How to Use a Cylinder Screen Printing Machine
How to Use a Cylinder Screen Printing Machine
A cylinder screen printing machine is used to print images and text on items such as t-shirts, mugs, glassware, and other textiles. It consists of a frame with a mesh screen on which the design is drawn, and a squeegee that's used to apply ink to the surface being printed. The squeegee is usually made from a firm rubber, which helps to ensure that the design on the screen is printed evenly and smoothly onto the surface of the item.
Cylinder screen printing machines can be either manual or automatic, and are usually equipped with a control system that monitors and adjusts the operating parameters of the machine. They can also be configured to support various printing techniques, such as etch and stained glass.
In order to use a cylinder screen printing machine, the artist must first create the stencil for the desired image. This can be done by drawing the desired image on a piece of paper and then applying it to the screen. After the screen is dry, it is ready to be used. The printer then puts the screen onto a press, which holds the item or garment underneath it. The ink is then pumped through the screen and into the item by a squeegee, which pushes the ink through the stencil and onto the item.
The squeegee is a rubber blade that's attached to a long wooden, metal, or plastic handle. It's used to apply the print paste to the screen and then onto the item being printed. It's important that the squeegee is a close match in size to the screen frame, as this will help to ensure that all of the areas in the stencil are printed with a uniform amount of ink. A squeegee with a firmer rubber is usually preferred for printing more intricate designs, as it can better hold up to the demands of the process.
Once the design is applied to the screen, it's exposed to light for a specific amount of time. After the exposure, the areas of the screen that are covered by the design will harden and become insoluble in the wash. The emulsion on the rest of the screen is then rinsed off, leaving the stencil in place for the application of ink.
The squeegee is then removed from the screen and the ink is allowed to dry. Once it has dried, the stencil is wiped clean and the screen is ready for use again. The process is repeated for each color in the final design. Typically, each screen is used for only one color, but it's possible to print multicolored products by using different screens in succession. The rotary carousel screen printing machine is the most common type of cylinder printer, and it's often found in large commercial facilities. It allows for multiple different colors to be applied at once and offers many other advantages over traditional silk screening methods. It's not as portable as some of the other options, however, and is often found in a fixed location.