What’s Screen Printing?

Origin:

Screen printing is originally dated from China, which has a history of over two thousand years. Early in Qin &Han Dynasty, there already existed the method of printing. While during the Eastern Han Dynasty, it’s very prevalent to use wax printing, and the quality of printed products had been improved. Then in Sui Dynasty, people began to use a frame with screen for printing. According toChinahistorical records, the elegant clothes in palace were made using such printing already in Tang Dynasty. Finally, in Song Dynasty, the printing was developed again by improving the original oily paint and beginning to add gelatin powder in dye, which made the products much more colorful.

Principle:

Screen printing is most commonly used for t-shirts, garments and other fabrics. Screen printing also used on all sorts of other substrates ranging from plastic to metal. Although small and intricate details can be captured, Screen printing is ideally suited for bold and graphic designs.
Each color requires a screen. A frame is covered with screen material, and a stencil is affixed to the screen. Solid areas in the stencil block the ink from getting through the screen, while open areas in the stencil allow the ink to flow through. The ink is forced through the screen using a squeegee.
The procedure is straightforward and simple, but a little tedious. First, a screen (or a fine mesh material) is stretched, like a canvas, in a frame. Then, a design is made by masking out the areas that won’t be printed. This is placed against the surface. Then, ink is liberally applied on top of the screen, and then pressed into the surface with a squeegee. The ink must then be dried, either by the application of heat, or by hanging under the sun. In mass production, the material is sent on a conveyor belt through a heat-tunnel. The permanence of the ink is affected by the quality of the materials and the curing or heating method.

The main differences (advantages) between Screen printing and other printing:

• Strong flexibility;
• Thick & firm ink layers, good textural quality and wonderful perspective impression, which exceed other printing;
• Not only printed with single color, but also with aquatone and screening multi-colors;
• Strong light fastness, bright colors, more suitable for ad. And banners;
• Large printing areas;

Only after comprehending the features of Screen printing can you choose the exact way of printing and achieve the desired effect by using the advantages of printing.