How to Make Screen Print Tees: A Beginner’s Guide to DIY

Screen printing at home might seem daunting, but it’s surprisingly accessible. Forget needing a fancy workshop or expensive equipment; if you’ve ever admired those cool, custom-designed tees and wondered how they’re made, the answer is likely screen printing. This DIY technique is not only achievable for beginners but also incredibly rewarding, letting you personalize clothing, create unique gifts, or even start a small business.

Woman in jeans and grey t-shirt holding a screen printed tea towel with a cleaver design, showcasing the DIY screen printing results.

Thinking about trying screen printing? Curious about the process? You’re in the right place. Let’s dispel the myths and show you just how straightforward it can be to screen print your own t-shirts.

While you won’t need a 250v generator or a counterfeiting machine (humor intended!), there are essential supplies. These include a screen, specialized fabric paint, and photo emulsion – all of which we’ll cover in detail.

Over the years, I’ve screen printed on everything from tee shirt blanks and flour sack tea towels to even wood. And guess what? You can too!

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Screen Printing Tees

Man with tattoos wearing a white t-shirt with a black pine tree silhouette, demonstrating a screen printed tee design.

This guide will walk you through the entire process of How To Make Screen Print Tees at home, breaking it down into manageable steps:

1. Creating Your Screen Printing Frame: Learn how to construct your own frame if you’re feeling extra DIY, or discover easy pre-made options.
2. Burning Your Design onto the Screen: Understand how to transfer your chosen image onto the screen using photo emulsion and light.
3. Screen Printing on Fabric: Master the technique of applying ink through your prepared screen to create your design on t-shirts.

Understanding the Basics of Screen Printing for T-Shirts

Screen printing is a process that involves several key stages. Here’s a simplified overview:

• Image Selection: Choosing the design you want to print on your tee.
• Creating a Screen: This involves coating a framed mesh screen with a light-sensitive photo emulsion and then exposing it to light with your design. This “burns” your image into the screen, creating a stencil.
• Printing: Finally, the exciting part! Ink is pushed across the screen using a squeegee, passing through the open areas of your stencil and onto the t-shirt fabric below.

The beauty of screen printing is its versatility. You can customize almost every aspect, and while you can go full DIY and make everything from scratch, opting for pre-made supplies can significantly simplify the process, especially when you are starting out.

Essential Materials for Screen Printing Tees

Before diving into the steps, let’s gather our supplies. You can find individual items or, for an easier start, consider a screen printing kit. We’ll discuss both options.

Close-up of a screen printing frame with the words "How to screen print at home" written on the mesh, highlighting the DIY aspect of screen printing.

Choosing and Preparing Your Image

Here’s how to get your design ready for screen printing:

White paper with a black pine tree silhouette, illustrating a simple image ready for screen printing.

1. Select Your Design: For your first screen printing project, simple is better. Start with a silhouette or a design with just one color. Think bold shapes, simple graphics, or basic lettering. My tree design is a great example, or you could choose a word or short phrase.

Cutout of a black pine tree silhouette from white paper, demonstrating a stencil created for screen printing.

2. Print Your Image: Print your chosen design onto regular paper. While transparency paper is beneficial for more detailed designs later on, standard printer paper works well for beginners. Carefully cut out your image using a craft knife, creating a stencil.

Quick Tip: For intricate designs in the future, transparency paper will become essential. The key is to have an opaque image that completely blocks light. Test your print by holding it up to a light source. If light passes through, it’s not opaque enough. You can either print another layer to double it up or use a black marker to darken the image.

Creating a DIY Screen Printing Frame (or Using Pre-Made Options)

Now, let’s talk frames. A screen printing frame is essentially a mesh fabric stretched tightly over a frame, traditionally made of wood or aluminum. While you can construct your own frame, pre-made options are readily available and can save time and effort.

You can find 110 polyester mesh on Amazon or at craft stores if you choose to build your own frame.

Wooden frame structure for screen printing, showing the basic construction of a DIY frame.

1. DIY Frame Construction: If you’re building your own frame, use 2×2 lumber to create a square or rectangular frame. Accuracy isn’t crucial, but ensure it’s sturdy and flat. Avoid using warped wood for this step.

Stapling mesh onto a wooden frame, illustrating the process of attaching the screen to a DIY frame.

2. Attaching the Mesh: Stretch your polyester mesh tightly over the frame and secure it with staples using a staple gun. Pull the mesh taut, but be careful not to rip it. Folding the mesh edge over before stapling can prevent tearing.

Ensure all staples are flush with the frame surface to guarantee the screen lies flat. Protruding staples can cause wobbling.

Trimmed mesh edges on a screen printing frame, showing the finished edge of a DIY screen.

3. Trim Excess Mesh: Once stapled, trim any excess mesh around the edges of the frame for a clean finish.

Taping the edges of a screen printing frame with painter's tape, sealing the frame for screen printing preparation.

4. Taping the Frame: Seal both the inside and outside edges of the mesh to the frame using painter’s tape. This prevents ink from seeping through the edges during printing. Painter’s tape is ideal; while duct tape can work in a pinch, it’s not the best alternative.

