Screen Printing Screen

[Samuel]

Hello,

I just bought all the materials from the episode on screen printing a day or so ago except the actual screen. Does anyone have any suggestions on what type of material i should use as the actual screen?

thanks.

[kingXkong]

No, but if you go up to wal-mart or hobby lobby and ask, I am sure they could tell you, but if you were at hobby lobby, I would just buy a screen there, thats were I get mine from. Is this your first time to screen print?
If so, you should try the photo-emulsion method, you get GREAT results with that.

[superdoofus]

go to goodwill or your nearest actual thrift shop and get some synthetic crinoline-like material or other tight-mesh/non-stretchy sheer fabric.

[Miles]

high-quality mesh from a screen supply shop is actually pretty cheap. You can even pickup a pre-stretched wood framed screen for pretty cheap as well.

The correct screen tension & mesh count will make a huge difference in the quality and how the emulsion adhears to the screen.... just my 2 cents...

[rawr!]

Your best bet is to go to a fabric store. Art supply stores usually package the fabrice and inflate the price. Look for a very tight, nylon-ish, mesh fabric where you can see the individual squares formed by the thread.

[Number09]

In the video, it looked like they used panty hose.
But good luck stretching it over the hoop without it running (is that what it's called when it kind of rips?)

[RocketZoo]

A few weeks ago i tried this with some old sheer curtains, and it worked pretty well, I just stapled them over a wooden frame(like a photo frame, or a couple pieces of wood) with a staple gun like you would with a canvas. (The curtains came from a thrift store, or a garage sale, but don't spend a ton of money on them, ya know?) I got this from this awesome book called The Starving Artists Way by Nava Lubelski, and it details the whole screen printing process, including making your own screen. good luck!:D

[ryanmoore]

someone on here said that they used
used dryer sheets
they sewed them together
and BAM a screen
just make sure they are used


but then they also said it was alot harder
because the holes were exactly aligned like in a real screen
but it looked very vintage/edgy/really cool

[danceERINdance]

as already stated, panty hose was used in the video.. but in most, the knit is too big.. thus, the holes are too large and really hard to mod podge. i use sheer from old curtains.. or at most craft stores you can find similar things for dollar a yard or less

[Miles]

good mesh might be a few $ more upfront but you can get 1000's of prints out of it and re-tension it. Its really pretty cheap and you local screen supply shop may even have some scraps you can have for free.

[Amie]

i found that the best material to use is old curtains.
good luck!

[MamaSasss]

I use panty hoes and they work really well. As long as you don't stretch them too much they don't become too pixelated. And they won't run as long as they don't have runs in them already.

There is also the cost factor...
Curtain fabric: 10.00 and up
Panty hoes from Walgreens: 1.29