The principle of screen printing. Silk-screen printing technology (schematic-surface)

Basic components of screen printing.

Stencil. In screen printing, the form is - a stencil, which is a mesh on which the mesh is stretched. A photographic emulsion is applied. A positive (photo output) is superimposed on the photographic emulsion. With the help of an ultraviolet light source, the emulsion is illuminated. Those parts of the photographic emulsion where the light hit harden, and where it didn’t hit, they are washed out. In the process of printing, ink is forced onto the product through the sections of the grid free from photographic emulsion, as a result of which a printed image is obtained.

A squeegee is a device that is a rubber spatula with which the paint is pressed through the stencil mesh.

Forrakel is a device that is a metal spatula with which the ink returns to the beginning of the print.

Screen printing theory.

Basic conditions for quality printing.

1. Ensure contact between the emulsion layer on the printed side and the surface of the printed product along the entire length.

To ensure this condition, the following parameters are met. Squeegee pressure force. The magnitude of this force must be sufficient to ensure good contact between the grid emulsion and the printed material along the line of contact. The force is calculated per 1 cm of doctor blade, therefore, the longer the doctor blade, the more force must be applied to ensure good contact. The greater the squeegee pressure, the better the contact, but the higher the wear of the mesh and squeegee blade. Excessive pressure can cause the doctor blade to flex a lot, resulting in a reduction in print angle and an increase in ink dosage. Many printers mistakenly believe that the harder you press, the better the ink will come out.

To obtain optimal contact along the line of contact between the squeegee and the printed surface, the pressure force should be 10-15% more than the force that is sufficient to contact the table.

2. Ensure uniform dosing of paint. Forcing the required amount of ink through the stencil screen during printing (moving the squeegee) over the entire area.

Printing angle (the angle between the colorful plane of the squeegee and the grid). Changing this angle changes the amount of paint pushed through the mesh. The smaller the print angle, the more ink can be pushed through the mesh. With a very small printing angle, an overdose of ink occurs, which can cause the print to float LUBRICATE FORWARD. With a large one, on the contrary, the fill will not be dense enough. At an angle greater than 90°, the amount of paint pushed through the mesh is theoretically equal to zero. The optimal printing angle is 75°.

Print speed. We must try to keep top speed printing to ensure the productivity of the printing area. The speed is affected by the viscosity of the paint. The higher the viscosity, the lower the printing speed and the higher the likelihood of the squeegee floating on the ink. Therefore, you need to set more squeegee pressure.

3. Ensure that the sieve is separated from the paint immediately after the squeegee passes.

Print gap (distance between the grid and the printed material). When this distance changes, the force of separation of the grid from the printed material changes. The larger the printing gap, the smaller the separation angle and the greater the force that tears the mesh from the ink. But as the print gap increases, the print angle also decreases.

Tear-off angle (the angle between the mesh and the printed material behind the squeegee). When this angle is changed, the force of separation of the grid from the printed material changes. The smaller the separation angle, the greater the force that tears the mesh from the paint. At an angle of 180°, the tearing force is zero. In addition to the angle, the tearing force depends on the tension force of the mesh on the frame. Therefore, the more the mesh is stretched, the greater the force at the same separation angles.

Separation zone (distance between the line of contact of the squeegee with the sieve and the line of separation of the mesh from the printed material). The size of the separation zone directly depends on the magnitude of the separation force. The larger the printing gap, the smaller the tear-off angle and the greater the force that tears the mesh from the ink, which means that the tear-off zone will decrease, which reduces the likelihood of smearing the print LUBRICATE BACK.

Grid tear force. The magnitude of this force must be sufficient to ensure a quick separation of the grid after passing the squeegee. As mentioned above, the tearing force directly depends on the mesh tension force. The greater the tension force, the greater the tearing force at large tearing angles, which means that you can set a smaller printing gap.

4. Ensure uniform spraying of the paint.

The return of the ink occurs with the help of a squeegee (in manual printing, its function is performed by a squeegee). In the forrakel, as well as in the squeegee, there is an angle between the sieve and the colorful plane. The size of this angle determines how much to push the forrakel of the paint into the sieve when it returns to its original position.

There are 2 types of forrakels: Spatulas, (Angle up to 90 degrees) they are designed for printing with viscous inks and press more ink into the sieve and Scoops. These squeegees have an angle greater than 90 degrees and are designed for liquid (low viscosity) inks such as UV and UV varnish. When using spatulas, the paint is transferred to its initial position, as it were.

Irrigation must be adjusted so that the ink evenly covers the surface of the printed image, but does not leak onto the printed side. If the ink does not cover the printed image, there may be a misprint or an uneven layer on the print. When ink flows onto the printed surface (liquid inks), it is smeared, usually forward.

5. Avoid smearing when printing.

When printing images, a vertical force is applied to the stencil screen through the squeegee (to ensure contact between the printed surface of the screen and the printed substrate) and a horizontal force to move the squeegee. When the squeegee moves, a friction force arises between the squeegee and the mesh, and since any sieve tends to stretch, the image on the mesh under the influence of force shifts in the direction of the squeegee movement. After the squeegee makes a printing stroke, forces are removed from it, which leads to the disappearance of the friction force and the grid returns to its original position. In this case, the lubrication of the colorful edge occurs. The more viscous the paint, the greater the pressure force on the squeegee, the weaker the tension of the sieve and the greater the coefficient of stretching of the mesh, the greater the amount of smear.

To reduce smearing:

It is necessary to reduce the pressure of the squeegee,

If possible, reduce the viscosity of the paint.

Types of screen printing.

1. The initial state.

a. The stencil is up.

a. The squeegee moves to the end of the image.

4. Raising the squeegee and stencil.

a. The squeegee rises from the grid.

5. Lowering the forrakel.

c. Printing completed.

As a result, we see how the paint is pressed through the mesh onto a flat product using a squeegee.

Flaws:

Impossibility of printing on a curved surface.

Slow print speed compared to offset printing.

Large amount of paint.

Advantages:

Ability to print very large formats at low cost.

High covering power of a paint layer.

Printable products - this method can be printed on almost any product that has a flat shape. Textile products (t-shirts, sweatshirts, windbreakers, jackets, overalls, bathrobes). Sheet material (paper, cardboard, self-adhesive, folders, business cards, envelopes, letterheads, posters, boxes, sheet plastic - plates, light boxes, sheet metal- signboards, signs, panels, sheet glass- stained-glass windows, light boxes, furniture doors, laminated chipboard - furniture doors, banner fabric - flags, streamers, posters).

The basic principle of circular printing is that during the printing process, the product rolls along the stencil, and the squeegee pushes the paint onto it.

1. The initial state.

a. The stencil is up.

b. The paint is thrown on the stencil mesh (there is paint in the mesh image).

c. The product is set for printing.

