What is Screen Printing?
Screen printing is one of the most popular personalization techniques for printing images or text on any material. It can be defined as a method by which images drawn on a stencil on a mesh with ink are transferred to a surface.
How is screen printing done?
Step 1: Print a negative or positive design to engrave on the silkscreen.
Step 2: Cover your screen with Screen Emulsion.
Step 3: Etch the design on a light table.
Step 4: Reveal the design with a sprayer.
Step 5: Place ink on the screen printing frame.
Step 6: Print the ink with the help of a squeegee
What are the advantages and disadvantages of screen printing?
ADVANTAGES
Screen printing allows you to print items that are much more durable than other types of printing.
Can be applied on any flat surface.
The quality of the colours and finish is of a high level, which can hardly be achieved with other types of printing.
DISADVANTAGES
I think the main disadvantage we found is the limitation of being able to print shadows, gradients and certain finishes. With traditional screen printing we are limited to 4 colors, if your design has more colors you have to use other printing techniques.
What type of paint is used for screen printing?
Types of screen printing inks
Within the screen printing inks we find two different types that you have to differentiate when printing on textiles or rigid materials. These two main types are water-based inks and plastisol inks.
What materials are used for screen printing?
This is the material we use: Canvas screens with a wooden frame, photolithography, emulsion, a reclaimer, a groove, squeegees, lacquers (inks), textile glue, a stripper, an insolator, a linear table or octopus, a thermal iron and a pressure washer.
TEXTILE VINYL
To print with textile vinyl you must know at least some vector program such as:
Adobe Illustrator
Corel Draw
Others