Monoprinting on Fabric with Speedball® Screen Printing Inks and Gel Printing Plates

Featuring professional printmaker, Amy Nack, this video provides inspiring instruction on how to combine the world of gel printing with textile art. Using Speedball’s® Fabric Screen Printing Ink, Amy showcases creative and unique approaches to create monoprints on fabric, opening up a whole new world of printing potential to gel printing enthusiasts!

[@purpleheart1836]

Thank you for the care and patience you show in teaching, it's a pleasure to watch your videos. I was wondering (interested in making pillow cases), what is the wash-ability on the fabrics and you mentioned heat set also, can you elaborate on that process briefly?

[@speedball_art]

Thank you for your kind words! Once these fabrics are heat set, they will remain permanent through the wash. The process of heat setting is outlined in another great instructional video at our Speedball Art Products KZbin channel if you'd like more information on that element.

[@dkburruss]

This is fabulous and I could see I would get addicted quickly but what the heck would I do with all these beautiful pieces of fabric. I need ideas to make this worth it otherwise I’m just gonna have piles and piles of beautiful fabric for no good reason. Someone please help me justify going out and buying all these things to do this fabulous beautiful art

[@amynack8908]

Hi, I have made quilts and wall hangings, covered pillows, even upholstered a chair. Adding embroidery can really enhance the prints. You can do this on canvas bags and a number of fabrics. I will suggest that the smoother the fabric the better the results will be with this process.

[@karenharvey2549]

Thank you for such clear instructions with amazing results.

[@sunitaadukia125]

Pls if u could explain how to print on larger PC of fabric would be wonderful

[@annphilbeck5174]

Thank you for your tutorial. This was very informative!

[@Bella-d1v9y]

Just learning ink...thanks.

[@a3dpntr]

I didn't understand how she got the fabric to lay on the gel plate without immediately picking up ink when she did the second demo and mentioned it was a trace monotype technique. I bought this setup but no luck trying this second demo. Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks.

[@speedball_art]

Hello! She has a very thin coating of ink on the plate for that method, by pulling excess off with a paper first, then she just lightly draped the fabric over the gel plate but does not press it in. Then when she presses the objects in that causes the fabric to make more contact with the gel plate and pick up the ink, and the other areas do not due to it being a thin coat of ink and not pressing those areas of the fabric down.

[@chilkakanika1456]

What do you do with these beautiful pieces.?

[@carolgrzeschik9700]

I wondered the same thing. Do you make pillow covers or something??? Absolutely beautiful. I would love to see some finished pieces.

[@no_peace]

I've seen people use them as panels in tote bags or quilts but I didn't know how they made them! This is so cool

[@bikerleathertv]

Can you show us examples of what the cloth you printed is made into?

[@amynack8908]

Hi, if you look in the background of the video I printed some squares to create a quilt pattern. It works great on T-shirts, cotton dish towels and napkins, too. I've even printed plain hot pads

[@speedball_art]

We have seen so many wonderful examples of how these can be used. Many have opted to create quilts, others pillowcases, while we've also seen things like aprons, dish towels and hot pads. LOTS of potential for creating big impact with little squares of fabric!

[@wendymaybury6329]

Is this Speedball an American product or can I purchase it in England??

[@speedball_art]

Speedball is an American brand, but you can purchase our products at various suppliers in England, you can use this tool to search retailers near you www.speedballart.com/find-a-store/ as well as products can be found on Amazon UK. Thank you!

[@anneoneill4026]

Absolutely beautiful

[@tasfiamukta8632]

জটিল🖤

[@Pjwilliamson55]

How can you cover the whole fabric piece?

[@speedball_art]

Some people do repeated patterns to fill out the whole print surface!

[@susane945]

Fabulous! Thanks for sharing 😊❤❤❤

[@narelle613]

Can this method be used to print on a long crochet panel?

[@speedball_art]

Yes, you can! Although we have never tested it ourselves. We have seen people doing it with good results. There are some tutorials online!

[@michaelhemmingartist]

Beautiful work, thank you for the informative video.

