DIY Shirt Silkscreen Printing from Start to Finish in just 8 Minutes!

Silk screen printing (also known as serigraphy or screen printing) is a traditional stencil-based print method where ink is pressed through a mesh screen onto a substrate. It remains one of the most reliable and cost-effective methods for high-volume customization of t-shirts, canvas bags, posters, and wood due to its thick ink laydown and exceptional durability.Essential Equipment and SuppliesThe Screen: A wooden or aluminum frame tightly stretched with polyester mesh (mesh counts vary; higher counts like 110–150 are used for detailed text, while lower counts like 80–110 are for thick block prints).The Squeegee: A rubber or polyurethane blade used to pull and press the ink across the screen.Photo Emulsion & Sensitizer: A light-sensitive liquid chemical used to coat the screen and create the stencil image.Exposure Unit: A light source (UV or halogen) used to burn the stencil artwork onto the emulsion-coated screen.Screen Printing Ink: Water-based inks (softer feel, breathable) or Plastisol inks (vibrant, thicker, requires high heat to cure).Film Positive: The artwork printed in solid black on transparent acetate or vellum paper.Step-by-Step ProcessArtwork & Film Preparation: Design the artwork digitially and print it in solid black onto a transparent film. Each color in the design requires its own separate film positive and screen.Coating the Screen: Mix the photo emulsion and sensitizer. Use a scoop coater to apply a thin, even layer of emulsion onto both sides of the mesh screen in a dark or light-controlled room. Let it dry completely.Exposing the Stencil: Place the film positive flush against the dry, emulsion-coated screen. Expose it under a strong light source. The light hardens the emulsion everywhere except where the black ink of the artwork blocks the light.Washing Out: Spray the screen with water. The unexposed emulsion (the shape of your artwork) will dissolve and wash away, leaving a clear stencil mesh open for the ink. 0:00 Introduction 0:04 DIY Shirt Silkscreen Printing 0:15 Prepare your Design PINOY Transparency 0:23 From Photoshop, print the transparency using your inkjet printer. The film can be bought at National Bookstore PINOY for Php 262 10 pieces A4 1:07 Preparing the screen. I got this screen from National Bookstore for 1:41 Spread the chemical evenly. Tack side first. This chemical is light sensitive. It will harden when exposed to hard light. 3:06 Shooting the design in the chemical by exposing PINOY the 2 to hard light. 3:49 Cleaning with a spray or high pressure water from tap exposing the 4:00 With the transparency, the chemical on top of it was not exposed to hard light and did not harden. 4:25 Actual Shirt Printing Put a cardboard inside the shirt to avoid ink from contaminating the other side. 5:10 Just relax applying the ink. Excessive force is not required. Just glide making sure the design is covered. 5:21 Save the excess ink. Leaving it there is impratical and will make cleaning 6:03 Dry it using a hair dryer for 2 minutes or just under the sun. 6:32 Screen Cleaning You will ruin your screen if you don't clean 6:43 How clean is clean? Well, your screen should look new. No, textile paints whatsoever. 6:48 Scrub both sides with a foam scrubber. This is when I say if the exposure is right, the screen will be tough and can take scrubbing.