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So, you’re looking to venture into screen-printing but Projects
are scared of the whole process of printing on a
How to Use
transparency films and just don’t know how that
Transfer Tape
works?
Brother Scan and
Well, chill out, you’re not alone. Cut Review
Most screen printing gurus felt that way at first. Today,
we’re here to explicate the process step by step. By
the time you’re done reading this post, you will be
amazed to know the process is not that complicated
after all.

So, what’s a transparency paper?

A transparency paper is simply a thin sheet of

translucent, flexible material onto which you can draw
images and transfer them to a screen coated in a
photo emulsion by exposure to light.

When the light hits, the emulsion hardens and the

parts of the screen covered by black ink stay soft and
you can wash them out effortlessly with water. A
detailed design is left on the screen, and you can
transfer it onto your fabric.

Doesn’t sound much like a piece of cake, does it?

Don’t give up yet, we’re here to take you through the

process step by step, and at the end of it, you will
realize how simple it really is.

Check Transparency Paper on Amazon

STEPS TO PRINTING ON
TRANSPARENCY PAPER FOR
SCREEN PRINTING
(1) First, you need to pick or create a design, and
convert it to black and white. Keep in mind that images
that are already black and white will not work and
neither will gray scales and colors. Also, halftones will
work only if the dots aren’t too small.

(2) Use a photo software to edit the images. On the

software, click the ink icon and position the cursor on
the black part of the design. G, B and R ought to all be
0. Next, position the cursor over the white area, and
ensure that the G, B and R are all 255. Once you finish
doing this, the image is now ready for printing.

(3) Now, log your image onto a word doc and resize it
based on how big you’d like your design to be. Ensure
that you are working with an image that is big enough
to stretch as much as possible prior to pixelation. If you
can spot the pixels, then the printed image will be
great on your fabric as well.

Transparency papers normally have a smooth, slick

side, and a textured/rough one. Ensure that when you
load the paper into your printer, the rough side is the
one that gets printed.

The slick part of the paper prevents the ink from

drying. If you find it hard to distinguish the printable
side of the transparency paper, gently dab one of its
corners with water. The printable side will feel a little
sticky.

(4) Before you proceed to printing on the paper, be

sure to set the printer to its highest or best DPI (dots
per inch). Most of the time, you can just print the
transparency paper under the typical paper setting but
sometimes you’ll need to choose “specialty paper”.
Some printers also have the “transparency paper”
setting.

(5) As soon as the transparency paper is printed, let it

dry for a few minutes before using it.

Tips to Help You Make Better Transparency Papers for

Screen Printing

(i) The lines have got to be solid. If you’re designing

your image by hand, don’t use pens or markers that
leave jagged edges. If, however, you’re doing it on the
computer, do not work in the RBG color mode but
rather use bitmap or greyscale without anti-aliasing.

(ii) The ink you use needs to be dark. The dark color
helps block the light. You ought to use black color
regardless of the ink color you’re looking to put in the
screen to come up with your final print.

(iii) The easiest way of designing your image is to do it

on the computer, and here are a few advantages to
support this:

Making modifications is extremely easy. You only

have to click a few buttons on the computer and

print a new transparency paper in case there are

errors.

You can easily save a copy as backup in case

something happens to the transparency paper.

You can store your design on your cloud storage

site like Drop Box or Google Drive and access it

from anywhere; you’ll have your design even if

you’re miles away from your computer. This is not

only convenient but also safe.

Check Transparency Paper on Amazon

HERE ARE SEVERAL

CONSIDERATIONS TO MAKE WHEN
DESIGNING YOUR GRAPHIC FOR
SCREEN PRINTING:

Size
 Degree of detail

Type of ink

Color of ink

Type of fabric to be printed

Variation of the degree of detail in the design

Complication of the graphic

SIZE
Before you design your graphic, remember that
different screen printers come with different
transparency film sizes. Some, like the Merchmakr kit
come with 8.5" x 11" image areas, while others, like the
Merchmakr system, come with larger image areas of
around 11" x 11" and with a little dexterity, you can push
it out to around 12" x 12". Nonetheless, pushing that
size will leave you with very little room to work the
squeegee. Fortunately, there are a few ways in which
you can achieve great results even with large sizes:

Use bigger transparency papers and bigger

printers too.
Paste up a few transparency papers together.
Be observant of how they overlap.
Tile the design as you print, assuming the
strategy of printing sections of the garment as
you go.

DEGREE OF DETAIL
Note that images with more detail are harder to pull off
than bold-type images with thicker lines and bigger
dots. If you’re looking to make your work easier, come
up with a design whose lines are thicker than a pencil
lead and whose fonts are greater than 12 points. Some
screen printers can handle a higher degree of detail
but the further you wander from the easy mode, the
more expertise you will require to print that image.

COLOR OF INK
Different ink colors have different traits. Lighter colors
tend to be more viscous than darker ones, making
them more difficult to print. Sometimes, you can just
move to lower mesh screens, like 100 mesh (if the
degree of detail in your image is low) to make the
printing process easier.

