The swelling of polymer electrolyte membranes with water uptake can lead to the formation of defects in the deposition and drying of catalyst layers from liquid catalyst ink on fuel cell membranes. A transient, nonuniform model of water transport and the relationship between swelling and stress is needed to help understand, predict, and control these defects. We present a one-dimensional version of such a model with experimental data that partially validate it. The model shows how the application of stress changes the concentration profile in a membrane, causing a swelling gradient. The model is the foundation for the prediction of swelling-induced distortions of membrane materials in a manufacturing environment. (C) 2010 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3464805] All rights reserved.