Making an EZScreen Stencil
Detailed instructions are included in all kits and refill packs.

 

DIY Screen Printing - Printing the Transparency Artwork
Start by printing your artwork on either the Ink Jet or Laser/Copier transparency provided in the EZScreen Basic or Complete Kit. View detailed instructions of printing your artwork if you need further assistance or tips. 

 

DIY Screen Printing - Peel Backing on Clear Board
Peel off the protective backing on both sides of the clear board (part of the exposure board unit).

 

DIY Screen Printing - Center the Transparency on Clear Board
Center artwork on the clear board so it is legible if there is wording.

 

DIY Screen Printing - Peel Clear Backing from Stencil
Peel clear protective backing from EZScreen Stencil. Discard clear backing.

 

DIY Screen Printing - Center Stencil on Transparency
Place EZScreen Stencil on artwork, shiny (emulsion) side down.

 

DIY Silk Screen Printing - Add Black Felt Board
Add black board (part of the exposure board unit) felt side down.

 

DIY Screen Printing - Add Clips to Exposure Unit
DIY Screen Printing - Be Sure Clips do Not Cover Stencil
Add Clips. Flip over to be sure the clips do not cover the stencil and artwork during exposure. Your artwork will appear reversed. 

 

DIY Silk Screen Printing - Cover Stencil
Cover the stencil with something opaque, like the chipboard provided in the stencil packs. Keep the stencil covered to prevent additional light from pre-exposing the stencil until you are ready to expose to light source.

 

DIY Silk Screen Printing - Expose the Stencil
Remove the cover and expose outside in direct sunlight for 1 minute. Use something to prop the exposure unit perpendicular to the sun if necessary. After one minute, cover exposure unit again with chipboard to prevent over exposure.
Temperature does not matter; however, summer months may take less time to expose than winter months. Exposure time may vary per location, time of day, etc.
If sunlight is not available, we strongly recommend using one of our tested artificial lights to expose the stencils. Using your own light may result in over or under exposed stencils.

 

DIY Screen Printing - Soak the Stencil
Soak in a sink or bucket of tap water for a minimum of 15 minutes. A ghost image will appear.

 

DIY Screen Print - Rinse the Stencil
Use a plastic canvas to support the EZScreen stencil during rinsing. Rinse with cold or lukewarm tap water. A kitchen sprayer works great. If needed, use a soft brush to remove excess residue on the emulsion side of the stencil (reversed side). Be sure all the emulsion residue is completely rinsed off otherwise the ink will not go through the silkscreen.

 

DIY Silk Screen Printing - Cure the Stencil
Cure the stencil in sunlight. This process solidifies the emulsion to the silk screen mesh, making it permanent and reusable.
Emulsion side should be facing up towards sunlight (5-10 minutes). If it's windy, place weights on the stencil like tiles from a hardware store. Rotate the tiles so the stencil cures evenly.

 

Custom DIY Silk Screen Printing Stencil
Now your EZScreen DIY screen print stencil is ready to use!

 

DIY Screen Printing - Test the Exposure Process
We strongly recommend testing this process first with the small EZScreen test piece provided in every black bag. Do not print a different transparency or design for this step as you want to test the desired artwork. Place the small test piece over the most detailed portion of the design and follow the steps above. If you encounter any problems with the test piece, view our Troubleshooting page for help or contact us right away for assistance.

 

View our How-To Make a DIY Screen Printing Stencil video:

 

2 comments

Sep 19, 2022
Beth Behrhorst

Someone gave me a speedball silkscreen light just like the one you carry. I have a whole supply of your silkscreen material already. Could you give me instructions on using the light instead of the unreliable sunshine! Thank you so much…. Beth

Jan 04, 2022
wendy cummings

Hello, when I placed my screen in the sink I could see a very light shadow but it didn’t seem to get any clearer or darker as the 15 minutes past. Once I took it out of the sink I could seethe emulsion was not removed from the back side so I repeated the cleaning steps as directed, no improvement, again 3 more times, nothing. I tried to see if it would print, no dice. I’m very disappointed. Would you please help with where to problem might be? I would like to see a video on printing your image but I’m pretty sure it was on the correct side. Thanks!

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