Designing for Screen Printing

Ready to design a screen print? You’re in the right place?

This little site is your head start. You don’t have to use it, you can show up on day one with a napkin sketch and we’ll figure it out together, but if you want to walk in with a design that’s ready to go, everything you need to think about is right here.

Here’s the one thing to know up front: we print one color at a time. That shapes everything about how you design, and it’s the thing you might not expect. Don’t worry about it yet, just plant that seed. We’ll get into it.

No experience? Perfect.

Seriously. You don’t need to know anything about design or screen printing to do this. If you can draw a little, or you’ve got an idea kicking around, that’s plenty. And before anything hits a screen, we’ll sit down together and get your design print-ready. Bring a shirt idea you’ve never had a way to make, or just curiosity, both are welcome!

A heads up on design time:

The bulk of your design work should be done before class. For some of you that might just be an idea in your head, and that’s fine! But if you’re the type who wants a fully fleshed-out design, give yourself time. I know I need about a week to really work on a design, so plan accordingly. Day one is for finalizing and refining together, not necessarily starting from scratch.

You’ve got options for how to use this:

• Just want ideas? Head to the inspiration gallery and get the creative juices flowing. Some of it’s mine, some of it’s stuff I’ve found and love. Look, don’t lift, but let it spark something!
• Want to fully design something before class? The rest of the site walks you through how to think about it: sizing, placement, keeping it printable, and the handful of ways you can make a design (you don’t even need a computer).
• Want to go deep? There’s a “going deeper” section for the curious. Totally optional. Skip it and you’ll still be completely fine.

Skim what’s useful, ignore the rest. This is an inspiration buffet, not a syllabus.

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What We Do With Your Design

To create a screen print from a design, we have to put it on our “silk screen.” There are many ways to do this, but together in class we will be using photosensitive emulsion. This is a special chemical that cures when exposed to UV light, and stays easy to wash out where it wasn’t.

To get the design from your device (or paper) to a finished screen, we will be using a laser printer and/or Posca markers to create a black image on some clear acetate. Anywhere that is black on this plastic will stay easy to wash out of your frames, allowing us to squeeze ink through onto our shirts.

We will do all of the printing/transferring to acetate together in class, but when you’re working on your design, keep this principle in mind: black is ink, white is not. Check out The One-Color Mindset for some cool things you can do with that, and come with a design you’re excited to print!

Two days, blank screen to finished print. The short version:

• Before class – Do the bulk of your design thinking. Come with an idea, or something more finished.
• Day 1 – Build your two frames, get into emulsion, explore everyone’s designs, and get your hands dirty with some test printing. Also when we finalize designs together.
• Day 2 – Expose and wash out your screens, then print, print, print.

Want the full breakdown? See the Schedule

You’ll leave with the two frames you built, and plenty of knowledge and hands-on experience, so this isn’t a one-and-done! And those two frames can hold as many designs as you can fit, so come ready to make more than just one thing. You’ll have what you need to keep printing at home!

See you at the studio! Get started designing