2. Lowering the stencil and squeegee.

a. The stencil is lowered to the product.

b. The squeegee is lowered to contact with the product.

c. The stencil mesh comes into contact with the product.

3. Moving the squeegee, pushing the paint onto the product.

a. The product roll on the stencil.

b. The paint is brought into contact with the product using a squeegee.

c. The stencil mesh comes into contact with the product.

d. Excess paint is removed from the mesh with a squeegee.

4. Raising the squeegee and stencil.

a. The squeegee rises from the grid.

b. The stencil rises from the product.

5. Lowering the forrakel.

a. Forrakel descends to contact with the grid.

6. Moving the forrakel to the beginning of the image.

a. Forrakel moves to the beginning of the image.

b. The paint is applied in an even layer to the open areas of the grid, filling them.

c. Printing completed.

Flaws:

The impossibility of printing on products with a large taper (more than 3-4 degrees).

Large amount of paint.

It is not possible to print mugs from handle to handle.

Advantages:

High hiding power.

Large print area compared to pad printing.

The possibility of applying a very high paint layer.

The possibility of reusable stencil, the photomulsion can be washed off and a new image can be obtained again.

Low stencil production costs.

Printable products - this method can be printed on almost any product that has the shape of a cylinder with a small cone. To do this, the product must have sufficient rigidity. Dishes (mugs, glasses, glasses, bottles, ashtrays, thermoses). Packaging (jars, bottles, tubes, cardboard tubes, etc.).

Criteria of marriage in silk-screen printing and elimination of its causes.

Type of marriage	Cause	elimination
Contour lubrication, swimmingreversals	Large gap, liquid paint	Reduce gap or thicken paint
	small gap thick paint	Increase gap or thin paint
	Small printing angle (large ink dosage)	Increase print angle
	Small forrakel throw angle (paint is pushed down)	Increase the angle of the forrakel Change the forrakel knife to a scoop
	Poor fixation of the printing plate	Fix form Call a technician
	Poor fixation of the product on the machine. (The product sticks to the frame)	Check the mechanical fixation of the product Tighten the necessary screws and nuts Refresh fixative adhesive Clean vacuum holes Seal open vacuum holes
	Rough texture of the printed product	Hardly thicken the paint Increase squeegee pressure Increase print angle
	The presence of surface differences, seams on the product	drown the seams Print in two settings Contact a technologist
contour saw,Thin lines break or do not print
		Wipe the frame with a solvent rag from the printed side and wipe dry with a clean, dry rag Increase print speed
	The paint dries quickly in the frame	Wipe the frame with a solvent rag from the printed side and wipe dry with a clean, dry rag
		Remake the stencil
	Mismatch Sieve No.	Convert stencil to a finer sieve

Static paint spatter	Electrostatic printing material (Plastics, synthetics, org glass, etc.)	Add an antistatic additive to the paint. Treat the printed surface of the stencil and table with antistatic Thicken the paint Ground the machine body Increase indoor humidity to 60% Change paint to another analogue
Double image in 2 passes	Printing occurs both from oneself and on oneself	Print in one direction only
	Poor mesh tension	Redesign frame with higher screen tension
	Big difference in pressure during runs	Control the consistency of pressure when printing
Uneven ink layer	Bad blade edge	Change the blade or sand it
		Adjust frame
	There is debris on the print table (glue, adhesive tape, thread, etc.)	Clear Platen
	Threads of paint stretch behind the squeegee	Set the start point of printing to the ink bump, do not allow the squeegee to fall into the ink bump
		Reduce print angle
	Uneven Paint Sweep (Irrigation)	Touch up ink from the edges into the printable area or add fresh ink Adjust the fork pressure
	Bad edge of forrakel knife	Change forrakel knife or grind it
		Remake the stencil on a clean sieve.
Image failure	The ink has dried due to a break in printing.	Wipe the frame with a solvent rag from the printed side and wipe dry with a clean, dry rag
	Ink dries out due to slow printing	Wipe the frame with a solvent rag from the printed side and wipe dry with a clean, dry rag Increase print speed
	The paint dries quickly in the frame	Wipe the frame with a solvent rag from the printed side and wipe dry with a clean, dry rag Add a retarder, if thinner is thick
	Overexposed stencil or poorly washed	Remake the stencil
	Insufficient squeegee pressure	Increase squeegee pressure
	Curved squeegee blade	Reinstall the blade, check its tightness or change to a new one
	Curved print surface	Change the squeegee to a less rigid one.
	Curved surface of the printing table	Contact technical specialists
	Mechanical skew squeegee	Loosen the tilt screws
	Frame skew along the squeegee contact line	Adjust frame
	There is debris on the printed side of the stencil	Wipe the frame with a solvent rag from the printed side and wipe dry with a clean, dry rag Do not print dirty items with dust and debris, wipe them away from dust and debris before printing Do not cut paper with a bad knife that leaves mohair. Remove moss from paper Monitor threads on textiles and remove them before printing.
	Overexposed stencil or poorly washed	Remake the stencil
	Mismatch No. sieve line thickness	Remake the stencil on a finer sieve
	Incorrect sieve angle when printing thin parallel lines	Remake the stencil on a sieve with an angle of 14 degrees
Poor paint coverage	Mismatch Sieve No.	Remake the stencil on a larger sieve
	Small emulsion thickness on the printed side	Check the thickness of the emulsion layer on the printed side. If a small layer remake the stencil
	Low coverage paint	Change paint to a more opaque one
	High absorbency of the material (Paint sinks after drying)	Change paint to U.F. Or oil based Make the paint as thick as possible Reduce drying time
	Large print angle (low ink dosage)	Reduce print angle
	Very high squeegee pressure	Reduce pressure on the squeegee
Fingerprints	Dirty hands	Wash your hands and keep them clean Work with an assistant on the principle that the printer prints, and the assistant is responsible for the products
Blisters in the print	Paint Properties	Add flow improver (antifoam)
	Poor irrigation (overflow)	Decrease irrigation angle
	liquid paint	Thicken the paint
Dust on print	Dirty room	Maintain cleanliness and wet cleaning
	Long drying time	Reduce drying time
	Low indoor humidity	Increase humidity to 60%
The typo is squeezed in the foot and scratched	Insufficient drying time	Extend drying time until completely dry
	Lots of retarder in the paint	Increase drying time, next time you print, reduce the amount of retarder
	Wrong paint additives	Extend the drying time until completely dry, using a high temperature IR dryer if possible. In the future, follow the instructions for paint
	Wrong drying conditions	Follow paint instructions
	Poor ventilation of products during drying	Create forced ventilation
	Poor paint properties	Change paint type or supplier
cracking paint	Lots of solvent or retarder	Mix a new batch of paint with the correct proportions
	Wrong paint additives
	Ink does not match printed material	Change paint or supplier
The paint does not adhere to the product	Inconsistency of color with printed material	Change paint or supplier
	Incorrect additives and whether the proportions of additives
	No hardener or catalyst added	Reprint order with correct ink preparation
	The surface is poorly prepared for printing (Degreased, activated)	Properly Prepare Your Surface for Printing
	Wrong drying conditions
	Drying temperature (indoor) below 18 degrees	Increase drying temperature

The main parameters of the grid for screen printing.

