Screen Printing 101

Get off the computer and get ink on your hands! Graphic designers Stu and Nicky Alden open the doors of Ink Lounge, their creative studio in Denver, Colorado, for a peek inside the world of screen printing. This overview series shows just how involved the process can be. From sweet T-shirts to bigger-than-life posters, you’ll discover you need space, equipment, and a lot of practice to get to the final product. For more in-depth guidance and hands-on experience on how to do it at home, we suggest attending a local class or workshop to enjoy this rewarding process for yourself.

Class Preview

Basics of Screen Printing

Get started as Stu and Nicky go over the basic screen printing process.

Designing for Screen Printing

Learn best practices for strong design and get tips for creating artwork digitally or by hand. You’ll understand when to include registration marks for clean, crisp designs.

Screens

Find out how to choose the right type of screen for your project. Then see how to coat, expose, and wash out your screens before it’s time to print.

Printing on Fabric

Watch as Nicky demonstrates printing on fabric. She also shows you the best kind of ink to use and how to print multiple colors.

Printing on Paper

Follow along as Stu walks you through the process of printing on paper.

Reclaiming Screens

See how to remove stencils from your screens so you can use them again and again. No waste here!

Embrace the Charm

Explore more advanced screen printing techniques as Stu and Nicky offer up some creative ideas.

Art Influences

Discover the many things that inspire Stu and Nicky and how those inspirations affect their design choices.

Posters

Stu and Nicky share some of their most memorable posters as well as the stories behind them.

For the Love of Teaching

Stu and Nicky discuss the joys of teaching workshops and why teaching is so important to them.

Where It Can Take You

Wondering where you can go with screen printing? Stu and Nicky reminisce on the places they’ve traveled thanks to their work.

Share tips, start a discussion or ask one of our experts or other students a question.

2 Responses to “Screen Printing 101”

  1. Karla Houst

    Wondering if you have some tips for efficiency and to reduce waste? Also, what would be the minimum investment to expect for a t-shirt design shop? And which brands of ink/products do you recommend?

  2. Gdummar

    ciiiiii!!! wonderful wonderful wonderfully!!! i have a doubt.... could i do a smash to use to screen a cake? what kind of smash i should try, for paper or for textile! thanks thanks