Home › Screen Printing › What Is Screen Printing › How to Make a Screen for Screen Printing (Step by Step)
| Item | Why | Example at Buckets of Ink |
|---|---|---|
| A stretched screen | Mesh glued or locked tight on a frame. Loose mesh = blurry prints. | Pre-stretched 20" x 24" aluminum screen, 160 mesh ($29.00) · Pre-stretched 20" x 28" aluminum screen, 110 mesh ($30.00) · all pre-stretched screens |
| Degreaser | Removes oils and dust so emulsion sticks | Screen degreasers |
| Photo emulsion | The light-sensitive coating that becomes your stencil | Ulano QX-5 photopolymer emulsion (quart) ($32.00) · all emulsions |
| Scoop coater | Spreads an even, thin coat of emulsion | Nortech emulsion scoop coater ($10.00) |
| Film positive | Your artwork printed solid black on clear film | Inkjet screen printing film |
| UV light source | Hardens ("burns") the emulsion that is not covered by black | Chromaline Quick Image LED exposure unit 26" x 31" ($2,625.00) |
| Washout water + spray | Rinses the unexposed emulsion out of the design | Garden hose or pressure-washer on low |
| Tape and blockout | Seals the edges and pinholes | Block-out tape · Ulano No. 10 green blockout (quart) ($23.95) |
Mesh count is threads per inch. A 110 mesh lets a heavy layer of ink through (white underbase, bold designs on dark shirts); a 156–160 mesh is the everyday choice for plastisol spot colors; 200–305 holds fine detail and halftones. See the full screen printing mesh count chart before you buy.
Making the frame yourself? You can staple or glue mesh to a wood frame, but it is hard to get even, high tension by hand — and tension is what keeps prints sharp. Pre-stretched aluminum screens or a retensionable system such as Shur-Loc E-Z 20" x 28" frame ($44.95) with replaceable Shur-Loc E-Z 20" x 28" mesh panel ($19.79) panels give much better results. Compare options on our Shur-Loc frames page.
Scrub both sides of the mesh with a screen degreaser and a soft brush, rinse well and let it dry completely in a clean, dust-free spot. New mesh needs this too — it carries oils from manufacturing. Skipping this step is the most common cause of pinholes and stencils that break down on press.
Which emulsion? Photopolymer emulsions like Ulano QX-5 expose fast and suit plastisol; dual-cure and water-resistant emulsions suit water-based and discharge inks. Read best emulsion for plastisol or our guide to choosing screen printing emulsion.
"Burning a screen" means exposing it to UV light. Place the film positive on the print side of the dry screen, reading correctly (not mirrored) when you look at it from the print side. Hold the film tight to the mesh — a sheet of glass or a vacuum lid works — so light cannot creep under the black areas.
Exposure time depends on your emulsion, its thickness, the mesh color and your light source, so there is no single right number. Start with the time on the emulsion maker's data sheet for your type of light, then dial it in with an exposure calculator or step-test strip: expose sections of one test screen for different times and pick the shortest time that washes out cleanly with no soft, slimy emulsion left on the squeegee side.
Light sources: an LED exposure unit gives the most repeatable results; a bright UV bulb or the sun can work for a first screen but times vary a lot. Shopping for one? Compare screen printing exposure units or see our screen room equipment.
Wet both sides of the screen with cool water, wait a few seconds, then spray the print side gently. The design area — where the black film blocked the light — will soften and rinse away, leaving open mesh. Hold the screen up to the light: every detail should be open and the edges sharp.
Dry the screen completely, then hold it up to a light and look for pinholes. Dab them with emulsion or Ulano No. 10 green blockout (quart) ($23.95). Tape the inside edges where the mesh meets the frame with screen block-out tape so ink cannot leak. For long runs, some printers post-expose the finished screen for extra durability. Your screen is ready for the press — next, follow how to screen print T-shirts.
The photo-emulsion screen above is the stencil, and it is the method used for sharp, durable, reusable stencils. Other ways people make stencils:
| Method | Good for | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Photo emulsion (this guide) | Any design, fine detail, long runs, reclaimable screens | Needs a dark space and a UV light |
| Capillary film | Very even stencil thickness for detail work | Extra material cost; still needs exposure |
| Cut vinyl or stencil film stuck to the mesh | Simple bold shapes, one-off projects | Edges lift; not for fine detail or long runs |
| Drawing fluid / screen filler (hand-painted) | Art prints, hand-drawn looks | Slow, hard to repeat |
For T-shirts in any quantity, photo emulsion is the standard. Shop emulsions and film for your artwork.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Design will not wash out | Over-exposed, film not opaque enough, or light leaked under the film | Shorter exposure, darker film positives, better film contact |
| Emulsion washes off or feels slimy | Under-exposed or emulsion not fully dry | Longer exposure; dry completely before exposing |
| Pinholes | Dust or grease on the mesh | Degrease, dry in a clean room, touch up with blockout |
| Fuzzy edges / lost detail | Poor film contact, emulsion too thick, loose mesh | Use glass or vacuum, thinner coat, tighter screen |
| Stencil breaks down on press | Under-exposed or wrong emulsion for the ink | Expose longer; use a water-resistant emulsion for water-based ink |
When the job is done, clean off all ink, then apply emulsion remover such as Franmar Strip-e-doo emulsion remover (gallon) ($51.50), let it work for about a minute, and pressure-wash the stencil out. Degrease again and the screen is ready to coat for the next design. Shop all emulsion removers and screen printing chemicals.
Use a pre-stretched screen, degrease it, coat it with photo emulsion in a dark room, let it dry, expose it under UV light with your artwork on clear film, and rinse out the design with water. A pre-stretched screen, a quart of emulsion, a scoop coater and inkjet film are enough to start.
The standard way is photo emulsion: coat the screen, let it dry in the dark, expose it with your artwork on film, and wash out the design. Cut vinyl or hand-painted screen filler also work for simple one-off designs, but they do not hold fine detail or long runs.
It depends on the emulsion, coating thickness, mesh and light source. Start with the emulsion maker’s recommended time for your light, then run an exposure test and use the shortest time that washes out cleanly and leaves a hard stencil.
Yes — you can staple or glue mesh to a wood frame — but it is hard to get even, high tension by hand. Pre-stretched aluminum screens or retensionable frames such as Shur-Loc print sharper and last longer.
A 156–160 mesh is a good all-round choice for plastisol on light shirts. Use 110 for white ink on dark shirts and 200+ for fine detail.
Usually a few hours in a warm, dark room with air moving; it can take longer in humid conditions. The screen must be completely dry before you expose it.
Yes. Clean off the ink, remove the stencil with emulsion remover, degrease, and coat it again. Good screens can be reclaimed many times.
Related guides: What is screen printing? · Mesh count chart · How to clean screens · What mesh count should I use? · How to choose emulsion · Scoop coaters · Pre-stretched screens