1. Mesh fiber material.

Silk fiber. Now it is practically not used. the threads had a poor weave structure and low stability. But thanks to the first use of this material in the production of a stencil, the word silkscreen appeared.

Kapron. This material has high elasticity and low stability. It is used when printing on uneven surfaces and cylinders.

Polyamide monofilament. This material has high stability after the screen is stretched on the frame. Stability refers to the maintenance of a constant tension of the sieve during its operation. In 80% of all work performed, it finds application.

metallized fibre. It is used for printing on materials with high electrification. This material has high stability and good dissipation of static electricity.

Stainless steel. Metal meshes have very high stability and low stretch ratio. These properties are indispensable for printing high-precision boards and scales. High wear resistance of the material is used when printing on glass and ceramics. Also grids possess high removal of static electricity.

2. Types of mesh weaving.

Plain weave (PW). In this weave, the weft thread is woven through each warp thread. The basis is the threads located along the sieve roll.

Twill weave (TW). In this weave, the weft thread is intertwined through two warp threads.

Calendered sieve. To reduce the consumption of paints and reduce the paint layer (UV paints, gold-containing paints, etc.), the sieve is calendered. Calendering is the process of passing a mesh between two rolls, one of which is heated. Due to this, under the influence of temperature, the tops of the threads in the kink zone are flattened. This leads to a reduction in the thickness of the sieve H and ultimately to a reduction in paint consumption. The calendered sieve can be single sided or double sided. With single-sided calendering, ink consumption is reduced by up to 25%, and with double-sided calendering, up to 50%. The disadvantages of calendering are a decrease in the strength of the sieve and a decrease in the open surface area.

3. Stencil number.

The number (grid number) refers to the number of threads in 1 cm or 1 inch.

Mesh number 120 means that 120 threads are intertwined in 1 cm. The higher the grid number, the smaller cells it has. When printing rough images, where a high hiding power or thickness of the ink layer is required, lower sieve numbers should be used. The principle is as follows: the lower the grid number, the lower the resolution of the stencil and the thicker the ink layer, which means more consumption paints. The main criterion for choosing the grid number is the required thickness of the ink layer and the minimum thickness of the printed line (resolution). If the line thickness is close in size to the diameter of the thread, then such elements may simply not turn out already at the copying stage.

Screen dots during the manufacturing process can get on the threads and eventually fail, other screen dots, on the contrary, can get between the threads and simply be washed off during the development of the stencil with water. A thin line can be covered with a thread and have breaks in the form of a dotted line during printing, problems can also arise with sharp corners, in general it is almost impossible to push ink through a small hole, because. the contact area of the ink with the emulsion is larger than with the printed material.

The thicker the paint layer is needed, the larger meshes should be used. At the same time, one should not forget that if there are thin elements in printed motifs, the use of large grids can lead to distortion or complete absence of these elements during printing (insufficient stencil resolution). In such cases, a compromise must be found between the thickness of the ink layer and the resolution of the stencil. In some cases, it is advisable to make two stencils for the same color, with different grid numbers. On one stencil with a low mesh number we will get high coverage, and on the other with a high mesh number we will get high resolution.

4. Series of stencil grids.

With the same mesh number, there may be a different thread diameter. There is a classification of meshes by series: S - extra light, T - light, TH - medium, H - heavy.

The difference between the series lies in the difference in thread diameters, the heavier the series, the larger the diameter of the thread. Heavy series have greater circulation resistance, but a less dense ink layer. This results in less opacity of prints.

5. Stencil color.

The mesh is available in two types: unpainted (white) and dyed (golden yellow, orange).

Colored grid is recommended for copying very thin lines and raster images. When a light flux hits the grid, most of it passes through it, a very small part is reflected, and a significant part is scattered. The scattered light flux contributes to the side illumination of thin parts, which can then be poorly washed. The dyed nets absorb the light falling on the threads and prevent the scattering of the light flux, which ceases to illuminate the photographic emulsion, similarly to a red light that does not illuminate photographic paper. When using colored grids, it should be taken into account that the exposure time of the photographic emulsion increases, since the value of the useful light flux decreases due to the neutralization of its scattered part.

Ink composition for screen printing.

1. Coloring substances. Coloring agents are pigments or dyes. Dyes are soluble in the dye medium (solvent). During the dyeing process, they penetrate into the material and form a more or less strong bond with the fibers. The pigments are insoluble. In the paint, they are in the binder (linseed oil, nitrocellulose, etc.) and the properties of the paint depend more on the binder than on the pigment. The bond with the material to be painted is provided by a binder. Dyes are usually organic matter. Pigments are mostly fine dispersions of minerals, although they can be either organic or inorganic. The introduction of pigments into paints and varnishes is the main method for regulating the decorative properties of coatings - color and opacity (hiding power). A pigment imparts opacity to a pigmented material if its refractive index is higher than that of the binder. The greater the difference in the refractive indices of the pigment and the binder, the greater the hiding power of such a pigmented material. In addition, the shape of the pigment particles is important, for example, the lamellar shape of the pigment particles gives greater hiding power than needle or spherical.

2. Binder. The task of the binder is to stick the colorant to the surface of the printed product. Depending on the properties of the binder: adhesion of the ink to the printed material, drying methods, light fastness, ink layer height, gloss, abrasion resistance. The binder is usually based on a resin with a solvent, which is responsible for the consistency of the paint until it dries.

3. Additives. To improve the properties of the paint, there are various additives. The main types are listed below. Manufacturers may have other specialized additives.

Solvents - reduce the viscosity of the paint.

Retarders - reduce the viscosity of the paint and the speed of its drying.

Flow improvers - improve the flow of ink on the print, reduce the formation of small bubbles.

Thickeners - make the paint more viscous and thick.

Antistatic - improve the electrical conductivity of the paint, reduce the accumulation of static discharge, reduce static spatter.

Hardeners and catalysts - improve paint adhesion to difficult materials.

Matte additive - makes the paint more matte.

Pigments are coloring additives that increase the light intensity (saturation) of a color. Improper use of additives can impair the properties of the paint. Therefore, always strictly follow the recommendations of the paint manufacturer.

Basic paint parameters.

1. binder type. Printing, operational and adhesive properties of the ink depend on the type of binder.

2. Drying method (natural drying,. The speed of drying of the ink and its adhesion to the printed material depends on the drying method.