Preparing and Burning Your Screen with Photo Emulsion

Preparing your screen with photo emulsion and exposing your design is a multi-step process that needs to be done carefully, especially the emulsion coating which requires a dark room.

1. Emulsion Coating and Drying: In complete darkness, coat your screen with photo emulsion and let it dry for several hours.
2. Image Placement: Once dry, position your paper stencil onto the emulsion-coated screen.
3. Light Exposure (Burning): Expose the screen to a light source. The emulsion exposed to light will harden, while the emulsion under your stencil will remain unexposed and washable.

Applying photo emulsion to a screen printing frame in a darkroom, starting the screen burning process.

1. Prepare Emulsion: In a dimly lit room, gather your screen, squeegee, and photo emulsion. Mix the photo emulsion components according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Typically, this involves combining emulsion and an activator.

Applying a bead of photo emulsion to the top of a screen printing frame, ready for coating.

2. Apply Emulsion: Working in complete darkness, apply a line of emulsion across the top of your screen. (Note: Photos here are taken in light for clarity, but this step must be done in darkness).

Spreading photo emulsion across a screen printing frame with a squeegee, demonstrating the coating process.

3. Coat the Screen: Using your squeegee, spread the emulsion evenly over the entire screen on both sides. Aim for the thinnest possible consistent coat. Work swiftly, coating one side, then the other, and immediately move the screen to a dark drying area.

Work quickly to prevent the emulsion from curing prematurely due to light exposure.

Important Darkness Note: A completely dark room is essential for drying. A closet without windows, with a towel blocking any light leaks from the door, works well.

4. Drying the Screen: Lay the screen horizontally in your dark room to dry for 1-3 hours, depending on emulsion thickness.

(Update): To speed up drying, you can use a fan on a low setting, directed at the screen. This can reduce drying time to about 30 minutes.

Exposing Your Screen to Light

Once your screen is dry, you’re ready to transfer your image by exposing it to light. Many tutorials suggest using a lightbox, but a simple lightbulb setup is perfectly effective for beginners.

A 150-watt incandescent bulb or a 20-watt LED equivalent is ideal for exposing your screen.

Photography light setup for screen exposure, demonstrating a DIY light source option.

Refer to your photo emulsion instructions for recommended exposure times based on screen size and light source distance.

Using a photography light with a reflector helps focus the light on the screen, improving efficiency. If you don’t have a reflector, you can improvise with a tin pie plate or simply increase the exposure time by about 3 minutes.

You’ll also need a matte black surface, like a chalkboard, black cardboard, or bristol board, to place under your screen during exposure.

Steps for Exposing Your Screen:

1. Set Up Light Source: Position a 150-watt incandescent or 20-watt LED bulb shining down onto a matte black surface.

2. Prepare Screen in Dark: Bring your emulsion-coated screen to your exposure area, keeping it covered to prevent accidental light exposure until you’re ready.

3. Position Screen: Place the screen on your black surface with the “back” side (non-recessed side) facing upwards.

4. Place Image (Reversed): Position your cutout image or transparency print onto the screen, in reverse.

Tip for Image Orientation: Imagine your design as you want it to appear on your t-shirt. Then, flip it over – this is the orientation for placing it on the screen.

5. Secure with Glass: Place a clean piece of glass over your image to ensure it makes firm contact with the screen.

6. Expose to Light: Turn on your light source and expose the screen for the time recommended by your emulsion instructions.

Diagram illustrating the screen exposure setup with a 150-watt bulb and dimensions, providing visual guidance for light exposure.

You’ll notice my tree image looks white here because it’s reversed, with the dark side facing the screen.

For a screen and image size similar to mine, an exposure of 35 minutes at 18 inches distance with a 150-watt bulb should work. Adjust as needed based on your specific setup and emulsion instructions.

Set a timer and leave the exposure undisturbed.

After the timer, remove the glass and stencil. A faint outline of your image should be visible on the screen. The emulsion around the image is now hardened, while the area covered by your stencil remains soft.

Newly exposed screen printing frame with a faint pine tree design, showing the initial image transfer on the screen.

7. Wash Out the Image: Rinse your screen with lukewarm water using a high-pressure tap, showerhead, or garden hose. Focus the spray on the image area. Avoid hot or cold water.

Continue spraying, and gradually, your image will appear as the unexposed emulsion washes away. Congratulations, you’ve created your first silkscreen! Time for a celebratory treat.

Washing out the unexposed emulsion from a screen printing frame at a kitchen sink, revealing the screen printed image.

The Fun Part: Screen Printing Your Tee!

Now for the most exciting step – printing your t-shirt! Place your prepared screen onto your t-shirt, apply ink, and squeegee your design.

Video Tutorial

Since technique is key, especially for beginners, practice on scrap fabric or an old t-shirt first. Repeat until you feel confident before moving to your final tee.

Laying out a t-shirt for screen printing, preparing the fabric for the print application.

1. Prepare Your Tee: Lay your t-shirt on a flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles.

Positioning a screen printing frame over a t-shirt, aligning the screen for printing.

