me: Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you don't start with great art you will end up with crap prints. Great artwork is the foundation of a quality print. It needs to be high resolution, sharp, and spot on, preferably vectorized. This is where a graphic designer will make or break your project. Don't have your artwork ready? No problem, Terz Ink can help you there.

Now, let's dive into the process. First up, screens. A clean screen is coated with a photo-sensitive emulsion that will hold the artwork onto the mesh. The emulsion dries, and the artwork is "burned" onto the screen using the photo-sensitivity of the emulsion. This step is crucial for ensuring that the artwork will print properly later on.

Once the screens are prepped, it's time for setup on the press. This is where the magic happens! We attach the screens to the press in a specific order to ensure the proper print. If a design calls for multiple colors, we'll use a separate screen for each color. This is where the real skill comes in - there's no one-size-fits-all process for setup, so it takes an experienced professional to get it just right. Terms like 'off contact' and 'loose vs exact registration' will be common phrases heard around the shop.

Now, we're ready to print! This is where theory meets apparel. We apply ink to the screens and run the apparel around the press. The squeegee forces the ink through the holes in the screen and onto the material. When done right, the print is sharp, clear, and looks amazing. But again, if the artwork wasn't prepared properly, the print won't look right. The amount of pressure, the thickness of the ink, the density of the screen, etc will all play a part in how the print comes out. Here at Terz Ink we like to print with waterbased or discharge inks to give the final print a soft 'hand' when you touch it. This also tends to mean the print has a vintagey or retro look to it. Vintage baby!

Once the printing is complete, you've got to run most prints through a dryer to set the ink, otherwise that thing will wash out in the laundry. After that, the print is pretty much complete!

So, that's screen printing in a nutshell. I hope this short and sweet overview gives a pretty good overview of the process. It's not like printers just push a button and shirts fly out of the wall, but that's understandably what people think! Now, if you have what it takes get out there and buy a beginner set of inks and press to start your own printing. Terz Ink started with a tabletop printer and dryer, some retail ink, and alot of patience to learn the process. You can pick up your first set from Ryonet.com and other online retailers. There are also a million youtube videos out there on screen printing so no belly aching. Print on!

If you have any questions, Terz Ink can help! Drop us a message at Jon@terzink.com