So, you have selected a print workshop to attend, or you thought you would give screen printing a go by yourself, congratulations! We are happy for you!

But what comes next after choosing the material you wish to print on? Creating a design of course!

Here are our top tips for creating the perfect design for your first print!

1) Keep it basic!
For your first design we recommend keeping the design very simple, try not to have intricate details that require an expert hand to ensure the ink reaches every inch of the material. Start with block patterns or text and as you feel more and more confident you can introduce more intricate details.

2) Choose a few colours!
Feel free to experiment with adding different inks to your material, you will need different screens to separate the design into their colours. Coat each screen with emulsion and place a film over the top only where you want the coloured ink to come through. Expose the film and you are good to start printing each colour onto your fabric.

3) Choose an easy fabric!
Some fabrics are harder to print on than others, particularly if you are looking to print several times to get different colours. Start easy with a tote bag, pillowcase, or t-shirt. You can even print on posters or cards.

4) When selecting a design, ensure it is high-quality!
Ensure that the image is crisp and defined. When you start printing you may find that any fuzziness in the graphic causes the inks to bleed into each other slightly.

5) Try to avoid effects on the design.
Similarly, your design might look improved with drop shadows and blurring whilst on the screen, but when it comes to printing, you might find that inks bleed into each other and the effects do not look as good.

Looking for a screen-printing workshop in London? Have you seen our blog on the best workshops we have found! If not, check it out here: Best Workshops.