The first step involved in screen printing is making the screen that will basically perform as a stencil for your printed design or artwork. Screens are made by transferring a transparent film with vector artwork printed onto it, called a positive, to a silky mesh surface with a chemical emulsion that is then exposed to light. The light causes for the chemical surface to dissolve around the printed design and results with a stencil for printing colour onto your desired garments. The screen must be washed at this point as to remove the residual emulsion from the surface and leave it ready for reuse in the future. You now have your screen and are ready to print onto your t-shirt or garment!
Once your screen is made up, your t-shirt or desired garment is placed onto a platen (looks like a small ironing board made for a t-shirt) and the screen onto the machine in the correct alignment for printing. It is vital to have the position correct otherwise your print will be out of alignment. The next step is to apply the coloured ink specific to your screen, which is rolled on with a squeegee and then transferred directly to your t-shirt or garment of choice. The machine then proceeds to rotate and expose the platen under light until the ink on the t-shirt or garment dries. This process continues to occur with each successive screen that is required by your design or artwork. Once all the colours are applied and dried, your t-shirt or garment is finished and ready for folding.