2. Position the Screen: Place your screen print frame onto your t-shirt, ensuring the recessed side of the frame faces upwards.

In the photo, you’ll see tape on the inside of my screen – this is usually unnecessary with store-bought screens but was needed for my DIY frame due to some gaps.

Important Taping Tip: Before printing, check your screen against a light source. Cover any pinholes where emulsion is missing with small pieces of tape to prevent ink bleed-through.

Applying a blob of paint to the screen and flooding the image area with a squeegee, preparing to print.

3. Apply Ink: Dispense a line of fabric paint across the top of your screen. I’m using a mix of black and white to create a dark grey – remember, the paint will dry darker than it appears wet.

4. Flood the Image: Using your squeegee, drag the paint lightly over your image area without pressure. This is called “flooding” and ensures the stencil is covered with ink.

5. Squeegee Print: In the same direction, drag the squeegee again, this time applying firm, even pressure to push the ink through the screen onto the t-shirt fabric.

Dragging a squeegee over a screen printing frame to print an image onto fabric, showing the printing action.

6. Remove Screen: Carefully lift the screen straight up and away from the t-shirt. It might stick slightly.

7. Dry the Tee: Hang your newly printed t-shirt to air dry.

8. Clean the Screen: Immediately after printing, wash your screen with cool water to remove all ink.

9. Heat Set the Ink: Once the ink is completely dry, heat-set the design by ironing over it with a dry iron. This makes the print permanent and washable.

Close-up of a freshly screen printed t-shirt design, showcasing the printed result on fabric.

Hanging a newly screen printed t-shirt to dry, showing the final stage of the screen printing process.

If your print appears faded, apply more pressure with the squeegee during your next print. Increased pressure ensures better ink transfer for a bolder image.

Here’s a video demonstration of the process.

And there you have it – how to make screen print tees in a surprisingly small number of steps! It’s an incredibly rewarding DIY activity that’s more fun than it is work.

Materials Checklist

• Squeegee – $9
• Photo Emulsion – $10 (enough for many screens)
• Fabric Ink – $8 (enough for numerous t-shirts)
• Screen Printing Frame – $20
• 150-watt Lightbulb – $3
• T-shirt Blank – $5

Step-by-Step Instructions Summary

Image Preparation

1. Choose an Image: Start with simple, single-color designs like silhouettes or basic text.
2. Print Your Design: Print your image on regular paper and cut out the design to create a stencil.
3. Prepare Your Frame: Use a pre-made screen printing frame or construct your own with wood and polyester mesh.

Frame Creation (DIY)

1. Build the Frame: Assemble a square or rectangular frame using 2×2 lumber.
2. Attach Mesh: Staple polyester mesh tightly over the frame.
3. Trim Mesh: Cut away excess mesh.
4. Tape Edges: Seal the inside and outside edges with painter’s tape.

Emulsion Coating

1. Mix Emulsion: Combine the two parts of photo emulsion in a dimly lit room.
2. Apply Emulsion: In complete darkness, apply a bead of emulsion across the top of your screen.
3. Coat Screen: Squeegee the emulsion evenly over both sides of the screen, aiming for a thin coat. Dry in complete darkness horizontally for 1-3 hours (or use a fan to speed drying).

Screen Exposure

1. Set Up Light: Position a 150-watt bulb shining onto a matte black surface.
2. Position Screen: Place your dried, emulsion-coated screen over the black surface.
3. Place Stencil: Position your reversed paper stencil onto the screen.
4. Secure with Glass: Cover with glass to ensure close contact.
5. Expose to Light: Turn on the light and expose for the recommended time.
6. Wash Out Image: Rinse the screen with lukewarm water to wash away unexposed emulsion, revealing your design.

Printing Your Tee

1. Prepare Tee: Lay your t-shirt flat and smooth.
2. Position Screen: Place the screen frame over your t-shirt.
3. Apply Ink: Run a bead of fabric paint across the top of the screen.
4. Flood Image: Drag the squeegee lightly over the image to flood it with ink.
5. Print Image: Drag the squeegee again with firm pressure to print the design.
6. Remove Screen: Carefully lift the screen.
7. Dry Tee: Hang the t-shirt to dry.
8. Clean Screen: Wash the screen immediately after printing.
9. Heat Set Ink: Iron the dry print with a dry iron to heat-set the ink.

Key Takeaways and Notes

• For more detailed designs, use transparency paper for your stencil to achieve better opacity.
• Consider using an aluminum screen printing frame for increased durability, especially for frequent use. A good starter frame like this one is a worthwhile investment.
• If your prints are faded, apply more pressure with the squeegee for better ink transfer.

This tutorial covers the basics of screen printing. As you gain experience, you can explore more advanced techniques like using a screen printing press and incorporating grayscale printing for more complex images.

Start with a Screen Printing Kit for Ease and Economy

For beginners, a screen printing starter kit is the easiest and most economical way to begin.

Get a starter screen printing kit on Amazon US.

Get a starter screen printing kit on Amazon Canada.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! Happy screen printing!

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