Continued from Steps to Screen Printing...

6. Take your newly exposed screen and lay it, frame side up on the t-shirt. You will need to keep the screen steady as you pass the squeegee over it, so use clamps or a willing friend to hold it down.

7. Choose the color ink you want. Using a spoon or Popsicle stick, begin laying some ink across the top of the screen-try to use an even amount of ink throughout this process.

8. Take your squeegee and place it above the ink on the screen. Holding it at a 45 to 60 degree angle, push down on it and begin passing the ink through the screen in a downward motion. When you reach the bottom, repeat the process-this time going up. Never move the shirt while doing this, since it will mess up your print.

9. Lift the screen off your shirt. You should have a brand new freshly painted t-shirt! You are free to print out another shirt, just repeat step #8. If you're done printing, leave your shirt where it is and begin the process of cleaning the ink from your screen before it dries-it's a pain to clean up if it does, so avoid it at all cost.

10. Using the squeegee, take any leftover ink from the screen and return it to its container. Take your screen to the nearest bathtub or sink and using soap and hot water, wash your screen. Use mineral spirits to scrub off stubborn ink from the screen. Once dried, you can keep the screen as it is in case you want to print out the same design in the future or you can reclaim the screen.

To reclaim the screen, you will need stencil remover to help remove the dried on emulsion. Apply the chemical on the screen and blast it with hot water, using a nylon bristled brush to break away the emulsion. Afterwards, degrease the screen using Simple Green or the unscented dish washing soap and let dry. Your screen is now be ready for another design.

An outline of the image you've just printed will most likely appear on the screen after you've cleaned it. This is called a ghost image and is perfectly normal, though slightly annoying. It shouldn't interfere with any future printing as long as the screen is clear or translucent when you hold it up to the light. If you find there is still some ink in between the screen’s mesh, use a degreaser and scrub some more.

Picture of ghost image. You can still use the screen as long as there's no ink blockage in the mesh.

11. Back to the shirt. Using the heat gun, hold the gun four to five inches away from the shirt and begin drying your printed design in a circular motion, spending no more than a few seconds on a particular spot to prevent scorching. Remember, the heat needs to reach at least 320 degrees Fahrenheit to fully set the ink in. Use the temperature gun to gauge how hot the heat coming from the heat gun is. Once finished, you should have a fully dried shirt.

Congratulations! Pat yourself on the back, 'cause you've just printed your very first shirt!