What is the screen printing process?
Screen printing pushes ink through a fine mesh screen onto fabric or another material. A stencil on the screen blocks ink everywhere except the design. Each color gets its own screen, and the colors are printed one layer at a time.
It is the most popular way to decorate garments for good reason: solid colors come out vivid, the ink is thick and opaque, and a well-cured print lasts. It works on shirts, hoodies, towels, bags and much more.
Want the hands-on version with a materials list? See how to do t-shirt screen printing.
How is it done in a print shop?
- Color separation. Using design software, the art is reduced to a set number of ink colors, and each color is separated onto its own film.
- Screen making. Each film is used to expose a screen coated with light-sensitive emulsion, creating a stencil for that color.
- Setup. Screens are locked into the press and lined up so every color lands in the right place. This alignment is called registration.
- Printing. The garment is loaded on a platen and positioned. Ink is pulled through each screen with a squeegee, by hand or by an automatic press.
- Curing. The printed garment travels through a dryer, which sets the ink so it survives washing.
Setup is the slow part. Once screens are ready, each additional piece prints quickly. That is why screen printing gets more cost-effective as quantity rises. At TBSP, screen printing starts at 6 pieces and is printed in-house.
Screen printing vs digital printing
Screen printing lays down one solid color per screen. Digital methods like DTG print many colors at once from a file, with no screens.
- Screen printing wins on vibrant solid colors, durability and price at volume.
- Digital printing wins on short runs, photos and gradients.
What are the types of screen printing?
- Spot color. The most common. Each solid color is printed with its own screen.
- Halftone. One ink color printed as dots of varying size to create the look of shading or gradients.
- Grayscale. A full image converted to grayscale and printed as halftone dots for detailed, photo-like results.
- Duotone. Two halftones of the same image in two colors, giving a rich, sepia-like effect.
- CMYK (four-color process). Cyan, magenta, yellow and black halftones combine to create full color. It is the most technical and works best on light garments.
- Simulated process. Spot colors printed as halftones to build realistic imagery, and it works on dark garments too. Increasingly popular for photo-real art.
What ink is used for screen printing?
- Plastisol. Opaque, bright and forgiving. Sits on top of the fabric and is a standard for many shops.
- Water-based. Soaks into the fibers for a soft feel. Great on light, natural fabrics.
- Discharge. Removes the dye from cotton and replaces it with color, for a nearly weightless print on dark shirts.
Specialty techniques add texture: puff ink rises as it cures, and crackle ink breaks into a distressed, vintage texture. These often need extra steps to cure properly.
Is screen printing hard?
It ranges from simple to intricate. A one-color logo on a flat tee is straightforward. A hoodie with a front pocket creates an uneven surface, so placement and screen height must be adjusted to keep the print clean. Puff ink needs additives and careful curing. Hats are usually decorated differently, often with embroidery or a heat-applied transfer, because of their curved shape.
Every added color, location and special effect adds setup work, which is why simpler art often prints faster and costs less.
What materials are needed?
A frame with mesh, emulsion, films, ink, a squeegee, a press or platen, a dryer for curing, your artwork and the garment. Screen printing works on cotton, polyester, blends, fleece, denim, canvas and more. Some synthetics are sensitive to heat and need the right ink and cure settings.
Why choose screen printing?
It is vivid, durable and fast once set up, which makes it the go-to for team shirts, event runs, brand merch and uniforms. For more on garments, see screen printing on hoodies.
Ready to print? Get a free quote.