Screen Printing (on the cheap)

This project happened because of a partnership with one of our talented SLAs and an equally talented Branch Supervisor. They were able to come up with a low-cost screen printing program that didn't require us to spend a lot of time setting up screens/burning images/etc. Bonus that this program is fairly easy for patrons to recreate at home!

We started planning for this program in January (more because our supplies have to be ordered so far ahead than anything else).  We will definitely offer this program again!

Supplies:

• Links are to Amazon for reference only. We scavenged our supplies (as noted).
• 110 mesh (cut into 10"x10" squares)
• embroidery hoops (every time I see them at the thrift store, I snag them)
• stencil paper (we found an old box of overhead transparency sheets and cut them up) 
• X-Acto knives (or Cricut/Silhouette/other vinyl cutting machine)
• Screen Printing Inks (our biggest expense, but this stuff will last forever)
• Small cups and spoons (for inks)
• Cardboard squeegees (rectangles of cardboard cut 6"x2" <-- must fit inside embroidery hoop) 
• Painters/masking tape
• Paper/fabric/other surface to print finished design
• Extra cardboard (if printing on shirts)
• Aprons/table covers/other things to keep things clean
• Access to water (to wash out screens/hands)
• Hair dryer/heat source (to speed up ink drying process)

Preparation:

• Cut the screen into usable squares. Expect patrons to use 2-3 for this program. Screens can be reused, but have to dry in-between ink pulls/washes. 
• Cut stencils (or) have supplies on-hand for patrons to cut their own.
• We gave patrons the opportunity to draw and cut their own stencils. 
• This is time-consuming and difficult for first-time screen printers. 
• First is the challenge to reverse the image and the 2nd challenge is to cut the stencil in such a way that you don't completely cut out the image and end up with a giant blob of ink (ask me how I know this). 
• Divide the inks into smaller cups to avoid waste/potential messes.
• Cut cardboard squeegees. Expect patrons to use 2-3 for this program. Squeegees can be re-used for the same color and/or mixing colors on a project and discarded when they are no longer useful.
• Cover work surfaces.
• Prepare screens and embroidery hoops
• A finished example or two.

Process:

Dre and Sarah led this program and were fantastic!  They started  with a quick demonstration of how to set up the screen on the embroidery hoop:

The stencil (difficult to see as it is on clear paper) is then taped to the outside/right side of the mesh:

The stencil/screen is then flipped over with the stencil pressed onto the surface to be printed (Paper, for our first effort):

Patrons then run a thin line of ink just above where the stencil starts:

Using the cardboard squeegee, patrons press down firmly on the embroidery hoop and drag the ink down and across the stencil:

Carefully lift off the screen to reveal the print!

Use a hair dryer to ensure the print is dry before touching!

Wash out the screens and set out to dry. 

Tips:

• Use painters tape to block off sections of the stencil to add different colors
• Dry the print between color applications
• Shift a stencil slightly and pull a different color to create a dimensional effect
• If printing on fabric, please a piece of cardboard under the fabric to be printed to avoid ink bleed (onto the back of a shirt or your work surface).

ProjectUpdate! We replicated this project at an Outreach Event in September 2018.