Create screen printing artwork

Exposure knows only two states: light passes or it does not. A grey value in the film turns into a half washed out spot on the screen, and that prints neither cleanly nor repeatably. So the artwork has to decide beforehand what gets ink.

That decision is exactly what the black level makes. Afterwards you check in the vector view whether fine spots still connect, because exposing and washing out costs you the thinnest points first.

Suitable source material

• Single colour motifs and lettering
• Lines that still carry after washing out
• Shapes without gradients and without a soft edge
• Artwork with enough distance between the details

The route is the same for every source. Only the slider values differ.

1. Load the image and start in the result viewDrag your PNG, JPG or WEBP into the drop area. The result view shows right away what the source turns into.
2. Split black from whiteSet black level, contrast and brightness until every line you want is there and the rest disappears.
3. Remove leftovers with the lassoCircle whatever has to go. Hold Alt and the lasso flips around, so only the selection stays.
4. Check the contour in the vector viewInspect counters, gaps and the thinnest parts. Outlines shows the same shape as a bare line.
5. Smooth and simplify with restraintRaise both shape sliders in small steps until the pixel staircase is gone and the shape still holds.
6. Export the format you needDownload the result as PDF, SVG, EPS, DXF or a cleaned PNG. The download starts immediately.

PDF is the standard for film output because size and position are fixed. Take SVG when the motif still gets split or enlarged. The PNG with a transparent background is enough for previews and mockups.