3. Hiding power (Transparent, translucent, semi-opaque, opaque, super opaque). The degree of hiding power shows how tightly the ink layer can hide the dark color of the printed material. If you print with transparent ink on black, the color of the ink will not be visible. If the paint is semi-opaque, then the color of the paint will be dirty due to the color of the substrate being translucent. Super opaque paints are able to cover the black color as tightly as possible.

4. Paint height (low, medium, high). The height of the ink indicates how thick the ink layer will remain after it has completely dried (Relief of the print).

5. Gloss level (paint super matte, matte, velvety matte, glossy, super glossy). Paint gloss refers to how much a paint layer can reflect or scatter light.

Variety of stencil inks.

There are four main types of inks used in screen printing: solvent, UV, and water-based. They differ in binding and drying method. Also, each type of paint has a large number of various series. Between themselves, the series differ in adhesive properties to various materials, elasticity, gloss, hiding power, thixotropy, etc.

	Plastisol	Solvent	ultraviolet	Aquatic
Print materials	Textiles (cotton, nylon), transfer.	Paper, plastic, bags, glass, metal, textiles.	Graphic printing (paper, plastic, bags).	Textile (cotton), paper.
Drying method	Polymerization upon reaching 130-170°C* (IR).	Solvent evaporation by natural drying, IR or K.	Polymerization under the influence of UV radiation.	Solvent evaporation and polymerization. 3-5 min 150-180°C.
Height			medium - high
Elasticity		low - medium
pros	Does not dry in the mesh (can be left for a long time). High covering power. High penetrating power.	Can print on a wide range of materials.	Fast drying. High gloss.	Soft to the touch. Withstands dry cleaning and ironing. Existence of etched series. Environmentally friendly. Printing, raw on raw, is possible.
Minuses	Rubbery to the touch. The inability to print on materials that can not withstand high temperatures. Limited number of print materials.	Requires long drying time. Dries in the mesh, adding a retarder increases the drying time.	Poor hiding power (translucent). Not all materials can achieve good adhesion. High price.	Dries in the net. Requires prolonged drying at high temperature. It is necessary to use specialized emulsions.
Used additives	plasticizer. Increase in elasticity. Decreased drying time. Special effects (Vzduvashka, 3D, etc.).	Diluent. Moderator. Catalyst (hardener).** Thickener. Fluidity improver (foam dampener). Antistatic. Mattifying Parpshock.	Diluent. Catalyst (hardener).** Thickener. Improve fluidity (foam quencher). Deep cure improver.

IR - Infrared drying.

K - Convection drying.

UV - Ultraviolet drying.

* – Drying temperature depends on the paint series.

** - Used in two component series.

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From this article you will learn

Who Invented Screen Printing
What are the types of screen printing
What other materials are used in screen printing
What affects the time and cost of screen printing

Screen printing is recognized as one of the simplest and most economical types of printing today. The technology of its work in large production is similar to the technology of the screen printing printer. The undoubted advantage of this printing method is that it is suitable for many materials: cardboard, paper, synthetic fabrics, textiles, ceramics, glass, wood. Dimensions here do not play any role, because the work goes both with huge sheets and panels, and with objects, for example, household utensils.

What is screen printing and screen printing

In order not to mislead anyone and avoid tautology, first of all, we note that the printing method itself is one, and it has two names: screen printing and silk screen printing.

Silk screen printing is a printing method that transfers an image by forcing ink through a form called a stencil.

It is used in the form of a thin mesh of natural (silk) or synthetic and metallic threads with a ready-made image. To save on production, networks made of artificial materials are more often used. Through their open niches that transfer the pattern, the printed material is colored. It turns out that the combination of a template and a grid is called the form of this printing method.

Quality and specifications nets (fabrics) are a combination of material; the number of its threads per centimeter of its length (lineature); mold thickness; percentage total area all niches to the area of the grid (network openness level).

The impression is determined by the set template. It is placed so that it is on the side of the grid opposite to the movement of the squeegee. This is done so that the material does not deteriorate or wear out. Templates can be made manually (designed for the wrong side of the mesh) or mechanically, depending on the degree of complexity of the work being done.

In the process of creating a template, only diazo-type light-sensitive copy layers are used. This is required by the progressive quality of printed products. Making a template goes through several stages:

Applying a layer;
Drying;
Material processing with UV radiation (UV screen printing);
hardening of the copy mold;
Removal of contour excess with water jets;
Re-drying;
Correction of defects by varnish processing.

The template is ready for use.

The History of Screen Printing

The name "silk printing" (from Greek: "writing on silk") came to us from Ancient Greece, where this term denoted handicraft work, which consisted in decorating silk fabrics with a pattern or inscriptions. It is still not known for certain where silk screen printing originated, but modern historians attribute its appearance to Ancient China, because this country has been called the "Homeland of Silk" for about 2500 years. However, many scientists argue that by the time this art flourished, almost all existing countries had the ability to process silk.

The current methods of screen printing have almost nothing in common with the ancient methods of printing.

If you look at authentic sources, this craft probably originated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, where states such as Phoenicia and Mesopotamia were located. However, preference in the issue of the emergence and development of silk-screen printing is still given to the Phoenicians.

The Phoenicians are a small people of Phoenicia, whose ancestors are Semitic tribes. In the period from the 9th to the 3rd centuries BC, this state flourished and was the master of the Mediterranean Sea. Phoenician sailors were famous for their stamina and campaigns. Having founded the first port cities, the Phoenicians were actively engaged in trade, selling both self-made and conquered goods. If you look at the modern map of the world, we can say that these sailors traveled to the territory of modern Denmark. Imagine how powerful the state was!

It was the Phoenicians who learned how to extract purple - the first, one might say, dye obtained from the purple glands of some gastropods. It was used as cosmetics, substances for processing and dyeing fabrics, as well as a material for paintings. In Phoenicia, for the first time, the art of writing on clothes was born.

It is worth noting that the painting of the robes was carried out by the “stamping” method, not by hand. But how? There is an assumption that Phenicia, as the most advanced state of that period, “collaborated” with distant civilizations, which at that time already had equipment suitable for such a thing. The fact remains that it was impossible to do it manually. This is how silkscreen was born. WITH in modern ways printing, this art is not connected in any way, but the name is still preserved, as is the process of “copying” an image by applying several layers of paint.

As it has already become clear, we do not use the achievement of silk-screen printing as a craft and art, we use its technological progress, which both then and now is based on the transfer of different drawings and inscriptions through various “prints”, templates and stencils. The paint was applied to them with materials similar to modern sponges and rollers. Of course, people did not immediately learn to "stamp" production. In ancient times, “stamping” was almost the most expensive way of applying a pattern: the pigment layer was unsaturated, which allowed craftsmen to use only thick fabrics that could absorb moisture well. Over time, the process has become much simpler, having come a long way of improvement.

