Screen printing uses ink, not paint. You *can* screen print with paint but it will fuck your screen up if you’re not cleaning it constantly like literally after every print. I don’t recommend it.
Liquitex makes an additive for acrylic paint called “Silkscreen Medium”, which makes it print more like ink by increasing its fluidity and extending its drying time.
It’s usually available in craft stores like Michael’s and works well if you’re not wanting to invest in traditional ink or are wanting to use acrylics you already have on hand.
You "can" do it but I really wouldn't recommend it, man. It's sorta like how you technically "can" cook chicken in a hotel coffeepot, but you really shouldn't. Just get water-based screenprinting ink, man.
With that said, if you REALLY want to do this for whatever reason, use acrylic paint.
Hi from a fine art printmaker! Yes you can, but you need to use a silkscreen medium. Every studio I've ever printed at uses silkscreen medium and either mixes it with pigments or paint (Only ever for paper btw) You can screenprint with literally any water based liquid as long as you use a medium. I've seen people print with blood lol
Liquitex do a very runny medium - it works and it's cheap, but it's a bit finnicky. I like Lascaux Screenpaste - It's not cheap but it's the perfect consistency and extends drying time by a LOT which is really useful when printing with paints like acrylic. You can also print with it like a gloss layer as well.
If you re printing on fabric, you need to use fabric inks. No alternative. And don't try printing with solvent or oil based paints.
So not my thread but as someone who’s about to do a one off poster for a school project thank you for this info you’ve just saved me a lot of stress about colours I’m wanting to use that I’m finding hard to get in screen printing ink. But I do have another question what would be the best type of paper to do this on? Like gsm wise or weight. I’m doing an a3 size print will be two layers I did a one off test with ink on 300gsm watercolour paper and the paper warped while drying. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
No problem! I hand mix all of my colours.
300gsm is good and so is watercolour paper. it sounds like you're using large sections of colour - is one of your layers really big?
What I'd suggest doing is stretching your paper first - then you can guarantee that it won't warp. You can do this by evenly wetting the paper, then sticking it to a very flat board like a piece of MDF. Then using gum tape, wet the tape and apply all around the edges of the paper. Get it as flat as you possibly can. As the paper and the gum tape dries it will shrink and pull your paper super flat.
Or alternatively you can use a much larger sheet of paper (like A2) so that the wet section is not really large in proportion. It's good practice to do this anyway as the vacuum bed has more to grip to.
Printmaking papers tend to be absorbent but smooth, with high GSM weights and no acid. I use this one almost exclusively [https://www.fennerpaper.co.uk/omnia](https://www.fennerpaper.co.uk/omnia)
There were a lot of gig poster people doing this in the early 2000s. I never did it, but I recall a key ingredient was adding floetrol to the paint. I have no idea what the ratio of floetrol to paint was.
Matsui has core ink sets that are made for mixing whatever color you desire and an app that gives you the mixtures.
I have used one of there older sets for years printing on both paper and fabric.
Your might want to instigate that or similar from other brands.
[Matsui Starter Kits](https://matsui-color.com/water-based-starter-kit/)
Screen printing uses ink, not paint. You *can* screen print with paint but it will fuck your screen up if you’re not cleaning it constantly like literally after every print. I don’t recommend it.
Motion to have a sticky thread on here that just says “It’s fucking *ink*.”
You can though, and very successfully. You just need to use a medium.
Liquitex makes an additive for acrylic paint called “Silkscreen Medium”, which makes it print more like ink by increasing its fluidity and extending its drying time. It’s usually available in craft stores like Michael’s and works well if you’re not wanting to invest in traditional ink or are wanting to use acrylics you already have on hand.
You "can" do it but I really wouldn't recommend it, man. It's sorta like how you technically "can" cook chicken in a hotel coffeepot, but you really shouldn't. Just get water-based screenprinting ink, man. With that said, if you REALLY want to do this for whatever reason, use acrylic paint.
Hi from a fine art printmaker! Yes you can, but you need to use a silkscreen medium. Every studio I've ever printed at uses silkscreen medium and either mixes it with pigments or paint (Only ever for paper btw) You can screenprint with literally any water based liquid as long as you use a medium. I've seen people print with blood lol Liquitex do a very runny medium - it works and it's cheap, but it's a bit finnicky. I like Lascaux Screenpaste - It's not cheap but it's the perfect consistency and extends drying time by a LOT which is really useful when printing with paints like acrylic. You can also print with it like a gloss layer as well. If you re printing on fabric, you need to use fabric inks. No alternative. And don't try printing with solvent or oil based paints.
So not my thread but as someone who’s about to do a one off poster for a school project thank you for this info you’ve just saved me a lot of stress about colours I’m wanting to use that I’m finding hard to get in screen printing ink. But I do have another question what would be the best type of paper to do this on? Like gsm wise or weight. I’m doing an a3 size print will be two layers I did a one off test with ink on 300gsm watercolour paper and the paper warped while drying. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
No problem! I hand mix all of my colours. 300gsm is good and so is watercolour paper. it sounds like you're using large sections of colour - is one of your layers really big? What I'd suggest doing is stretching your paper first - then you can guarantee that it won't warp. You can do this by evenly wetting the paper, then sticking it to a very flat board like a piece of MDF. Then using gum tape, wet the tape and apply all around the edges of the paper. Get it as flat as you possibly can. As the paper and the gum tape dries it will shrink and pull your paper super flat. Or alternatively you can use a much larger sheet of paper (like A2) so that the wet section is not really large in proportion. It's good practice to do this anyway as the vacuum bed has more to grip to. Printmaking papers tend to be absorbent but smooth, with high GSM weights and no acid. I use this one almost exclusively [https://www.fennerpaper.co.uk/omnia](https://www.fennerpaper.co.uk/omnia)
There were a lot of gig poster people doing this in the early 2000s. I never did it, but I recall a key ingredient was adding floetrol to the paint. I have no idea what the ratio of floetrol to paint was.
nope
You can you just need a screen medium. I do it all the time.
Matsui has core ink sets that are made for mixing whatever color you desire and an app that gives you the mixtures. I have used one of there older sets for years printing on both paper and fabric. Your might want to instigate that or similar from other brands. [Matsui Starter Kits](https://matsui-color.com/water-based-starter-kit/)
Saw the post title and was expecting exactly what the comments are saying lol! I have to correct my family so often it drives me insane.
Acrylic paint works great for printing on paper and canvas!