Screen Printing with a 3D Printer: How I Printed 200 Tote Bags Without Emulsion or Chemicals
I wanted to screen print a custom design onto 200 tote bags for a show we were attending, but the traditional method of exposing a screen with emulsion, light and chemicals, involved more steps and more materials than I had time for. I needed a faster, more accessible solution since the show was coming up quickly! I found a way to “expose” a screen printing silk screen using my 3D printer and some silk screen fabric.
First, before moving on to the full-size design, I tested the concept with a small 4x4" print to make sure the level of detail I needed would transfer properly. I used pieces of my design and created a grid and varying line sizes and directions to grasp if there was a level of detail I was capped to with my 3D printed screen print “exposure”. To my surprise, the test showed this method would worked well, surprisingly capturing the small details and sharp lines!
While the final result does have a handmade feel to it, I appreciated the slight imperfections—it added character to the finished product. I can’t say you won’t achieve a factory level of perfection with this method, I’m sure it is possible with some tweaks. Overall, the prints came out great and gave the bags a unique look. No two came out alike which made me love this aspect of the project.
Before we start, you will need a couple of supplies and tools:
3D printer - We use a Prusa MK4S
Silk screen
Screen printing squeegee
Screen printing ink - We used a water-based ink
Scrap wood and wood screws for your frame (or you can print one)
Two heavy flat surfaces larger than your exposure (sheets of glass, books, cutting boards)
Lots of rags
Parchment paper
An iron + ironing board
Designing and Slicing your Screen
I began by creating my design as a vector file in Adobe Illustrator. Since screen printing requires a stencil-like negative of your design, I converted my design accordingly and exported it as a one color SVG file for slicing. To do this using Illustrator, you will need to make your design a compound path, apply a square/rectangle over your entire design and artboard, and use the shape builder or pathfinder tool to cut out your negative from the square/rectangle. I did not mirror the design before slicing, and the orientation printed correctly as-is.
The design I wanted to print was larger than my Prusa MK4S print bed, so I split it into two separate SVG files and printed each section individually. Once my SVGs were exported, I brought them into PrusaSlicer. I scaled my svg so it was only 1 layer thick, I used .20mm, and set the printing height to .20 so it would not add any extra layers. My printer always prints the first layer at .20 regardless of the print’s selected height. Depending on your printer, it may be easier to just add a pause after the first layer of your print and then manually cancel the print if you cannot get your printer or slicer to only slice one layer.
Printing the Screen
I cut my silk screen fabric to be 3 inches larger than my design so I had space to securely wrap my screen around a frame when it came time to printing. I found my prints came out better when the printer was calibrated with the silk screen fabric already on the bed, as this gave a more accurate starting height for the nozzle. To secure the silk screen fabric to the print bed, I used a generous amount of small magnets to keep it flush to the bed. If you have an MK4s like me, you know it is hardcoded to automatically calibrate before each print. Make sure your magnets are not in the way of calibration by attaching them to the edges of the print bed and even underneath if needed. There were some spots, like the bottom left of the print sheet, where the purge line and nozzle cleaning take place before prints, where I actually added the magnets there after all the calibration was done. . I printed only one layer of PLA onto the fabric, effectively creating a raised stencil that allows ink to pass through the open spaces.
Since I printed my design in two prints, I roughly lined up where the print would start and printed the second half. Once the printing was complete, I noticed it was relatively easy to peel the negative off of the screen. This is good incase you make mistakes or have print errors, the design is easy to use, but it does mean you could lose small details or your exposure could start to lift as you use it. Since I had small details and would be making almost 200 bags, I wanted to make sure this design was permanent. I used parchment paper and an iron to press the filament into the fabric, ensuring better adhesion and preserving small design details. This step was essential for consistent results across a high-volume print run.
After ironing the design the fabric tended to curl and warp slightly after heating. To flatten it, I pressed the screen between two flat, heavy objects—glass sheets, hardcover books or cutting boards could work well. This helped maintain the screen’s flat shape which is essential during use.
Printing on Tote Bags
I used Speedball fabric screen printing ink for the transfers. After some trial and error, I found that a single, firm pass across the screen with a proper screen printing squeegee gave the best results. Since the squeegee i used was rather flimsy, the middle of my screen print would not receive as much ink as the edges did. To fix this, I cut a small piece off of the squeegee and did one section of the design at a time. Applying too much or too little ink led to issues with coverage or bleeding, it takes time and practice to figure out what motion works best for you and your design.
To ensure a smooth backing surface, I clamped a piece of glass to an ironing board and slid the tote bags onto it before printing. This jig would bend with the force required to transfer the ink so I rested my knee underneath to prevent it from tipping.
I found it was important to clean the back of the screen periodically during the process to remove dried ink, which would block parts of the design and cause incomplete prints.
The corners of the stencil were the most difficult areas to transfer cleanly—if I were to do this again, I would likely make the screen larger to allow for better tension and edge contact.
Curing Your Prints
To cure your design, I would follow what is recommended for the type of ink you are using. I used a Speedball water-based ink so I let the ink dry overnight and ironed them the next day for about 2-3 minutes each. This took forever with 200 bags, so I used two irons and put on a good movie.
Conclusion
Using a 3D printer to create a screen printing template proved to be a rewarding alternative to traditional screen exposure methods. This approach allowed me to complete a large volume of prints quickly, using tools I already had on hand. While the process introduced a few minor limitations and aesthetic diffrences, the results were consistent, cost-effective, and visually appealing.
This method is ideal for small-scale production runs or experimental projects, especially for creators looking to bridge digital and manual techniques.
