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Which Screen Printing kit should I choose?

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Our Kits have been put together by experts, with many years of screen printing experience. All our products are used by professionals and could have been used to print the very T-shirt you are wearing right now. Our inks are perfect for crafters, as they are waterbased meaning they are safe & easy to use, they are also environmentally friendly, meaning you can clean your inky screens in household sinks. Our ink is super Opaque and produces great print results on light and dark coloured paper.

We also pride ourselves on the wide range of kits that we have on offer here, starting at kits for crafters, all the way up to expert! Here we explain about our beginners’ kits and the options that we have and if they will be best suited to you.

HOW WE RATE OUR KITS

We use a squeegee rating system to rate the skill level of each kit , this works a bit like a star rating, starting from 1 squeegee for the easiest to use kit up to a 4 squeegee rating for the most advanced level that we have available

IMAGE OF SKILL LEVEL BEGINNER
IMAGE OF SKILL LEVEL BEGINNER
skill level intermediate
skill level intermediate
advanced skill level logo
advanced skill level logo
expert level logo
expert level logo

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We have designed a range of kits with complete beginners in mind, all these kits are great for getting you started, small enough to be stored in a cupboard, under a bed, in a box or a craft room. They are really easy to use and are perfect if you want to try this craft out but also produce decent quality prints. we give these a 1 squeegee out of 4 for skill level meaning it is simple enough for anybody to use and with a bit a supervision the perfect option to keep kids entertained during the holidays.

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INTERMEDIATE KIT BANNER FOR BLOG

Our Intermediate Kits have been curated by our experts for artists/crafters who have a little bit of experience with screen printing or for creators who want to dive in at a more advanced level.

Some of these kits may need a bit of assembly, but are extremely easy to use and put together.

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ADVANCED KIT BLOG BANNER

Here at Crafty Screen, we make it our aim to set you up and get you started on your journey to becoming a master screen printer!

These kits include everything you need to produce screen prints using the emulsion method, so involve a technical level of print knowledge.

Here at Crafty Screen, we make it our aim to set you up and get you started on your journey to becoming a master screen printer!

These kits include everything you need to produce screen prints using the emulsion method, so involve a technical level of print knowledge. They include screen printing presses and have the potential to do many print runs. Essentially you could start a small business with one of these kits.

if you are looking to expand your horizons and grow your hobby, you can visit our big Sister company Screen Print World where we have a massive range of equipment, supplies, and pro kits.

How to print with Craft Vinyl

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All THE EQUIPMENT YOU WILL NEED

We love using our Vinyl printing kit, it contains all you will need to create a vinyl stencil.

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  1. Squeegee
  2. Screen
  3. Black Waterbased Ink
  4. Yellow Scraper
  5. wooden sticks
  6. Craft Vinyl
  7. Transfer Tape

OPTIONAL

  1. Hinges or a hinge board kit
  2. Squand Squeegee Stand
  3. Goop scoop
  4. Eco Cleaning products
  5. Heat Gun
  6. A Vinyl cutter

STEP 1

CUT THE VINYL DESIGN

Design and cut your vinyl with your vinyl cutter, you can also cut this by hand with a craft knife if you don’t have a vinyl cutter.

We use a stencil that we drew in Procreate and cut around using a craft knife for this demo.

STEP 2

WEED THE DESIGN AND APPLY THE TRANSFER TAPE

Carefully weed your design then put transfer tape on top of the vinyl and remove the paper backing.

STEP 3

PUT THE DESIGN ON YOUR SCREEN

Place the frame face down on a firm surface and apply your vinyl design in the centre of the mesh screen on the back side of the frame (the side that touches the shirt). Putting the design on the back of the screen  keeps the vinyl from peeling up while pulling the squeegee over the design.

STEP 4

PEEL THE TRANSFER TAPE AWAY

After you get the design smoothly applied to the screen, carefully peel the transfer tape away.

Once you get the transfer tape off the vinyl, Clear low Tack  tape to cover the open areas of the screen, if you have any to prevent the ink transferring on to your garment.

This is where screen printing becomes more economical (and time saving) than iron-on vinyl (HTV). HTV can get expensive when doing a bunch of shirts. With screen printing, you can reuse the same stencil over and over.

Place the screen on to your garment.

STEP 5

SPREAD AND SQUEEGEE THE INK.

Spread a spoonful of ink across the top of the screen above the design and squeegee the ink over the design by pressing down firmly and pulling toward you.

water based inks are the key to making screen printing at home possible. You don’t have to worry about getting them on your skin and  can be washed down the sink when your finished. You also don’t require any fancy equipment to cure the ink, they can be cured simply with a hot iron.

REVEAL YOUR FINISHED PRINT

SHOP OUR VINYL KIT

How To Make a Hinged Board for Screen Printing

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Using a hinged board to screen print onto paper is an easy way to create professional prints at home, essentially you are making your very own print press, that is portable, cheap and can be used to print paper, card, or fabric. It allows you to register layered prints and print in identical editions. Why wouldn’t you set one up!

 

Ideally You will need a board at least the same width and slightly longer than your screen. It needs to be a smooth, rigid, wipeable surface. Laminated melamine. We use our hinge board Print kit to create this as it includes all the bits you will need for the job.

However, you could use any sturdy board that you have, MDF would be perfect! We suggest the board being at least 20mm in depth.

You may want to use your board for different sized screens so make sure your hinge clamps are close enough to accommodate all the sizes you would like to print.

 

Here is how we made ours

 

STEP 1 . Use a marker pen and a ruler to create a guideline and to mark through the holes on the hinge clamps.

 

 

STEP 2. Drill holes where you have marked the board, using an electric drill.

 

 

STEP 3. Screw the hinge clamps down to the board.

 

 

STEP 4. Secure the screen into the hinge clamps by turning the wingnuts. You should now be able to lift your screen up and down.