Only after 1800 years (somewhere in 1190 - 13337) did the screen printing process jump to a completely new stage of development. In the city of Kamakura, which at that time was the capital of Japan, there was an unprecedented flowering of Japanese culture. Undoubtedly, the whole country prospered, but Kamakura was considered the cultural capital of the world. Medieval Japanese culture embraced all forms of art, not excluding printing. At first, the screen printing method was used to decorate the armor and equipment of the samurai, but after the discovery, the technology spread to many areas of production. So that the material would not be distorted, which subsequently deformed the pattern, something like a mesh was glued under the template, the fibers of which were made from human hair. The image on such a grid did not slip, did not wrinkle, did not tear, and thin hair was not noticeable after applying the pigment.

It was from that moment that silkscreen began to look more like modern printing technology. Later, meshes will be made from natural and artificial thin fibers, as well as synthetic metal threads.

In Europe, the emergence of screen printing was associated with the invention of wallpaper (1750, Jean Patillon). Britain and France were the leading European powers at that time. With them, the spread of silk-screen printing on this mainland began.

Thus, by the second half of the 18th century, this printing method was spreading all over the world. And here America plays a leading role, where silk-screen printing began to be used as an element of any decoration item: dishes, fabrics, furniture, walls, ceilings, metal products. From the "hair" mesh they switched to silk and muslin, but they had to be tinkered with.

The second leap in the improvement of this printing method occurred in 1907 in England, when the process of screen printing through a stretched sheet was first patented. silk fabric, which was more stable, provided a wider range of print sizes, and interacted comfortably with rubber rollers (squeegee blades). Thus, the screen printer himself was born. The invention was called "silk screen printing", its creator was a certain Simon from Manchester.

It can be said that the term "silk-screen printing" appeared precisely from the moment of the patent of this invention. The way we are used to seeing screen printing, it became in the middle of the 20th century, when almost everything was printed with this method: business cards, brochures, posters, fabrics, postcards, and even license plates. Screen printing has completely ceased to be perceived as an art, as a special type of transferring a pattern due to its commercial orientation. Routine "stamping" has turned it into an insignificant medium-sized production, subordinate to corporations.

Today, this method is widely used in various industries. Screen printing has advantages over other types of printing. And most importantly - that it is universal: textiles, electronics, automotive, construction. All of these industries are not complete without screen printing.

What are the types of screen printing today

Small format screen printing

This type of printing includes everything that can be called flat printing(substrates, plastic bags, paper bags, paper, cardboard). The name speaks for itself - the format should not exceed 70x100 centimeters. Printing is suitable for large bulk orders that require high quality prints.

Printing on small items

The image can be applied to pens, lighters, glasses, key rings and other trinkets. To apply a pattern to round objects, rotary semi-automatic machines are used here. Despite the fact that the image made by silkscreen printing is more durable, pad printing is still a competitor of this type of printing.

Textile printing (printing fabrics)

The modern branch of the textile industry is immense. The screen printing method is always in demand here, because this is a universal production, which is the basis of the economy of many countries of the world. Screen printing on fabric in reels, carpet, textile machines and machines designed to work tirelessly.

Screen printing on finished products

Basically silk screen printing. Machines called "carousels" print designs on T-shirts, puzzles, mugs, logos, and so on. However, screen printing on T-shirts is especially popular, as there is a huge selection of prints for every taste. In addition, you can order any pattern of your choice.

Screen printing on plates and metals

A very broad area dealing with sheet printing, roasting, etching, anodizing, metal working.

Screen printing on glass

The main fields of application are electrical engineering and the automotive industry. There are also "exclusive" applications (printing on bottles, windows, cans).

Screen printing on bottles

Mainly used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and some minor other industries.

PCB industry

Full service for electronic multilayer conductive as well as professional circuits throughout the industry.

Additional screen printing

This includes everything that was not included in the previous nine points.

What are the advantages of screen printing

Variety of colors and textures

For promotional items, silk screen printing (screen printing) provides customers with a huge selection of paints with properties and color solutions for every taste. The quality of the image depends largely on the paint, so today you can choose the best option for yourself: drawing a picture with fluorescent, fluorescent, metallized paints. In addition, there is also all-foam printing, which allows you to add volume and realism to the drawing.

The colors of the Pantone model, which are spot, will give color, brightness and beauty to any product. To bring the print as close as possible to achieving such a rich color gamut as Pantone colors have, the design is applied to a substrate.

Permanent application

It is worth noting once again such a plus of screen printing as durability: the pattern does not fade over time, withstands optimal washing, is resistant to temperature changes, etc. This advantage has gained immense popularity among customers. Of course, everything is relative, and each product and each paint has its own expiration date. With careful use and standard washing, an image, for example, on a T-shirt, can serve you for about a year without any problems!

Here it is worth mentioning such a type of application as silk transfer. It is less durable than screen printing and may crack if used carelessly or washed frequently. These things need more care.

Large application area

For screen printing of T-shirts, jackets, T-shirts, vests and sweatshirts, the most optimal image format is A3.

Technologically, it is sometimes not possible to apply a pattern by screen printing on any plastic, wooden or glass object. You need to pay attention to the card with information about a particular product, which usually indicates whether silk-screen printing is possible or not.

Low unit cost for large runs

If you want to print a small print run, the optimal choice is from 50 to 100 copies. This is where the affordability-benefit ratio comes into play. Anything above 50 is available; anything above 100 is profitable!

The cost is affected by the circulation and the number of colors applied.

If color printing is performed, then the substrate is used here as an additional paid color.

What inks are used for screen printing

Colored paints. The thickness of the ink layers applied to the printed material during silkscreen printing depends on the type of mesh used in printing. The thickness has its own small range, which can be controlled in offset. The advantage of screen printing is that the thickness of the ink layer here is many times greater than in offset, and therefore the saturation of the image will be much higher. This screen printing method allows you to print, for example, with yellow ink on a blue sheet, because it uses "covering inks" that remain as they were originally applied: the blue will remain blue, and will not turn into green, as it happens in offset printing.
Gold, silver, metallic paints. In general, silver and gold shades can also be printed in offset, but the effect of metallic sheen in silkscreen is certainly higher due to the large thickness of the transfer layer. If you need to do everything at a pace, then screen plating is a real find!
Fluorescent paints. The thickness of the paint layer also played a role here. There are many fluorescent inks that are silkscreened to give a colorful, full, vibrant look to the designs. Again, we note that all of the above is used for various printed materials, among which there are plastic, wood, metal, glass, etc., which are slightly unusual in this area. Each material suits its individual color range. Consequently, the ability to combine any paint included in a particular gap is really incommensurable.

