Silkscreen printing is one of the oldest methods that we can apply to make create a new design product.
It has also a different type of printing which depend on the aim and the procedure. It has also the name you can find it club calligraphy graphic design.
Now technology has built a lot. We can make it easier. There is some missionary item also available to make this field screen printing for sale screen printing.
On the other hand, there is also a traditional method, which is we can also make this product at home. So, in this article, I am going to explain everything about silkscreen and what are the essential items for making this product.
What is Silk-Screen Printing?
Silkscreen is a conventional name for screen printing in which a highly developed transcription method is used for printing as well.
Another traditional name is serigraph. The history of printing started with natural silk however in modern times artificial silk was produced with custom mesh due to the specification of the printing process of this printing method.
So, for this purpose, we have to find out what was to what we have to necessary item for making this up to things. So, in this area, I will be going to say something about the essential items.
History Of Silkscreen Printing
Screen printing was first founded in China in 960–1279 AD while its uses were very limited to different types of regions as well as the printing industry.
Around a hundred years ago. It is one of the oldest commercial and artistic stores for INR Inna in the world all over the world.
It started to familiar in Western Europe from Asia in the 18th century however the insufficient material supply and old method could not make it popular everywhere.
In the 19th century, some research on photo-reactive chemicals confers a revolutionary dimension in printing history. The artist Andy Warhol is credited with popularizing screen printing as an artistic medium.
China and Japan and there are very popular for that particular two countries later than it would be also getting more priority all over the world. Now, it is one of the top atoms for business purposes.
Stencils In Screen Printing
The root process of the printing starts from making a stenciled mesh screen then the transcript portion is printed by applying paint or ink to textile material. The stencil is a very simple device that’s very similar to the temple or layout of a design.
Different types of stencils are used to print as there are some popular processes such as hand-cut block out and emulsion.
The process should be selected from customer demand. The hand-cut stencil is a mostly easy and less time-consuming process as the transcription could have been prepared with thin paper, film, vinyl, etc.
In modern times the transcription process become more accurate and inexpensive due to the use of digital technology.
There is some critical and complex design having many details and a very tiny line is not accurately printed due to the process limitations so the other process can perform those complicated designs.
Tusche or block-out stencils can print more critically than the process we discussed earlier. Emulsions are the most complex process as the result of the printing is most perfect than any other process.
How To Do Silkscreen Printing: Process Step By Step
A screen is a form of mesh that is stretched over a frame with tension. To print a design the mesh could be processed which could be a synthetic polymer, such as nylon, and a finer and smaller aperture.
Step 01# Screen frame preparation
The first step is that you have to find a frame where put that color which just made it before and you have to pay attention to the report of the color.
The mesh must be tensioned and fixed on a frame to be functional. Depending on the sophistication of the machine or the artisan method, the frame that holds the mesh could be built of a variety of materials, such as wood or aluminum.
A tensiometer can be used to examine the tension of the mesh; Newton per centimeter is a popular unit for measuring mesh tension.
Step 02# Designing
By restraining a design image on a screen create a stencil where the open area created by that mirror design image is used to print with ink.
Before printing, the frame and screen must go through the pre-press process, which involves ‘scooping’ an emulsion across the mesh. After drying, the emulsion is selectively exposed to ultraviolet light via a film printed with the appropriate design.
Either from software or using a pattern with multicolor, you have to complete your design for screen printing.
Step 03# Exposition of emulsion
This hardens the emulsion in the exposed areas while leaving the other areas soft.
They are then wiped away with a water spray, leaving behind a clean patch in the mesh with the same form as the desired picture, allowing ink to pass through.
In fabric printing, the surface supporting the fabric to be printed is coated with a wide pallet tape. This protects the ‘pallet’ from any undesirable ink leaking through the screen and potentially staining or transferring unwanted ink onto the next substrate.
The silkscreen and frame are then taped together to prevent ink from reaching the screen’s and frame’s edges.
Step 04# Press ink onto the item surface and complete printing
The ink to be printed onto the substrate typically determines the type of tape employed for this function. More aggressive tapes are often used because UV and water-based inks have lower viscosities and a higher tendency to creep beneath the tape.
A substrate is placed on top of the screen. A flood bar is used to drive the ink through the mesh pores once the ink is put to the screen.
The operator begins with the fill bar behind an ink reservoir at the rear of the screen. The operator raises the screen to prevent contact with the substrate, then presses the fill bar to the desired height.
