Screen Printing

Screen printing is a printing method where you push ink through a fine mesh screen onto fabric, paper or card. A stencil blocks off parts of the screen, so the ink only gets through where your design is. It's the way countless band tees, tote bags and gig posters are made, and it's far easier to pick up than it looks.

The screen is a frame with mesh stretched tight across it. It used to be silk, hence the other name, silkscreen printing, and the art world's fancier term, serigraphy.

The stencil can be as low-tech as cut paper. For sharper detail, printers coat the screen in a light-sensitive emulsion, lay the design over it and expose it to light. The emulsion hardens everywhere except the design, which washes out to leave open mesh.

Then comes the fun part. Lay your T-shirt flat, lower the screen, run a line of ink along the top and pull the squeegee (a rubber blade on a handle) firmly towards you. The ink squeezes through the mesh and onto the fabric. Lift the screen for the big reveal. Try not to look too smug.

Every colour gets its own screen, printed one layer at a time. Getting the layers to line up is called registration, and it's why printers use a press with hinged clamps to hold each screen in exactly the same spot.

Textile inks, whether water-based or plastisol, need heat to set them. This is called curing, and it's what stops your masterpiece fading in the first wash.

No problem. Your Activity Leader walks you through setting up the screen, loading the ink and getting the pressure right, then hands you the squeegee. The first pull is always a little nerve-racking and wildly satisfying. It's also a brilliant way to make matching team shirts for your Patrol (the team you join when you arrive), so you can rep your crew all weekend.

Bring something plain to print on, like a cotton T-shirt, tote bag or hoodie. Smooth, light-coloured cotton gives the crispest result. Wear clothes you don't mind getting a splash of ink on, just in case your technique gets enthusiastic.

You might also like Lino Printing, Tie Dye and Shibori Tie Dye.

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