What other materials are used for screen printing

Fabrics used in screen printing

They have several selection criteria. Some fabrics are suitable for a certain product, some are not. The material is divided according to the following criteria:

The type of thread that makes up the fabric. There are two main types of thread: multifilament and multifilament. The second one is better than the first one, which has more sloppy edges. That is why the price of multi-fiber is usually higher.
Net density, which is determined by the number of threads per inch. The denser they are, the more clearly small elements are visible, which improves the quality of the result.
Strength, which depends on the diameter of the thread. The larger it is, the stronger the material, but the lower the quality of the finished product.
The pattern for fabric in screen printing is divided into three categories: even, one might say, standard, as it is used in most cases; mesh, which, due to its strength, is suitable for printing large runs; twill (diagonal), one might say, “budget”, does not have high quality, but has an affordable price.

Materials from which almost all textiles for screen printing on fabric are made:

Silk is the most resistant, reliable and durable material. However, it gradually loses its high status, and other fabrics with similar characteristics, but cheaper, take its place. Synthetic fibers are considered the most expensive of them today.
Organdy fabric suitable for small and medium orders. The advantage here is the price.
Natural or synthetic nylon, which is an "eternal" fabric. If the surface is uneven (convex or concave), then nylon is the best choice for this print.
Polyester is a versatile, durable, strong fabric. Versatility is a major plus.
A mesh made of metal (copper, steel, brass, bronze, stainless steel) is used in the process of applying heated ink to a plastic base.

Stencil types

There are three types of handmade stencils: paper, water soluble and varnish soluble. They are cut out with a scalpel.

For simple drawings and small runs, paper stencils are cut from the appropriate material.
Water-soluble: gelatin is removed from the plastic base of the stencil, which has the ability to dissolve in water. After it is cleaned where the dyes should be applied. The plastic base is placed on the stencil, and water acts as a “glue”, which holds the gelatin and the stencil material together. At the end of the process, the gelatin remaining on the fabric is removed.
Varnish-soluble: the printing process on such stencils is very similar to the previous one, but the main difference is that the substrate is coated with varnish, and different varnish solvents are used during the work.

Automatic stencils are called photo stencils. In the process of their production, the necessary transparencies are used. The materials on the basis of which they are made are photosensitive. Photographic stencils are also divided into types according to the method of manufacture:

This method

Ink

To date, the choice of ink for screen printing is huge. They are resistant to UV and abrasion (depending on chemical composition substances), but are, on the contrary, erasable and fading. However, all these indicators depend on the type of printed matter. The ink is applied in a thick layer, and therefore they need to dry for quite a long time. This process proceeds naturally only when the print area is small or standard. But in most cases, in this case, they use the impact high temperatures for faster drying. This is mainly necessary for products produced on machine tools and requiring high speed and large circulation.

Which screen printing machines are used

If the volume of printing is large, then the manufacturing process takes place on machinery, which increases the speed of printing and reduces the material cost of the goods. Any exclusive printing or products of small circulations are made by hand. There are several types of automated screen printing machines:

Tablet. Used for flat printing.
Tablet-cylinder. The type of application is similar to flatbeds, but rather large runs are printed here, due to the higher production speed.
Cylinder. Used for printing on convex and concave surfaces.
Textile. Involved in screen printing on T-shirts, caps, T-shirts, jackets, sweatshirts and other clothing.
Tablets of high precision. They are used in the field of electrical equipment in the manufacture of printed circuit boards.
Rotary. The ink is in a printing form (cylinder) and is distributed by a special roller, which is located inside this form, which significantly increases productivity.

Features of screen printing that affect the timing and cost

The circulation of products in screen printing, like other types of printing, has a huge range. However, printing criteria are also its cost and production time. Here it is worth noting some features of screen printing.

Due to the technology of the process itself, silk screen printing is not a fast printing method. The squeegee, which presses the dye, passes through each cell of the grid, slowing down the process. There are several reasons for the slowness of production, but the main one is the degree of density of the coloring matter or high viscosity, as professionals call it. On this moment the speed of offset equipment exceeds the speed of screen printing equipment, even if it itself modern style. There is, however, a rotary stencil, the performance speed of which is much higher than the others, but it is suitable only for printing large runs of labels and is not involved in other areas of the process. Therefore, it becomes clear that screen printing does not have the ability to print quickly, and large print runs still have to wait for some time.
To date, the processes of screen printing mainly involve semi-automatic equipment, where the material is fed manually. Because of this, there is a problem of printing large print runs.
Drying also takes time, as it is necessary to dry each sheet of product. To perform this process, you need to spread the material on the racks and hangers intended for this. This not only increases the production time, but also puts large print runs within certain limits.
However, the invariable advantage of this equipment is the ability to print large formats, which allows you to apply the coloring matter on several units of production at once.
Time is also spent on the production of the screen printing form itself. Offset plates are produced faster and are much cheaper, which gives them an advantage in short-run printing.

In order to correctly determine whether it is worth giving a print run to screen printing, it is necessary to take into account all the above-mentioned features of it. The conclusion suggests itself: the optimal circulation for silk-screen printing varies from a couple of hundred to five thousand copies.

Screen printing, the price of which will suit everyone

Naturally, each printing house sets its own price for screen printing. Employees of each of the companies you have chosen will help you to study the price range in more detail.

There are two factors that affect the price of a product: color (one color per stencil) and the cost of the print material itself.

Silk screen printing is perfect for printing on convex and concave surfaces, as well as for printing on a variety of materials: glass, wood, leather, fabric, metal, ceramics. In this matter, screen printing wins on two criteria: quality and material benefits. The optimal number of copies for the order will be 50-100 units.

However, as already mentioned, screen printing is a rather long process, and you will have to be patient and wait for your order. Do not forget that during silk-screen printing a large layer of coloring matter is applied. The downside is that the print resolution is low. There is no possibility to apply a full-color drawing. All these details should be explained to you by the employee of the printing house you are applying to.

Screen printing allows you to apply contrasting, colorful, three-dimensional images. It is also used for printing with velvet or rubber effect. At the request of the customer, glitters (sequins), rhinestones and other decorations are applied to the drawing.

Do not think that screen printing is an easy process that even a beginner can manage. If you want to get high-quality products, you need to apply for this only to professionals in their field, to a top-level printing house. One of these is the SlovoDelo company.

SlovoDelo is the largest offset printing company in Moscow, which is also equipped with the most modern screen printing machines that can produce absolutely any printed product. The equipment is made in Germany and has the performance the highest level. With its help, any orders for full-color printing of A1-A4 formats, as well as non-standard formats chosen by you, are carried out.

Post-printing machines, also available at SlovoDelo, play a huge role in the manufacture of products. Thus, the company undertakes the full cycle of production of advertising and office printing, guaranteeing the high quality of the final product. Working with clients is aimed at minimizing their costs and terms of order fulfillment. Any order is treated as an individual task, which allows us to fulfill all the requirements of the client without delays and flaws.