14 Types Of Silk Screen Printing Ink Used Today In The Garments Industry
1. Caviar beads
There is a special type of glue that is printed with the design shape called caviar bead.
2. Cracking ink
Ink may be so applied as to produce a cracked surface after drying. Similar cracking may occur unintentionally if the ink does not cure fully.
3. Discharge inks
By releasing ink using use zinc formaldehyde to remove, or discharge, the dye back off the fabric. The disadvantage is that it could be used perfectly on dark-colored fabric only.
The pros to this process are that discharge is especially effective for distressed prints and under-basing on dark garments that are to be printed with additional layers of plastisol.
4. Expanding ink (puff)
Expanding ink, often known as puff ink, is a plastisol ink additive that elevates the print off the fabric, giving the design a 3D sensation and effect.
5. Flocking
Flocking involves printing glue onto the cloth and then applying flock material for a velvet touch.
6. Foil
Foil, like a flock, begins with a base layer of sticky glue or plastisol ink.
Finishing the foil involves placing a thin film of reflective or mirror-like material on top of the screened base and heat pressing it to set.
7. Four-color process or the CMYK color model
The four-color method involves creating artwork and then separating it into four colors (CMYK) that combine to provide the entire spectrum of colors required for photographic reproductions.
This implies that a huge number of colors may be replicated with only four displays, saving money, time, and effort. The inks must mix and are more transparent, resulting in a reduction in color brilliance.
8. Glitter
Glitter or shimmer ink is created by incorporating metallic particles into the ink base to achieve the sparkling effect. Typically, available in gold or silver, however, most colors may be blended.
9. Metallic
Metallic ink is comparable to glitter; however, it contains smaller particles. A glue is printed into the cloth, followed by nano-scale fibers. This is frequently purchased ready-made.
10. Plastisol
The most frequent ink used in commercial clothing decorating is plastisol. Good color opacity on dark clothes and clear graphic detail with a more plasticized feel, as the name indicates.
This print may be made softer with certain additions or heavier with additional ink layers.
11. Phthalate-free PVC
PVC and phthalate-free ink and printing are relatively new breeds of ink and printing that have the benefits of plastisol but without the two primary hazardous components.
12. Water-based inks
These inks permeate the cloth more deeply than plastisol inks and result in a considerably softer feel.
Printing darker inks on lighter-colored clothes is ideal. Also good for huge area prints with a lot of texture. To make the print permanent, some inks require heat or an additional catalyst.
13. Water-based dye
Unlike a thicker ‘Plastisol Alternative,’ this arrives as a concentrate that is mixed into a printing paste to allow Screen Printing.
14. High density
Using glitter against a lower mesh count with many coatings of emulsion is the high-density method such as Capillex.
Why Silk Screen Printing Is Important?
Screen printing is more adaptable than other types of printing. Unlike etching or lithography, the surface does not have to be printed under pressure, and it does not have to be flat.
Various links may be used to work with a wide range of materials, including fabrics, ceramics, wood, paper, glass, metal, and plastic.
As a result, screen printing is widely employed in a variety of sectors. The mesh and buses of silver are printed on the front of wafer-based solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, while the buses of silver are printed on the reverse.
Following that, the aluminum paste is applied to the whole rear surface for passivation and surface reflection. The thickness of the print is one of the variables that may be varied and regulated in screen printing.
This makes it helpful for various printing processes such as solar cells, electronics, and so forth.
Silkscreen Printing Automation
Amateur and professional printers typically use a screen-printing press to print many copies of the screen design on clothes in an efficient manner. This is a colloquial word because most screen-printing machines are drastically different from Offset Printing Presses.
Many firms provide printing presses ranging from simple to advanced. These presses are classified as manual, semi-automatic, or completely automated.
The majority of printing enterprises will employ one or more semi-automatic or completely automatic equipment, with manual machines used for small runs and sampling.
Using an electric motor and air compressor to draw proper process is reduced physical labor in this method so the process is consequently more efficient and faster print.
Conclusion
Silkscreen printing has an ancient impact. It brings a legacy from the beginning of the printing process.
Creating a perfect mesh and screen with the help of silkscreen and over this color combination will help you make a perfect printer design for your item. Natural cotton fabrics are the best use of silk screen printing. The quality and high priority of the business of screen printing depend on the methods are you using.
Depending on the buyer’s requirements various kinds of chemical inks or organic inks could be used for screen printing. From customization to bath production everywhere you can use, screen printing is your perception. Now you know everything in detail about silk screen printing.