[@dthadalluki6931]

I am stuck in a problem while block printing on fabric and in need for your advice. My prints were very light on fabric. It is because of ink dry very fast or because of my hard rubber brayer. Any suggestion about how to increase drying time of ink also, could soft rubber brayer can solve this problem? I am using water based ink (black pigments,binder and thickner). Speedball inks and brayer are not available here. I have to import them. Which is costly. And i am not sure that they will solve my problem. Thanks

[@speedball_art]

Since you are not using our inks, it is difficult for us to lend advice specific to an alternative formulation. When printing on fabric in general, however, we do know that using many light layers of ink to apply to the block is preferred versus a single heavy application. Additionally, it is possible the brand of ink you are using has a retarder available that can extend the open time. To help facilitate transfer, our pro artists recommend using layers of scrap fabric or an old sheet folded that is placed under your printing area to increase your ability to have leverage when printing. Prewashing the fabric is also highly recommended. Hoping these tips help specific to the brand you are using!

[@dthadalluki6931]

@@speedball_art I am really grateful for the tips. Its very helpful info for me. Can i ask, if i can use speedball deluxe soft rubber brayer with water based inks?

[@speedball_art]

@@dthadalluki6931 Hello and happy to help! Yes, our soft rubber brayers can be used with water- or oil-based inks. If used with water washable oil-based inks, you may see some stickiness occur. If that happens, you can simply roll in something like baby powder or talc between uses to remove. Thanks!

[@surendersingal2192]

Thank you lady madam for sowing me the awesome techniques ( possibly your innovation) in printing designs on fabric with Nature,s gifts. Thank you so much for making world a Rasbeey like colorful. Jussojuan

[@speedball_art]

My pleasure 😊

[@amynack8908]

The tool is called a Baren and is a Speedball product.

[@nora_ai]

Does the ink go with the cleaning?

[@speedball_art]

The inks can easily be wiped from the plate using water and a mild soap or by using something like a baby wipe.

[@luciennedeschaux3676]

Thank you for these great video. My question is if the paint stay good after washing it?

[@speedball_art]

The Fabric Screen Printing Ink is permanent on the fabric if you properly heat set per the recommended steps. We use a household iron set to the temperature corresponding to your fabric and exposing to the heat for just a couple of minutes will allow the inks to fully cure.

[@gururduygudagli3040]

Hello we wonder about the organic fabric(cotton or bambu) which we want to ise to print. İf you try this fabric can you tell us how is the prosess. And after the print did you iron the fabric to fix it? That is necessary?? Thank you very much we love your artwork:))

[@speedball_art]

We do not have formal testing specific to bamboo fabric, but our technical team has verified that our inks would be suitable for use with it. The Fabric Screen Printing Inks do require a heat set in order to be permanent through the wash, and we would recommend the use of a household iron in order to do that. Thank you!

[@deniseatdevoncheycreations2312]

I really like the technique you used pressing in the designs from the back. How do you keep the ink from transfering onto the fabric when you first lay it down?

[@speedball_art]

The inks will transfer immediately once the fabric makes contact with the plate. Amy is very meticulous about the location of the placement prior to getting the fabric to plate to ensure a great print every time!

[@antoniodelacruziii3285]

Great video. Any advice on dealing w fabric ink drying too quickly? How time typically between rolling out the ink and laying the fabric down?

[@speedball_art]

This specific technique does typically require a larger amount of ink on the plate to ensure workability on the plate. If you are working in a particularly arid environment, you can always use our Fabric & Acrylic Retarder Base with the inks to slow the inks' drying time.

[@authentickmindset]

Hi can we use fabric ink for stencil painting on fabric as well? I'm looking for an option which is soft after painting almost like machine printed fabric.

[@speedball_art]

we would not recommend our ink for painting with stencils as the ink needs to be fully transferred into the fabric's fibers to cure. Painting often just allows for enough pressure to have the ink lay on top of the surface and would not guarantee permanence in the wash. Hope that helps!

[@donnacamp5663]

love this It took me 6 months to fine fabric that look like fish I did a fish quilt for my son and this would be perfect to make my own colors on the fabric is this washable after you make a quilt or should I just use it for wall hanging projects thanks so much for a great and useful video

[@amynack8908]

You can heat set the screenprinting ink with an iron. I use a commercial dryer and put all my prints in on the highest setting for about 45 minutes.

[@GOlivelovelaugh1]

Thank you so much for posting this great video demonstration given me a lot of insight into this mono printing technique with gel plate 😊 can't wait to get printing !

[@heelerjustheeler879]

What is the typical working time of this ink? Is it as fast drying as acrylic paint or does it give you more working time than that? Thanks!

