Screen printing, also known as silk-screen printing or serigraphy, is a popular method used to create custom clothing, canvasses, artwork, posters, and more. It involves transferring a stenciled design onto a flat surface using ink, a mesh screen, and a squeegee.
The process begins with creating a stencil on a mesh screen. Ink is then pushed through the stencil onto the surface of the material, creating the desired design. Multiple shades of ink can be used, but each color requires a separate stencil. This makes it ideal for creating bulk garments and accessories.
Screen printing is popular due to its ability to reproduce designs quickly and its vibrant, long-lasting colors. When done correctly, the ink should not wash out, making it a durable printing option. However, the process can be complex, and there are limitations to the number of colors that can be used in a design.
How does screen printing work?
Here’s how it works:
- Create the Design: The design is first printed onto a transparent acetate film, which is then used to create the stencil.
- Prepare the Screen: A mesh screen is selected to match the design and the fabric’s texture. This mesh screen is coated with light-reactive emulsion and hardened under a bright light. This creates a stencil on the screen.
- Expose the Emulsion: The acetate sheet with the design is placed onto the emulsion-coated mesh and exposed to a bright light. This light hardens the emulsion, leaving the areas covered by the design in a liquid state.
- Wash Off the Emulsion: Once the emulsion is hardened, any unhardened emulsion is rinsed away. This leaves a clear imprint of the design on the screen, allowing ink to pass through.
- Dry and Touch-Ups: The screen is dried, and any necessary touch-ups or corrections are made.
- Prepare for Printing: The screen is placed onto the printing press, and the item to be printed is placed below the screen.
- Ink and Squeegee: Ink is added to the screen, and a squeegee is used to pull the ink across the screen, pushing it through the stencil and onto the product.
- Cure and Finish: The printed item is passed through a dryer to cure the ink. It is then quality-checked and washed to remove any residues.
Screen printing is popular for its versatility, allowing printing on various materials such as fabric, paper, plastic, metal, and wood.
Will screen printing ink wash out?
When screen printing is done professionally using the correct washable heat-treated ink and the right process, the ink should not wash out. The key factors for ensuring the ink doesn’t wash out are the type of ink used, the temperature at which it’s dried, and the timing of the drying process.
If all elements of the process are done correctly, including the drying temperature and the correct timings, you should get a long-lasting product that should not wash out.
Main Advantages of Screen Printing
- Versatility: While other methods like offset printing and digital printing are better for high-resolution paper printing, screen printing can work on almost any surface, like fabric, vinyl, plastic, foam board, metal, and glass.
- Durability: Screen printing can apply thick ink layers, making designs last longer. It can also use coatings to resist UV rays, moisture, scratches, and chemicals, making it suitable for outdoor use.
- Vibrancy: Screen printing can produce vivid colors because it applies more pigments, and it often uses “spot” colors for multi-colored designs, maintaining each color’s brilliance.
Here are some products we can help you with:
- Indoor and Outdoor Banners
- Yard Signs
- Posters
- Decals, Labels, and Nameplates
- Domed and Embossed Decals
- Static Clings
- Bumper Stickers
- Vehicle Mirror Hangers
- Hang Tags and Door Hangers
- Point of Purchase (POP) Signs
If you have any questions about printing, feel free to reach out to us at 718-928-6888 or submit our quote request form. We’re here to assist you in any way we can.
Take care!
Jeff @ New York Printing Center
