You must have come across several screen-printing types if you are interested in printing logos and vector images for your business. However, those who have recently launched a business and are looking for the best screen printing may find it perplexing. To make it easier for you, we have discussed the seven best types of screen printing. Each screen printing has its unique method and features. Now let’s start with the basic introduction of screen printing.
What Is A Screen Printing?
Screen printing, sometimes called silk screening, is a widely used printing technique. It is a flexible and popular technique for producing vivid, long-lasting prints on numerous surfaces. These surfaces include textiles, paper, plastics, and more. The intended pattern is transferred onto a substrate using a mesh screen, ink, and a squeegee. Screen printing is a suggested option for many applications due to its adaptability and capacity to produce vivid, long-lasting prints.
Creating a stencil, or a screen or mesh, is the first step in screen printing for T-shirts and other required items. A tight polyester or nylon mesh is typically stretched across a frame to create the screen. It blocks those regions which do not need printing and leaves the other spaces to print the image or the desired pattern.
Steps Involved In The Screen Printing Process
Screen printing is a multi-step method. The steps involved in this printing technique are:
Designing
Preparing the required design or image to be printed is the first step in screen printing. Creating a hand-drawn layout or utilizing graphic design tools are viable options. Usually, it has a built-in design in layers, with each layer standing in for a particular color or print component.
Setting Up The Screen
The printing procedure begins with the choice and preparation of a mesh screen. The screen is often firmly stretched over a frame. It is mainly made of polyester or nylon.
Depending on the printing technique, the screen is either covered in a layer of photosensitive emulsion or a stencil film.
Creation Of Stencils
The next step is printing the high quality picture of the design onto a transparent film or a particular emulsion-coated film using the photosensitive emulsion technique.
UV light exposure causes the emulsion to harden in the exposed sections of the film. Then it is placed on top of the ready screen.
Remove the stencil on the screen by washing away the soft, unexposed portions of the emulsion with water. In the direct stencil technique, a cut-out stencil film or paper gets attached to the ready screen with stencil glue. The desired stencil is left on the screen after the exposed portions of the design are removed or peeled away.
Setting Up And Registering
A printing press maintains the screen firmly in place while printing by mounting it to the machine. Application of the registration marks to the screen and substrate ensures the precise alignment of the design during each print.
Ink Preparation
Now it is time to prepare the desired ink colors for the design. Water-based, plastisol, or specialized inks like metallic or fluorescent inks are all options for screen printing inks. The inks are blended and modified to acquire the appropriate colors and uniformity for printing.
Printing
The printing press needs all the required materials, such as fabric, paper, or plastic, to print a design. The top of the screen has the substrate aligned with the registration marks. A particular ink volume is poured onto the screen near one end of the design. A squeegee push or pull the ink over the screen, applying pressure to force the ink through the stencil’s open spaces and onto the substrate. Squeegees are often composed of rubber or another flexible material.
The squeegee requires a fluid and steady pace to guarantee even ink dispersal. Color and ink are specific for each pattern and design. So, the printing machine needs the required color according to the demand.
Drying And Curing
After printing, the printed substrate must move to a station for drying or curing. Depending on the ink used, the curing procedure varies. For example, Plastisol inks need heat to attach to the substrate permanently, whereas water-based inks can be air-dried or heated. Then the printed substrate is subjected to the necessary temperature for a predetermined time using a conveyor dryer or heat press.
Finishing
The printed substrate may undergo additional finishing procedures following the ink’s curing and drying. It includes clipping extra material, washing or ironing textiles, and any other post-printing treatments that may be necessary.
The printing procedure may produce prints with brilliant colors and fine details with excellent quality and durability by adhering to these stages.
7 Types Of Screen Printing Used In The Art Process
Let’s explore the various art printing techniques for printing alluring designs with each one’s distinctive features.
Traditional Screen Printing
The most popular and extensively used method is traditional screen printing. It entails employing a photosensitive emulsion to block out regions that do not require printing to create a stencil (or screen). Then it produces the desired image or design by pressing the ink through the screen onto the substrate.
Water-Based Screen Printing
A greener option to conventional screen printing, water-based screen printing is one of the silk screen processes. It requires water-based inks instead of solvent-based inks. These inks feel softer on the fabric and are free of dangerous chemicals to print your vector art. It is the best option for textiles.
Discharge Screen Printing
It is a printing process used to discharge or remove the dye from colored materials, leaving a bleached look behind. It involves using a discharge agent that interacts with the dye to remove the color. Discharge screen printing functions best to give clothing a vintage or worn-in appearance.
Metallic Screen Printing
Utilizing metallic inks to provide a reflecting or shimmering effect in the printed design is known as metallic screen printing. It uses tiny metallic particles in metallic inks. This screen printing method produces striking designs for packaging, clothes, and promotional products.
UV Screen Printing
UV light is a printing type to dry or cure UV-curable inks used in UV screen printing. Compared to conventional drying techniques, this procedure allows for quicker drying times and better adherence. In addition, high print quality, fading resistance, and the ability to print on various substrates are all characteristics of UV screen printing.
High-Density Screen Printing
In high-density screen printing, thick layers of ink give the printed design a raised, three-dimensional appearance. The specialized inks or additives make the ink more viscous. This high-density printing method creates textured prints on clothes and promotional goods.
All-Over Screen Printing
All-over screen printing, sometimes called jumbo printing, enables printing across a garment’s or substrate’s surface. To accommodate larger designs, this approach needs specialized machinery. It includes giant screens and presses. It produces bold, striking graphics with all-over screen printing on T-shirts, hoodies, and other large-format goods.
Last Words
Screen printing is a helpful and trending method of printing for businesses. It is the best option whether you want to print your brand logo or the stunning vector on your apparel and other products. Being cost-effective, start-ups can get fine printing without costing their arms and legs.
The various printing techniques described above each have distinctive qualities and can meet different printing needs. Understanding these concepts will enable you to select the most appropriate approach for your particular requirement. However, you need the best quality vector art for printing. That’s why One Dollar Digitizing offers premium vector art services and the color separation at a reasonable price. If you have any queries, you can contact us 24/7. Our dedicated team replies within a few minutes to solve your issues.
So, Why are you still thinking about it? Contact us now and get the perfect job done by our experts!
