What is Silk Screen Printing?
What is Silk Screen Printing?
Screen printing is a highly skilled, labour intensive process that uses tightly stretched meshes (hence the name!) to transfer images onto a variety of materials, most commonly fabric and paper.silk screen printing It’s an artistic medium in its own right, and can be used to create textured effects like embossing or stencilling. Originally used for advertising, it is now also widely employed in commercial production.
There are several steps involved in the silk screening process.silk screen printing First, a mesh screen is coated with a photosensitive emulsion. This is a very delicate operation and must be done in a dark room without light. Then an overlay of the desired design is placed over the screen and exposed to a bright light. The areas of the image that are covered by the acetate sheet turn hard and become resistant to light, while those open areas allow ink through. Then the acetate is removed and the screen is washed. This removes the emulsion that blocked off the image and leaves a stencil of the design on the mesh screen for printing.
A squeegee is then used to pull ink over the top of the stencil.silk screen printing A firmer rubber squeegee is typically chosen for intricate designs, as it ensures that all the nooks and crannies of the stencil are printed with ink. A mesh screen is often used to print multiple items at once, which is why the printing squeegee must be perfectly aligned with each screen for perfect results.
Once the item is printed, the ink must be dried up and checked for residue before it can be sold. This can be done by hand or with a dryer, depending on the size of the run and the ink used. Then the mesh screen is washed off with chemicals and re-used to print the next item.
When compared to digital printing, silk screening is a more laborious process and much slower. However, it produces superior results and allows for more elaborate designs than can be achieved with a digital printer. It’s especially good for printing photographic or highly detailed work. It’s also more cost effective for high-quantity runs of a single colour, as multiple screens are not required for each individual colour.
A new technology that allows for faster printing is being developed called plastisol inks. This is a thicker ink that reduces drying time and allows for more vibrant colours. This will make silkscreen printing much more competitive with digital printing in the future, but it’s currently only suitable for small batches of low-quantity products. Ultimately, both types of printing are great options for producing personalised clothing and other items, but they’re different processes with varying benefits and applications. Choosing the best one for your particular needs will depend on your budget, the amount of products you need to print and what type of design you want to produce.