How to Screen Print Using Vinyl: Silhouette Tutorial

So you want to know how to screenprint with vinyl and Silhouette?! 

You've come to the right spot because today I'm going to show you how easy it is to cut a re-usable vinyl stencil with your  Silhouette to make screen print shirts with a silk screen.

How to Make Custom Reusable Screen Print Stencils for Shirts with Ikonart Textile Film

Making custom reusable screen print stencils for shirts and other textile fabrics has never been easier...and you can do it all at home!

The Ikonart Textile Film is the secret. I've been showing you how to use the Ikonart Stencil Making Kit to make reusable stencils for signs, but you can also use it to mesh screen stencils. 

How to Make Reusable Stencils with Silhouette Designs or SVGs

Making stencils for wood signs with Silhouette CAMEO is pretty straightforward and easy. There's only one problem with all of the cuttable materials (vinyl, stencil material, laminate sheets, paper, freezer paper): they all create single use stencils that require either a transfer tape/paper or hand placing.

But I recently discovered how to make custom DIY reusable stencils - with no cutting, no weeding, and no transfer tape - with my Silhouette designs and SVGs! 

The Ikonart Custom Stencil Making Kit is literally a game changer for sign makers and screen printers.  I am not only going to show you how to use this awesome kit AND I have a 15% off Ikonart coupon code (SILSCHOOL) for you if you decide to "need" to add this to your craft tool belt! 

Best Cleaner for Screen Printing Screens

I love to screen print with vinyl and heat transfer vinyl...but if you're not fast enough to clean your screen the paint can dry on the screen and/or stain it.

When this happens, the dried paint can end up with blocking bits of the screen...and no amount of soap, water and scrubbing will get it off. I was on a mission NOT to fully replace my screen and instead salvage it. 

Advantages of Screen Printing with Silhouette and Vinyl (and book #9)

I've shared tutorials on the blog previously about how to screen print with Silhouette vinyl...but I get a lot of questions about "why would I screen print rather than use heat transfer vinyl or a freezer paper stencil." So today I thought I'd answer that question, because it is a good one!

I should start off by saying I love screen printing, freezer paper stencils and heat transfer vinyl, but each has its own advantages and disadvantages.  When screen printing with Silhouette you cut a vinyl stencil, place it on a screen and use a squeegee to push an even layer of paint over a screen and onto the surface below.  It's then set with heat.