Techniques for Screen Printing on Glass

EZScreen stencils can work on a multitude of surfaces, including curved surfaces like glass, plastic, and metal. After creating glass projects ourselves, we realized that not all glass paints are created equal, and there are certain techniques that help the project turn out better. Here are some of our suggestions when screen printing on glass:

1 - The type of paint matters

• We went through multiple brands of glass paint and came to the conclusion that DecoArt Americana 3D Opaque Gloss Enamels work the best. Other brands will leave bubbles or bleed under the stencil during printing. However, we had the best results with 3D Opaque Enamels. They can be found easily at craft supply stores or online at several retailers.

 2 - Use a brush instead of a squeegee

• When applying the paint on a curved or hard surface, we recommend using an artist brush. A squeegee may be too rigid for a curved surface.

 3 - Wet the stencil or use spray adhesive

• It is extremely important for the stencil to have complete contact with a glass surface during printing. If the stencil is dry, then the paint will bleed and the results will not be pretty. First, try lightly dampening the underside of the stencil with water and placing it on the glass surface. Remove any air bubbles by rubbing the stencil. If the paint still bleeds, wash off the glass and start over by using repositionable tacky stencil spray. This can be found at craft supply stores or online. Apply a light spray of the repositionable glue on the underside of the stencil and rub away any air bubbles. After printing with glass paint, remove the stencil immediately and place in a bucket of water or wash off in the sink. The stencil will remain tacky if repositionable stencil spray is used.

4 - HiDef EZScreen stencils

We recommend using HiDef emulsion stencils when printing on hard surfaces, especially glass. The higher mesh count in the high definition stencils are less visible than the more open mesh in the Standard stencils. Because HiDef screen print stencils have a higher mesh count, you can achieve more detail in your designs. Choose between our Basic Starter Kit with HiDef stencils, or our Mini Starter Kit with smaller HiDef screens.