Silk Screen Printing

What Is Screen Printing?

Screen Printing

Screen printing makes use of a stencil (or screen), and using this, layers of ink are applied to the printing surface, one at a time. For each new colour, a different screen is used.

 Standard silk screened plates are made with the use of a woven mesh, or a screen, which has a stencil that blocks ink from passing through various parts of the design. The ink or paint that is placed on the mesh is then passed through the unprotected parts and onto the empty metal plates or label materials underneath, with the help of a tool called a squeegee. Careful passing of this fill blade over the mesh will produce even ink or paint coatings on the material underneath.

 Screen print is great for printing solid colours where four colour process printing does not necessarily deliver a suitable depth of colour. Screen printing can also adapt to a wide range of inks from different suppliers with different characteristics. This makes it possible to introduce specialist compound pigments to the inks to achieve very specific results.

For products that require multiple colors, each color addition needs to be thoroughly dried before the next color is applied. A different screen is used for each color that is to be added. Different parts of these screens are also covered by the stencils used on these in order to properly distribute the various colors of the design onto the materials that are being used to create the labels or plates being crafted.

 Silkscreening is a marking process that is actually very popular with t-shirt makers, poster makers, and with nameplate makers as well. This is because of the fact that this method of manufacturing is rather easy to do and can produce numerous plates at a low cost. The principle advantages of this process include better coverage of large areas of solid color, and retardation of fading because of thicker coverage.

 Advantages of Silkscreen Printing

 ·       Cheap for large quantity printing.

·       Cost effective when fewer ink colors are needed (i.e. 1 or 2 colours).

·       Designs can be very detailed (e.g. small text, fine lines).

·       Silkscreen printing is highly versatile, suitable for use on many different materials (cotton, dri-fit polyester, metal, wood, plastic, glass).

·       Silkscreen Prints are highly durable.

·       Silkscreen screens can be kept and reused, reducing lead times for repeat orders.

 Silkscreen printers often say that silkscreen is only suitable for larger quantity orders, and consequently their Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) are set relatively high. This is because silkscreen printing requires woven mesh boards made for each ink color in the design. colored inks you need, and therefore the higher the cost.

 Silkscreen Printing is cheap for large quantity orders, but relatively costly for low quantity orders. Silkscreen Printing is cheap for designs with 1-2 colors, but costly for designs with more than 3 colors.

 Designs Detailed With Good Resolution But Must Be Identical

 Silkscreen prints are suitable for very detailed designs, and can print these to a good resolution. It is able to feature fine lines and very small text clearly and precisely. Moreover, Silkscreen ink colors are vibrant, further enhancing the final look of the design.

 However for silkscreen printing to be cost effective, every piece in the order has to have an identical design. It would be prohibitively expensive to create new mesh boards for every piece with a unique design.

 So for instance if the order requires individual names and numbers on each piece, silkscreen would not be economical. Choosing laser marking system would be the better option.

 Another advantage of Silkscreen printing is its versatility. Silkscreen can be used for printing on a wide variety of substrates.

Silkscreen Prints Very Durable

 As mentioned in the earlier sections, silkscreen printers make use of specialty inks formulated based on the particular substrate they are printing on. These inks are made to bond directly with the substrate material, ensuring extremely tight adhesion.

 Moreover, additives and coatings can be added to the ink to make it resistant to UV rays, scratches, chemicals and moisture.

 As a result the silkscreen prints are very durable, able to last for thousands of washes without cracking or fading.

 Silkscreen Lead Times Relatively Long, but Shorter for Repeat Orders

 While some printing methods can be done in the matter of hours, Silkscreen printing typically requires at least 1 – 2 weeks to complete. This is because time is needed to create the mesh boards for each ink color.

 Hence, silkscreen printers usually require at least 7 working days (or more, depending on the size of the order) to fulfill their orders.

 For repeat orders timelines could be shortened, provided the boards are kept and reused. As the board does not need to be re-created, order timelines can then be reduced by a couple of days.

Need this kind of labelling? Just call us at +90 507 921 79 78 to discuss your requirements or email us at info@demirorenlabel.com with your drawings, schedules, lists or initial idea so that we can provide you with best labelling solutions.