How to Screen Print at Home (T-Shirts)

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Quick answer: You can screen print T-shirts at home with a tabletop press, pre-stretched screens, photo emulsion, inkjet film, plastisol ink and a squeegee. The two things home printers most often get wrong are light (emulsion must be coated and dried in the dark) and curing (plastisol must reach about 320°F through the ink — a household iron or hair dryer will not do it reliably). Plan for both and home prints can be just as durable as shop prints.

Home screen printing setup

Area	What you need at home	Tip
Screen coating	A closet, bathroom or box you can make dark; a yellow bug light is a safe light	Dry screens flat, print side down, with a small fan
Exposure	A UV light source or LED exposure unit; glass to hold the film flat	Do a step test to find your exposure time
Washout	Bathtub, utility sink or garden hose	Rinse water should not carry ink or strong chemicals down a home drain — scrape and wipe ink off first; follow chemical labels and local rules
Printing	Sturdy table and a tabletop press	Clamp or bolt the press so it does not shift
Curing	A flash cure unit (or access to a conveyor dryer)	Check the ink temperature, not the heater dial

Supplies for printing at home

Vastex V-10 CraftPrinter tabletop press ($583.00)
20" x 24" pre-stretched screen, 160 mesh ($29.00) — add a 110 mesh for white ink on dark shirts
Ulano QX-5 emulsion, quart ($32.00) and a scoop coater ($10.00)
waterproof inkjet film, 8.5" x 11" ($45.95) for your inkjet printer
WM Plastics Brite White, quart ($24.00) and other plastisol colors
Squeegee, block-out tape, pallet adhesive and ink remover
Vastex F-100 flash cure unit (120V) ($1,007.00) to cure — check your outlet and circuit first

The full list with today's total is on our screen printing kit page.

Step by step at home

Print your artwork solid black on inkjet film — one film per color.
Coat a screen with emulsion in your dark space and let it dry completely.
Expose it with the film on the print side under UV light, then rinse out the design. Detailed guide: how to make a screen for screen printing.
Set up the press, tape the edges, spray pallet adhesive and load a shirt.
Flood and print with one smooth squeegee stroke — full walkthrough in how to screen print T-shirts.
Cure every shirt to the ink maker's temperature (cure chart), then stretch-test and wash-test one shirt.
Clean up right away — how to clean screen printing screens.

Plastisol or water-based at home?

Plastisol is the most forgiving for beginners: it will not dry in the screen while you work, and it covers well on dark shirts. It does need real heat to cure and an ink remover (not water) to clean up. Water-based ink cleans up with water and feels softer, but it dries in the screen quickly and still needs heat to cure. Compare them in water-based vs plastisol ink.

Safety at home

Ventilate while curing and when using cleaners and removers.
Wear gloves and eye protection with emulsion removers and haze removers; keep chemicals away from kids and pets.
Flash units and dryers get very hot and draw a lot of power — never leave them running unattended.
Read the safety data sheet (SDS) for every chemical you use.

Frequently asked questions

Can you screen print at home?

Yes. A tabletop press, pre-stretched screens, emulsion, inkjet film, plastisol ink, a squeegee and a way to fully cure the ink are enough to print shirts at home.

How do you expose a screen at home without an exposure unit?

Use a UV light source or bright sunlight with glass holding the film tight to the screen, and run a step test to find the right time. An LED exposure unit gives much more consistent results.

Can you silk screen at home?

Yes — silk screening and screen printing are the same process. Coat and dry screens in a dark spot, expose them with a UV light, print on a tabletop press and cure with a flash unit.

Can I cure screen printing ink with an iron or hair dryer?

Not reliably. Plastisol needs about 320°F through the entire ink layer. Use a flash cure unit or a conveyor dryer and check the ink temperature.

What is the easiest ink for screen printing at home?

Plastisol. It does not dry in the screen, covers well on dark shirts and cures with heat. Water-based ink is softer but dries in the screen quickly.

How much does it cost to screen print at home?

A one-color home setup with a real tabletop press and supplies is several hundred dollars, plus a flash cure unit to cure. See our screen printing kit page for today’s prices.

Where can I buy home screen printing supplies near Phoenix?

Buckets of Ink in Tempe, AZ stocks presses, screens, emulsion, ink and flash units for same-day pickup, and ships in-stock orders the same day when placed by 2:30 PM Arizona time. Call 480-229-7806.

Setting up at home? We can help you pick the right starter gear.
Buckets of Ink is a screen printing supply house and equipment dealer in Tempe, Arizona. Ask about our discounts, starter packages and great financing on equipment — we'll help you get into your next machine.
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Call 480-229-7806 · Showroom & pickup: 906 S Priest Dr, Suite 101, Tempe AZ 85281 · In-stock orders placed by 2:30 PM Arizona time ship the same day · Free ground shipping on orders over $500 (equipment excluded; see shipping and returns).