If you’re going to do any screen printing, you have to at least know the basics of it. You can print posters, t-shirts, and a lot more, but only if you do it right. At a minimum, you have to have screens, a scoop coater, squeegees, light sensitive emulsion, an exposure light source, and ink.

The screens can have either metal frames or wooden ones, and they are covered with a fabric mesh that has been stretched. Holes in the mesh let ink go through the screen. How many of these holes exist and how big each hole is will affect the flow of ink and is used to rate the screens.

The squeegees are used to push the ink through the screens and onto whatever you are printing on. The ink then has to cure, which is where the UV light source comes in. By using it and the light sensitive emulsion you can cure the ink – which actually isn’t ink but a chemical compound – and it will remain on the t-shirt through many washings or on the poster for many years to come.

Not everyone uses fancy and expensive techniques for screen printing. Some still use paper stencils. You can use paper stencils with your screens quite easily, and make both positive and negative prints.

You’ll want to cut a sheet of paper that matches the size of the screen that you’re using. Then, trace the design onto a paper that’s both durable and water-resistant, like contact paper or freezer paper. You can cut the stencil out with any kind of craft knife. When you get the print ready, though, you may end up with some extra ink, so make sure you clean up any excess and do a test print before you print on something of value.

You can make several prints this way, too, but you have to be careful because the paper stencil will not have as much durability as some other ways of making prints, and most of that depends on both the paper that you use and the way that you handle it. With good paper and a little care, it will last much longer.

Thermofax screens are designed to print images onto both paper and cloth. They are different from the more traditional silk screens in that they are easier to use, less expensive, and quicker to prepare. Anyone interested in surface design and textile arts can use these screens quite easily.

Dye discharge media, adhesives, and textile paints can all be used with the screens, and that allows people who have them to make quilts, bags, clothing, home textiles, and home furnishings, among other things. Versatility is the key with these screens. The screens are created from black and white images using a Thermofax machine, which is an early version of a photocopy machine. Each one is made by hand and put in a sturdy frame of either steel or plastic. At that point, they’re ready for a screen printer to print textural marks or finely-detailed images onto any chosen surface.

No matter what inks you plan to use or what your experience is with screen printing, Thermofax screens can be an easy and convenient way to do business.

If you’re planning on doing some screen printing or if you just want to learn more about it, here are five things that you need to know:

• Start with good artwork. If what you start out with is jagged or grainy, the finished product isn’t going to look good, either.

• Make sure you keep each one of the colors on a separate film. If you do that, you can keep the colors separate and not have them bleed into each other when you print.

• Make your screens properly. There are easy (but rather time-consuming) ways of making your screens, and you should make sure that you do them correctly to avoid problems.

• Get the right printing press. If you don’t use the right one, or if you buy a really cheap one, your results will reflect that.

• You’ll need both a flash unit and a conveyor dryer. Make sure you get good ones and get comfortable using them.

Paying attention to what you need for screen printing and getting the right items (and good quality) will keep your finished product looking great.

For those printers who want to get back into using discharge inks, there are several different types of them to consider.

The water-based and ZFS-activated discharge ink is still the most popular one. It is also the most traditional and easily the most versatile. There is a wide array of colors available in this ink and the prints are very consistent, with a softness to the resulting finish that is generally superior.

However, there are other discharge inks such as a Plastisol/water-based hybrid. These have an advantage for those who aren’t familiar with discharge inks, because they are by far the easiest to use.

Water-based thioureadioxide-activated inks were created so that the formaldehyde exposure of ZFS-activated inks could be avoided. It works very similar, and it also has its own concerns and constraints when it comes to the chemicals that are being handled.

No matter what method is used with discharge inks, the printer will need to choose the right one for themselves, and for the project being created. That’s the best way to get high-quality and lasting products.