[@speedball_art]

The open time on this ink would be longer than that of acrylic paints. Hope that helps!

[@rommycougar]

Is it the same screen printing ink that's used for tshirts? Would this technique work on tshirts with speed ball tshirt screen printing inks?

[@speedball_art]

Yes, this is our Fabric Screen Printing Ink and would absolutely work for printing images directly onto a t-shirt. Heat set is still required for the inks after allowed time to dry. Thanks!

[@backtohealth1212]

I really love what you do. I would appreciate if you made a list of tools which is needed to do the prints and where to get it. Thank you

[@speedball_art]

Thanks for watching! The best resource is Speedball's website (www.speedballart.com) and then head to Gel Printing Plates under "Product Lines." There, you can find a great kit to get started gel printing!

[@cynthiabusic-snyder4617]

What is printing plate made of? Is it shiny (smooth) or matte (a slight texture)?

[@speedball_art]

The material is proprietary as it is specifically-formulated for use with printmaking inks. The materials is clear and has a slight shine to it upon initial use.

[@smellyrhinostudio]

You mention Pima cotton, but what kind of finish are you using? Can you please comment with the exact fabric you are using? Thanks!

[@speedball_art]

unfortunately, we do not have documentation of the specific type of cotton Amy is using in this video, but we can say that the inks she is using work on a wide range of fabrics. we do recommend printing on fabric lighter than the ink color you have selected unless you are hoping to achieve more of a weathered look (e.g. white ink on dark colored fabrics can show cracks a bit more visibly). If you wish to print lighter inks on the dark fabrics, we'd recommend a color from our Opaque line. Lastly, we do not recommend using the inks on any fabrics with a great deal of stretch, like nylon, and all of the fabric screen printing inks will require a heat set. Hope that helps!

[@smellyrhinostudio]

@@speedball_art Thank you. I was looking for a specific weight or name, like "Broadcloth" or something. I appreciate your reply. I wish this subject was talked about more, it's pretty difficult to find good sources of fabric. the smooth finish seems to be the most important factor.

[@dianemccarthy5931]

such wonderful ideas. thank you.

[@speedball_art]

thank you and thank you for watching!

[@ingridcoke1360]

Excellent demonstration.💖💖💖

[@speedball_art]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@nkkitabelle3718]

you are awesome !!! Love your tutorials !

[@GewoonelsJustels]

Wow! Amazing

[@nunawatson4307]

Omg I think I am home, thank you

[@krystalminton8799]

With so much ink on the cotton, will it dry hard and crusty?

[@speedball_art]

Amy applies many thin layers of ink to the plate. She does apply a fair amount of pressure by hand to ensure that the ink is transferred into the fibers of the fabric. In doing both those, she gets great, opaque coverage without compromising the hand of the fabric. The ink does need to be heat set after drying to be permanent, though!

[@MichaelWoodward_71]

Your tutorials are the best!

[@histerp51]

May I ask a question. I accidentally bought some gold printing ink thinking I could use it for card making. I’m rather new at this, but would you know how to do that? Thank you sooo much hugs.

[@speedball_art]

Hi Sheryl! We're happy to help you through the process. Would you mind contacting us at [e-mail] with an image of the product you purchased attached to the email so that we can provide you with the best instructions on where to go from here? Thank you!

[@speedball_art]

Hello Sheryl! The good news is that our Fabric Screen Printing Inks can be used to print on paper in addition to fabric. We'd be happy to discuss your project in more detail to see how our products can help bring it to light. You are welcome to contact us at 800-898-7224 or at [e-mail] to do so!

[@dr.shahidiqbal6711]

Waoo good mam

[@jolene9528]

What an awesome teacher! I can’t wait to try this.

[@speedball_art]

Thank you for enjoying our content!

[@ethicsexistentialism4191]

Hi Amy. I just bought a speedball gel kit with akua paints. If I want to print onto cotton or linen canvas is it best to use the akua ink or the screen printing ink? Also, is it possible to pull multiple dried layers with the speedball press (like people show with the hello arts one)? I've tried with no success. 🤔 thanks kindly, Mary from Australia 😎

[@speedball_art]

Hi Mary! Thank you so much for purchasing our Gel Printing Kit featuring the Akua Inks. Akua Inks are ideally-formulated for printing on paper and have a soy-based formulation that will perform similarly to an oil-based ink on fabric. If all the ink is pressed into the fibers of the fabric, it will likely take several weeks for the ink to dry. That said, there is nothing in the formulation of this particular ink that will allow for it to be permanently cured into the fabric to make it permanent in the wash. For that particular application, we would recommend using our Fabric Screen Printing Inks as Amy demonstrates in an alternative video in this series, and do require a heat set to be permanent.

