Screen printing is one of the oldest print technologies in existence today. It involves a tightly meshed screen coated with an emulsion that is coated on wet and hardens as it dries.
After the emulsion dries we use film transparency with UV resistant ink to create the stencil. We sandwich the film between the coated screen and a glass table with a very bright light under it. The light exposes the emulsion and hardens it even further. The UV resistant ink on the film blocks the light from exposing certain parts of the emulsion.
After that, the film is removed from the screen and the screen is washed out with a pressure washer. The parts not exposed by the light wash off the mesh giving us our desired stencil.
Once the water has dried from the screen we’re left with our stencil on the mesh and it’s ready for tape. We tape the areas of the screen where the emulsion doesn’t cover completely like the edges and registration marks, etc to prevent any unwanted ink on the garment.
The screen is then placed on press and gets loaded with ink. We attach the squeegees and flood bars on the pneumatic print heads on our presses. Once they’re in place it’s time to print!
One screen exposure can last up to 25,000 impressions before needing to be reclaimed. Once we’re finished we clean the ink off using certified safe and non hazardous chemicals and dispose of any waste in an environmentally friendly manor. When the screen is clean and dry it’s put back in rotation and ready to be coated and exposed for the next job.
Plastisol Ink
Most standard printers will use Plastisol Ink. It’s extrememly reliable, druable, inexpensive and easy to print with.
- Inexpensive
- Durable
- Easy to Print
- Excellent Color Clarity
- Plasticy feeling
- Somewhat glossy
- Works on Cotton / Polyester / Rayon / Etc.