In contact with

Screen printing is a method of reproducing an image using a stencil - a special printing plate through which printing ink penetrates the printed surface in those places that correspond to the printing elements.

Silk screen printing is a type of screen printing that uses special polyester, nylon or metal mesh small thickness with a high frequency of arrangement of threads.
Silk screen printing took its name from the English name of the patent of the beginning of the last century for the screen printing process "Silk Screen Printing" - literally it can be translated as "printing with a silk screen" - silk screen printing. It is believed that this method of printing originated far in antiquity, but modern look and the widespread demand for silk-screen printing technology acquired already in the middle of the 20th century.

Silkscreen is, in fact, an improved screen printing method, instead of the term "silk screen printing", a more accurate concept is used in printing - screen printing.

Screen printing or silkscreen printing has a centuries-old history and is a method of reproducing texts, inscriptions and images, monochrome or color, using a screen printing plate through which ink penetrates the printed material.

Screen printing method

Screen printing method has higher artistic possibilities unlike other types of printing. In addition, the range of materials for silkscreen printing is almost limitless: paper, cardboard, fabrics, metals, glass, wood, synthetic film - printing on any surface. Screen printing is applicable not only to flat surfaces, but also on volumetric, and even embossed. The thickness of the ink layer can vary from 10 to 100 microns, which ensures high image quality. Only in screen printing is it possible to use fluorescent and pearlescent inks to achieve various special effects.

1 - sieve fabric
2 - paint
3 - squeegee
4 - space element
5 - printing element
6 - colorful image
7 - printed material
8 - support table

A feature of the screen printing method is the structure of the printing form, its printing and space elements. The material or product on which the image needs to be applied is located on the side opposite to that from which the paint comes. The ink is fed through the printing elements of the form, which makes it possible to apply a layer of ink of different thicknesses. The flexibility of printing plates and the use of elastic squeegee allows you to repeat the shape of the printed products with minimal pressure.

Screen printing can be done on virtually any type of screen printing equipment, from the most primitive fixtures to fully automated machines capable of producing up to several hundred thousand copies. Screen printing can be done even at home.

Naturally, screen printing cannot compete with classical printing in publishing. And why? Silk-screen printing should be used where it is impossible to do without it. At present, small business is developing widely. And most of small firms and private enterprises only need some types of printed materials: an envelope, a sticker, a letterhead, an advertising booklet, Business Cards and so on. The circulation of an order can be only a few tens or hundreds of copies. And the simplicity of the technology for making screen printing plates makes the use of silk-screen printing even on manual machines quite cost-effective.

Our screen printing printing house "Print For You" offers screen printing services and other printing services at low prices with the ability to print any, including single, circulation, piece printing products, experimental and exhibition copies of products.

Currently, interest in screen printing has grown significantly in Russia. The fact is that the possibilities of classical printing methods are quite limited in terms of format, printed materials and the thickness of the ink layer. Screen printing has practically unlimited possibilities. In addition, screen printing is a printing technology that is relatively cheap and in a simple way production of printing forms. Now it is already possible to print in semi-automatic way in 3x5m formats, and in automatic way - 1.5x2.5m. Yes, and the thickness of the paint layer can be adjusted in a wide range. A significant drawback of screen printing, perhaps, is still low productivity.

Silkscreen printing differs from other printing methods in that the ink is forced through the cells of the grid on the printing elements, in which the grid is both the basis of the printing plate and the ink reservoir. Another difference is also the possibility of easy movement of the form and low pressure during the printing process. The quality of prints depends rather not on investment, but on the skill of the performer.

Today, a wide range of screen printing equipment of various degrees of automation and specifics is presented on the world market, which is an undoubted advantage of screen printing, because enterprises can choose what suits them according to the technology and available means. For example, large enterprises will require the use of automated equipment, while small ones may use manual or semi-automatic machines.

Screen printing can be used not only in publishing, but also in the production of special products, such as industrial silk-screen printing products. The screen printing method is applicable for printing on glass, plastic, porcelain, various types packaging, CDs, volumetric items of various configurations, as well as when varnishing any type of product.

Screen printing with appropriate inks can be carried out on almost any material: paper, plastic, PVC, glass, ceramics, metals, fabrics, leather, wood - printing on any surface. Screen printing and screen printing inks themselves differ in the type of binder: water-based inks, solvent-based inks, UV-curing inks, plastisols, temperature-fixed inks.

Thanks to technological features Silk screen printing allows you to print on both flat and cylindrical surfaces, so modern screen printing is used not only in printing, but also in textile, electronic, automotive, glass, ceramic and other industries.

Both direct screen printing, printing directly on the printed surface, and transfer, transfer screen printing, printing on an intermediate carrier with subsequent transfer to the product are possible.

Advertising on shop windows, images and inscriptions on clothes, branded bags with a logo, divisions on the measuring scales of devices, designations on the front panels of devices, key patterns on film keyboards, custom-made voluminous stickers, production of stickers, emblems, nameplates - all of the above are united by one technology polygraphic printing - it's silkscreen.

What do all of these items have in common? The similarity lies in the fact that it is very difficult, and sometimes impossible, to put an inscription or logo on these products and materials, to print an image using common printing methods. To impress ink from the form onto the surface to be printed, a certain pressure is required, which is practically inapplicable, for example, when printing on thin, fragile material. Silk-screen printing is available not only for printing on any surface, but also for applying a thick ink layer of high hiding power, which allows you to cover any color or black background, as well as apply silk-screen printing, fill in the rough and textured surface of the product.

Some difficulties in screen printing cause halftones and multi-color images. This is due to the very nature of screen printing, which makes it impossible to obtain reproductions with letterpress or offset screen lines. The limit of reproduction of a raster image in screen printing technology is determined by the fact that the cells of the grid cannot stably hold the copy layer, especially in deep shadows. But in Lately there has been significant progress. Screen printing is becoming more and more widespread due to the use of modern color separation technology, new methods of processing copy layers and the use of modern mesh substrates for the manufacture of printing plates.

Screen printing has a great future. And although it is inferior in some respects to other printing methods, this is more than offset by the significant advantage of the process and the huge variety of applications for screen printing. What is silkscreen? The future of screen printing technology is, first of all, a significant increase in the quality of printed products, expanding the range and increasing productivity, which can be achieved by:

improvement of printing forms and technology of printing processes
development of new types of paints, including accelerated methods of fixing them (implementation of UV curing paints, conductive and water-borne paints
improvement of printing equipment that does not require a long time for preparatory operations, the creation of new generation machines that combine screen printing, for example, with flexo printing, etc.

At present, the development trend screen printing method leads to a revolutionary turn, and in the near future, the silk-screen printing method will not only expand its fields of application, but also significantly increase its productivity.

