Screen printing is a stenciling method that involves printing ink through stencils that are supported by a porous fabric mesh stretched across a frame called a screen. This type of printing is ideally suited for bold and graphic designs, and easily making multiples. The basic printing process is to prepare the screen with your design, mount the screen in the printing press, squeegee ink through the screen onto your chosen material (t-shirt, tote bag, etc.) with a squeegee, then dry (and/or heat-set) your print. There are many ways to set up a print, but one of the simplest and fastest is to apply a vinyl sticker directly to the screen. The ink will pass through the screen in the open areas of your design, and be blocked everywhere else. Once you’ve made your design, cut it on the vinyl cutter (remember to mirror it!), and weeded out the positive parts of the graphic, you are ready to start setting up a screen for printing.
The Riley Hopkins JR. 4-Color 1-Station printing press holds up to 4 screens in registration over an adjustable platten. The micro registration controls allow you to fine tune your off contact distance as well as the placement of your screens for prints with multiple colors.
Learn how to use MADE’s screen print machines in a class or training session! Sign up here.