What is screen printing? A comprehensive guide

Pressing ink through a mesh screen using stencils to produce a printed design is known as screen printing. Even if you’ve never heard of the word before, you’ve probably worn or used a screen-printed goods at some time without even realizing it because it’s a common method used in a wide variety of sectors. Although the procedure is sometimes referred to as silk screen printing or serigraphy, these terms all describe the same fundamental technique.

Screen printing: what is it?

Screen printing is the technique of employing a mesh screen, ink, and a squeegee to transfer a stenciled image onto a flat surface. The most popular media for screen printing are fabric and paper, although wood, metal, plastic, and even glass may be printed onto with the right inks. In order to imprint your design on the surface underneath, the fundamental technique is making a stencil on a tiny mesh screen and then forcing ink—or paint, for artwork and posters—through.

The procedure is frequently referred to as “silk screening” or “silk screen printing,” and although the printing process itself is always rather identical, the materials used might affect how the stencil is made. Various stenciling methods consist of:

Cover the desired portions of the screen with vinyl or masking tape.

Using’screen blockers’ like glue or lacquer, paint the stencil onto the mesh.

making a stencil with a light-sensitive emulsion, which is subsequently processed similarly to a photograph.

One or more ink shades may be used in designs created using the screen printing process. For goods with many colors, the colors must be applied in layers, using different stencils for each ink.

What is the purpose of screen printing?

The screen printing method’s ability to create vibrant colors even on darker textiles is one of the factors contributing to its widespread adoption. The print has a pleasingly tactile texture since the ink or paint is also layered on the cloth or paper.

The method is also preferred since it makes it simple for the printer to duplicate a design. It’s incredibly helpful for making many copies of the same clothing or item since the same stencil may be used repeatedly to recreate a pattern. Because of this, screen printing is an extremely effective method for producing big quantities of personalized apparel for teams or workplaces.

Intricate multicolored graphics may also be produced with the use of specialized equipment and skilled printing. The printer can only employ a certain amount of colors due to the process’s complexity, but it does enable more vivid coloring than can be accomplished with digital printing alone.

The step-by-step screen printing procedure

Although screen printing can be done in a variety of ways, the fundamental approach is always the same. The sort of printing we’ll discuss below creates a bespoke stencil using a unique light-reactive emulsion; because it can produce elaborate stencils, this type of commercial printing is typically the most popular.

Here, we’ll walk you through each stage of the screen printing procedure. To show you how we make our premium bespoke screen-printed apparel, we’ve also put together a video showing the process in action in our workshop.

Step 1: The creation of the design

Initially, the printer prints the desired design onto a clear acetate film with the final output in mind. The stencil will be made using this.

Step 2: The display is ready

After that, the printer will select a mesh screen based on the fabric’s texture and design intricacy. After that, a coating of light-reactive emulsion is applied to the mesh screen, which will solidify when exposed to intense light.

Step 3: The emulsion becomes visible

After that, the emulsion-coated screen is placed on top of the acetate sheet with the design on it, and everything is subjected to intense light. The portions of the screen that are covered by the design stay liquid because the light hardens the emulsion.

Each layer of ink must be applied on a different screen if the finished design will have many colors. The printer must utilize his expertise to construct each stencil and align them precisely to guarantee a flawless final design while producing multicolored items.

Step 4: The stencil is created by washing the emulsion off.

The parts of the screen that are not covered by the design will have hardened once the screen has been exposed for a predetermined amount of time. After that, any emulsion that hasn’t set is gently washed out. As a result, the design is clearly imprinted on the screen allowing the ink to flow through.

After the screen has dried, the printer will make any required adjustments or touch-ups to ensure that the imprint is as close to the original design as possible. It is now possible to utilize the stencil.

Step 5: The Printing Item Is Ready

After that, the screen is put on the printing press. Underneath the screen, the object or garment to be printed is placed flat onto the printing board.

Although there are numerous types of presses, including automated and manual ones, the majority of contemporary commercial printers will employ an automatic rotary carousel printer since it enables multiple screens to operate simultaneously. This type of printer may also be used to quickly apply the individual color layers for multicolored prints.

Step 6: The ink is applied to the object by pressing it via the screen.

Onto the printing board, the screen is lowered. A squeegee is used to drag the ink along the whole length of the screen once it has been put at the top end. This imprints the design on the goods below by forcing the ink through the stencil’s exposed sections.

A new garment is put onto the printing board and the screen is lifted if the printer is producing many products. After that, the procedure is conducted once again.

In order to reuse the mesh for making new stencils, the emulsion is removed using a specific cleaning solution once all the elements have been printed and the stencil has fulfilled its intended function.

Step 7: After drying and inspection, the product is completed.

After that, a dryer is used to “cure” the ink and provide a smooth, colorfast surface on the printed item. Before being given to its new owner, the finished product will be examined and properly cleaned to get rid of any residue.