[@ethicsexistentialism4191]

@@speedball_art oh, ok, makes sense. Thanks so much 👍😎 I would love to see more gelli printing videos especially with the akua ink 😁 the Akua is a great concept and great use of soy 👍

[@speedball_art]

@@ethicsexistentialism4191 that's great to read--thanks so much for the support of the line and tuning into our videos!

[@art83islife]

what is the plastic thing called what she put the ink onto please :P and absolutely amazing video

[@amynack8908]

That is the Speedbal Gel Printing Plate

[@speedball_art]

Amy is using one of Speedball's Gel Printing Plates to print. She is applying the inks with a Speedball Soft Rubber Brayer.

[@joann1567]

Great demo, love the results!

[@UsterKoolageArt]

Great tutorial! Thank you!

[@speedball_art]

so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for tuning in!

[@thom_baga]

Where to buy gelli printer?

[@speedball_art]

The best resource for where to buy is our Store Locator on our website. There, you can search for a retailer within a specific radius of your zip code. Thanks!

[@ambernicole9849]

How long will the ink stay on fabric? Im really curious if it will be removed in 1 wash or not

[@speedball_art]

If you allow the ink overnight to dry fully and then heat set the ink (we recommend doing so with a household iron), the ink will be permanent!

[@ambernicole9849]

@@speedball_art thank you so much!

[@speedball_art]

@@ambernicole9849 Absolutely! Happy to help!

[@art83islife]

do you have a uk instagram ?

[@speedball_art]

Thanks for your interest! We only have one Instagram account (@speedball_art), and artists from all around the world are following us and being featured there. Please join in!

[@elizabethcarroll5294]

What is the name of the tool you used to press the paper to the gel plate?

[@speedball_art]

That is our Speedball Baren!

[@speedball_art]

Hi Elizabeth! The name of that tool is a baren.

[@manuelacant4685]

😍😍😍😍

[@sonidecoluz]

Bravo!

[@Jane-tt7sg]

Do you pre-wash the fabric?

[@amynack8908]

Yes, I do prewash the fabric

[@speedball_art]

Pre-washing the fabric is not necessary, but can certainly be done if the artist so chooses!

[@ElizabethCarterMedia]

That's so pretty!

[@speedball_art]

so happy you like it! thanks for watching!

[@cindysolly306]

But how do you make it permanent?

[@speedball_art]

Hi Cindy! Once the ink has been allowed the time to dry (we typically recommend overnight), artists can make the inks become permanent by heat setting the inks with a standard household iron. We have another great video on our KZbin Channel that highlights that process specifically if you'd like to check it out--or you can contact us to learn more at [e-mail]. Thanks!

[@cindysolly306]

SpeedballArt thank you

[@anastasiadouglas1688]

Question is the plate a simple piece of glass?

[@lezataosmickask]

No, it's a gelli plate - special gellatine plate. It's soft and because of the softness, you are able to make detailed prints

[@speedball_art]

Amy is using our Speedball Gel Printing Plate. It is ideally-formulated for use with printmaking inks for the process of gel printing. Glass is an ideal surface for such things as ink rollout to help get uniform ink application on your brayer, but would not be a surface that could produce the reliable and amazing results Amy creates in this video.

[@anastasiadouglas1688]

@@speedball_art thanks

[@anastasiadouglas1688]

@@lezataosmickask thanks

[@deviyanijoshi8264]

Thank you so much for easy and amazing technics ..loved your work. Superb ..keep posting.God bless

[@reeractivist7561]

I love the speedball inks. However, she is entirely too messy and unorganized to be enjoyed. The way she works makes my frustrated. She didn't act like she really appreciated the art she created.

[@speedball_art]

We are glad that you enjoy our products. In terms of Amy's works, all of our featured artists partners do have the challenge of creating beautiful and inspiring pieces within a short timeframe. There are few artists more invested in their processes than Amy and we're so fortunate to be able to partner with her. We certainly hope that her outline inspires you to try to incorporate this technique into your approach!