If your ink is transparent or a little clear, you might

have to apply an underbase or a double print to help it
show up on darker fabrics. An underbase is simply a
layer of white ink or any other light-colored ink that
you can print as a base on a darker-colored garment
for other colors to sit on. It, generally, masks the dark
color of the garment.

TYPE OF INK
There are 2 main types of ink that screen printers use –
plastisol and waterbased inks. Let’s examine them
quickly:

PLASTISOL INK
This is the most popular ink the US, probably because
of its ability to sit on screens for long periods without
drying and its high opacity too. Other factors that have
contributed to its popularity include high flexibility and
durability. Specialty plastisols are likewise popular and
frequently sold off as bases and additives.

Plastisol ink is a thermoplastic (made up of PVC

materials dangled in plasticizing emulsion), and thus it
doesn’t penetrate the fabric deeply. In that regard, it’s
opaquer on colored garments than most other inks.
Plastisol sits on textile materials and gives the design
a ‘plasticy’ feel.

Plastisol ink doesn’t dry until it’s cured with high heats
of around 325 °F. That means that you can leave it in
the screen for a long time and it won’t dry or ruin the
mesh. You could even scrap it off and return it to the
container for re-use. Also, the ink is very user-friendly
and you can use it right out of the container.

Although this type of ink appears to be perfect, it’s

associated with a few drawbacks too. Being a
thermoplastic, it melts when it comes into contact with
items that are very hot, such as a hot iron box. That will
make the design to smear over the garment, thus
ruining it. The design will be safe in your ordinary dryer
though.

Plastisol ink is very popular among screen printers

particularly because of its ability to stabilize even after
adding additives. Common additives for plastisol ink
include:

Puff ink – raises the ink off the fabric, giving it a

3-dimensional look and feel after the curing
process.
Glitter ink – usually made of metallic flakes, this
additive gives the design a sparkle effect.
Nylobond – this additive makes it possible for
you to print onto waterproofed surfaces like
nylon.
Suede – gives your design a suede-like touch.

Screen Printing - How to Screen Print Yo…

Pro tip for using plastisol ink – don’t use a wooden
stick to mix the ink, as the wood will absorb the
plasticizer out of it. Consider using a stainless-steel
spatula instead.

II. WATER-BASED INK

Though water-based ink is a little less popular than
plastisol ink, it’s actually the perfect option for placing
darker colors onto lighter-colored fabrics. This ink can
also come in handy when placing large designs onto
large fabric areas where the feel is crucial.

Water-based ink penetrates the fabric more deeply

than plastisol does, and therefore it gives your design
a much softer touch. The ink cures at around 225 °F
and unlike plastisol, it can be air-dried.

What if you’re looking to print on darker-colored

garment? That’s okay, discharge ink, which is a type of
water-based ink, will cut it.

III. DISCHARGE INK

Discharge ink is a water-based ink variety that
produces a soft design; it’s used only with dark cotton
fabrics. This ink contains activating agents and
pigment components. The activating agents bleach
the garment to its natural fabric color, while the
pigment components dye the bleached fabric.
Discharge ink cures at around 225 °F but it too can be
air-dried.

The bad side of discharge ink is that after mixing it, it

remains viable for up to 8 hours only, and therefore it
can be more wasteful than plastisol ink. Also, it’s not
very user-friendly, and in that regard, you have to use it
in a properly-ventilated area. If you have to touch it,
you have to wear gloves to avoid contacting the
dangerous chemicals in it.

We’d recommend that you use plastisol ink, especially

if you’re thinking of a DIY job. That’s because plastisol
ink is safe (doesn’t contain dangerous chemicals), it’s
not wasteful as it can sit for long periods without
drying, and you can re-use it, thus making it a very
economical option.

(E) TYPE OF FABRIC

When considering the easiest fabric to print on, cotton
will often be your best choice. Other people prefer a
blend of cotton with other fabrics, especially polyester.
Whatever fabric you choose, we suggest testing your
ink for suitability first, especially if you’re working with
a critical garment. For fabrics that don’t contain cotton,
you will most likely require special inks.

Remember, additives can help change the properties

of your ink, increasing or decreasing its opacity, and
even influence the degree of detail you can achieve in
the design you’re creating.

(F) VARIATION OF DETAIL LEVEL IN YOUR

DESIGN
If your design has high variation in the degree of detail
in it, that can spell trouble. For instance, if some zones
appear great with just a little ink deposit while other
zones appear better with a heavier deposit, you might
want to modify the design or use separate screens
even though you’re working with just one color.

Normally, huge color fields with thin ink deposits will

appear spotty. On the other hand, thin lines and small
fields that are close together will blur if heavy ink
deposits are utilized. Having both fields on the same
screen will only make your print more difficult.

Final word

As soon as you’re done working on your design on

your computer, add registration marks in the top,
bottom and center of the graphic to make correct
placement of the transparency paper easier.

With most printers, the transparency should be printed

on the “mirror image” setting. Basically, the printing
should be done backwards. You will want to make the
image as dark as possible. You can experiment with
your printer until you’re able to get your darkest result.

Once the film is printed, hold it in light and look for any
faint spots. In case you’re looking to go pro, an inkjet
printer with black ink in the cartridges will help you do
a very fine job.

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