Darkroom Setup

• 1). Find a room that minimal light enters, like a bathroom or a basement.
  
  
• 2). Light-proof the room so minimal light enters. This can be done with black, plastic garbage bags that are taped, glued or stapled into place. Use two layers of plastic for the best results.
  
  
• 3). Set up a table in the darkroom that will allow you to set the screen up vertically so you can coat it easily. Cover this surface with newspapers, as this process will get messy. This is where you will coat your screens with emulsion and let them dry.
  
  
• 4). Burn the screen with a UV light by placing the image face down on the back of the screen and shining the UV light on it for about five minutes. Use a piece of plate glass to hold the image in place. Do this on any clean, flat surface.
  
  

Washing and Preping a Workspace

• 1). Clean your prepared screen thoroughly using a power washer or hose to loosen the soft emulsion and create holes for the ink to pass through. This can be done outside or in a garage. Spray the water where the image was, gently brushing the screen to help loosen the emulsion and then set out to dry.
  
  
• 2). Create a work surface for the actual screen-printing. On a flat, smooth surface, install the hinge clamps by drilling pilot holes and holding them in place with screws. Make sure they're tight and straight, and no farther apart than about half the width of your screen.
  
  
• 3). Clean the table to make sure you don't get a mess on the back of your printing surface, and make sure it is smooth so the squeegee can move freely.
  
  

Printing

• 1). Place your dried screen securely in the hinge clamps. Place a piece of newspaper underneath. Spread the ink in an even line above the image and then use the squeegee, held at about a 60-degree angle to the screen, to push the ink through by pulling it toward you quickly and smoothly.
  
  
• 2). Check the results of your printing. If they look good, move on to your printing paper. If not, keep practicing on new sheets of newspaper until you get it right.
  
  
• 3). Dry the images on a drying rack, the floor, out in the sun or on any flat surface where the images won't be dirtied or tampered with.
  
  
• 4). Clean all the ink off your screen when you are done, making sure to catch the ink in a sink or bucket to avoid staining the surface the screen is above. Remove the emulsion using emulsion remover, spraying liberally and avoiding contact with the skin as the remover is very acidic. Once the entire screen is washed out, set it aside to dry completely for your next print.