Screen printing (alternatively called "Silkscreen") is a unique image printing technology that combines ancient origins and modern technologies. Silk-screen printing appeared in ancient China, where a fine-mesh fabric of silk threads stretched over a wooden frame was used to create a stencil, which gave the name to the technology. Now, special fabrics made from synthetic threads (rarely metallic) are used to create stencils; as a rule, frame material is used aluminum profile(rarely steel), but there are also wooden frames, but they do not provide the stable rigidity of the structure, which is necessary for high-quality screen printing.

The essence of screen printing.

In short, the essence of screen printing is to push ink through a stencil, using a squeegee, onto a printed surface (t-shirts, cut, paper, plastic, and much more).

Learn more about screen printing technology.

Let's analyze silk-screen printing at the stages of printing, from preparing the layout to obtaining the finished product:

The first step is image preparation.
The layout for silk-screen printing is prepared in specialized graphic programs. Raster images are made, as a rule, in the program Adobe Photoshop, and vector in Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw. When preparing a ready-made layout for printing, the designer divides the resulting layout into colors and places marks for color matching already in the printing process. The result is a number of files equal to the number of colors in the layout. Each color in the end is a separate stencil. In the case of printing on colored T-shirts or other surfaces, a white substrate is also added to the layout under the entire image, which accordingly entails the need to prepare another stencil.
The second stage is the withdrawal of films.
The files obtained at the first stage are printed on a transparent film in black and white format.
The third stage is the preparation of stencil forms.
On this stage screen printing, on a screen mesh stretched over a frame, a photographic emulsion is applied and dried in special drying cabinets. After the photoemulsion layer has dried, the film obtained in the second stage is attached to the grid. Then the stencil is placed in a copy frame with a vacuum clamp, where the stencil form is illuminated with special lamps. In the place where there was no image on the film, the emulsion layer finally hardens, and where the image was, the emulsion does not harden.

After illuminating the stencil in the copy frame, the form is placed in a washing bath, where the uncured emulsion is washed out with water under high pressure.

At the end of the third stage, the stencil is retouched, that is, all accidentally washed holes in the stencil form are closed with a special solution.
The fourth step is printing.
The resulting stencils are attached to the printing equipment (carousel drain or flatbed printing machine). Before printing the entire run, the printer must print several test prints (make-up), during the make-ready the positioning of the printed product on the table is performed and the colors are brought together using the marks placed at the first stage. Due to the need for makeready, it is required to have a certain number of spare parts for printing.

Immediately before the print run, the marks on the screen forms are sealed.

Actually, the printing process itself takes place, as mentioned above, with the help of a special squeegee, which pushes the paint through the stencil onto the product.
The fifth stage is the washing of stencil forms.
After printing, screen forms must be washed off, this happens in the washing chamber, using specialized solutions (soften the photo-emulsion layer) and water.

As a rule, the so-called phantom images remain on the stencil forms, which leads to the need to use, during the washing process, special chemistry to remove them.

The pros and cons of screen printing.

pros

Brightness. Due to the large layer of paint, the image is bright and saturated.
Versatility. Screen printing allows you to print, with some reservations, on almost any flat object: T-shirts and T-shirts, fabric cut, polyethylene, plastic, metal, glass, paper and much more.
Lots of special effects. Silkscreen printing makes it possible to use various additives in printing to achieve special effects: thermal lift, glitter, light-accumulative paints, UV-luminous paints, aroma paints, and so on, you probably can’t count everything.
Print durability. When used correctly, ready product will last for years.

Equipment used in screen printing.

Copy camera. It is used to illuminate stencil forms in preparation for printing.
Wash chamber. Used for washing stencil forms in preparation for printing and after printing to remove the emulsion layer from used stencils.
Carousel machine. Used for printing on T-shirts, sweatshirts and other textiles. Carousel-type machines are both manual and automatic. On automatic machines, the printer, after adjustment, is only needed to place and remove products from the machine and, of course, he must monitor the quality of printing on T-shirts and other materials. The machine prints directly.
Flatbed printing machine. It is used for printing on paper (business cards), polyethylene (bags) and other sheet materials. Like carousels, flatbed printing presses can be either manual or automatic. Automatic machines can be equipped with devices automatic feeding and removal of materials.
Intermediate IR drying. Needed as auxiliary equipment for intermediate drying of ink layers when printing on rotary machines.
Tunnel IR drying. It is used for the final fixing of plastisol and water-based paints on textiles.
Tunnel UV drying. Used to fix UV ink.
Shelves with folding shelves. Needed to save space in the screen printing shop. For example, it is very convenient to place plastic bags on them to dry the paint between layers.

One of the popular ways to apply images to various surfaces is silk screen printing. This method is also called silk», « stencil», « mullet», screen printing and so on.
The most important advantage of silk screen printing is the ability to print on almost any surface: paper, designer cardboard, glass, fabric, wood, iron, plastic, acrylic and many others. Using silk screen, you can print on pens, lighters, cups, ashtrays, key rings, business cards, postcards, envelopes and other types of printing and souvenir products.

Advantages of silk screen

Silk-screen printing differs from digital and offset in that it allows you to print not only on paper and cardboard of a certain density. If the "number" is limited by the density of cardboard 350 g / m, then "silk" can be used to apply an image on a material with a thickness of 5 cm, and this is not the limit.
Another plus of silk screen is that it allows you to print on dark materials in any color without quality loss. For example, it will not work to print business cards on black designer cardboard as a “number”, just nothing will be visible, and White color printers cannot reproduce. This is where silk screen printing comes in handy.

Disadvantages of silk screen

The disadvantage of silk screen printing is that full-color images (photographs, gradients) are usually not printed in this way (due to the peculiarities of the technology), it is more expedient to use digital, offset or combine printing methods.
Silk screening is often used to print business cards on high-density designer boards or textured boards. The use of such materials allows you to make a business card exclusive. At the same time, some elements (text or logo) can be printed using thermal lift (elements become embossed). Relief embossing (elements squeezed out with the help of a cliché) looks quite impressive together with a silk screen.

Souvenir and congratulatory (invitations, postcards, envelopes, bonbonnieres, etc.) printed products look very impressive printed using silk screen printing. True, the cost of silk screen printing is higher than digital, but the quality requires some costs.
Preparation of layouts for silk screen printing differs from offset and digital layouts, so if you plan to order similar products and develop a layout yourself, then it will be useful to familiarize yourself with the requirements for silk screen layouts.

The main difference in preparing a layout for silk screen printing is that all the elements that we want to print must be vector graphics (vector graphics, unlike raster graphics, have perfectly even contours and do not lose quality when resizing), this is necessary for high-quality silk screen printing.

In general, with the help of silk screen printing, you can make exclusive high-class products. Although the technology is not new, but, nevertheless, it is very relevant and there is no replacement for it yet, for certain printing works.