Screen printing with the plotter?
Yes, it is possible! And I would almost say it is even easier than actual screen printing because you save yourself the trouble of exposing the screen and all the accessories. But it is also clear that you will not be able to get very fine details, so it is not quite comparable - just another way of using your plotter.
The sewing community welcomes this technique - no wonder, since you don't need much to start with.
Ready, set, go!
This is what you need to create screen printing templates with your plotter:
- A screen in A5 or A4 (for me 55T screens work best as they work for opaque printing on dark textiles but are fine enough for thin colours and finer details on light to medium coloured textiles.
- Water-based textile paints (I prefer to use the paints from HyprPrint Textpro
- A squeegee
- Oracle vinyl film
- transfer tape
- plotter and SVG or DXF file
And this is how it's done
I'll show you an example here using the new Dinoriffic plotter bundle - I think plotter bundles are ideal for screen printing. This way I can determine how many layers I print and can work my way up.
First, select the elements you want to use for your project and arrange them in the plotter software according to your screen size. Leave enough space between the elements. After all, you need to be able to squeegee over them easily.
Be careful when using lettering! You have to mirror here!
Here you can see the "step by step" instructions - just click
|
|
I plot my screen printing template on vinyl foil to stick it onto my screen. Once I have the lettering and numbers, the template is mirrored. |
|
|
In the next step, I apply transfer tape (transfer foil also works) to my motif and then peel it off the backing paper. |
|
|
Now I can attach my vinyl screen printing template to the screen. Again, use a squeegee to hold it in place. Pay attention to small, fine details when peeling it off. |
|
|
Is everything in place? Then we're almost ready. This is what your screen printing template should now look like. |
|
|
Before I start with the color, I tape off the areas that I don't want to print in this step. Tape off all the areas around the edge so that no screen is visible anymore! |
|
|
Now the screen is turned over and printed. If you are printing several layers on top of each other, make sure that the bottom layer is dry before printing with the new color. |
By the way, my screen printing example here became a fabric pattern for the cool hoodie pattern "Hejsan" by Kystbarn. If you are interested, you can get the pattern here:
Hejsan!
Tips for screen printing with the plotter
• Your screen must always be clean and dry before you stick a new template onto it
• Use a suitable squeegee for your screen (pay attention to the hardness)
• Use water-based textile printing inks. Acrylic paints will stick to your screen and render it unusable.
• After printing, wash your screen thoroughly under running water to avoid shadows on the screen. There is also a great organic screen cleaner from Siebdruckversand.de
