DIY Life

Speedball Ultimate Screen Printing Kit
Street Price: around $100-150

If you're looking to get into screen printing, this is actually a pretty good kit. There are, however, a few items missing and a couple of caveats. First, don't count on making fabric prints out of this box alone. The description says it is possible (which it is), but the inks included are NOT designed for fabric use, they are for printing on wood, cardboard, etc. Also, and I realize I'm being picky, but you'll want to invest in a storage container. There was a time when Speedball boxes were sturdy enough to hold everything, but the box is way too flimsy. That and you're gonna need to buy a few extra items before you get started.

What you do get is a complete introduction to the primary three methods for screen printing: stencil printing, resist printing and photo emulsion printing. The box comes with a DVD for instruction, although it is a mediocre dub from a VHS (complete with tracking issues at the start). Grab a notebook and come coffee while you take notes on the process. You won't be doing half the stuff you see in the video at first, but it is a great overview for what you can do in screen printing.

Now, onto the actual printing process and how I was able to make t-shirts with a little extra ink.

The Print Gocco is a screen printing device from Japan. It's only about the size of an average shoe box, but it allows you to print just about anything you can imagine... as long as your design is around 4"x6".

Print Gocco was originally created as a card printing machine, long before electronic printers with good image quality were affordable and widely available for home use. So what better way to demonstrate its basic capabilities than by making some cool holiday cards? (You can also use what you learn in this tutorial to make all the wedding stationery you could possibly need.)

The process takes some set-up, but once you've chosen and prepared your design, you can easily print off a bunch of unique, artistic cards in less than an hour. Join me after the break to find out how!

Recently, we talked about screen printing: the versatile medium in which you can create anything from a simple t-shirt to a complex, multi-layered fine art print. Screen printing is easy, if you pay attention to detail, but people sometimes avoid it just because it can take up an inconvenient amount of space.

Another way you can screen print at home is with a small machine called a Print Gocco (pronounced go-co, not gah-co). It's made only by a single company, Japan's RISO, and uses proprietary supplies. It's compact enough to use in even a very small apartment, so it's a great solution for people with limited space... as long as you don't mind that it makes small prints.

Over the last few years, Print Gocco has become one of the most talked-about tool for artists and crafters. You can join me after the break to read more about it!

I have to admit that silk-screening, AKA screen printing, is a craft that was once a little bit mysterious to me. One reason it confused me for such a long time is that the tools and terms used in it are specialized: if you aren't a silk-screener already, or being directly taught by one, it might be difficult to figure out what "photo emulsion" is and how it works. (This is probably the case with most printmaking processes!)

However, screen printing is really not difficult at all. Join me after the break to learn about several methods. This article is the first in a series: next week, we'll learn all about the compact Japanese screen printing system called the Print Gocco, and we'll even use it to make a nifty holiday card.