Screen printing, also known as silk printing, is a popular printing method that utilizes a mesh screen to press ink onto materials. This technique is widely used by businesses and individuals for a variety of projects that require custom designs and materials. Screen printing is an effective technique for creating bold canvases, posters, artwork, print fabrics, and textiles.
What is Commercial Screen Printing?
Commercial screen printing is a method of printing graphics at scale using thick inks that are placed on top of the material rather than soaking into it. The screen printing process itself is performed by transferring a stenciled design onto a flat surface using a mesh screen, ink, and a squeegee. The most commonly used screen printing surfaces include fabric and paper, but with specialized ink, it’s also possible to print onto wood, plastic, glass, and a variety of other off-the-wall materials. The basic method involves creating a stencil on a fine mesh screen and then pushing each color needed onto the material, one screen layer at a time. For every color used in screen printing, an individual screen is used to press that aspect of the design onto the surface.
Screen printing is the method that most companies use and, back in the day, was the main way to create bulk amounts of custom printed materials. Commercial screen printing services are able to handle bulk screen printing projects. It can provide companies the option of cost-effective, professional screen printing services.
What Are The Uses For Commercial Screen Printing?
One of the main reasons that commercial screen printing is so valuable is because setting up screen printing materials and operations in-house can be extremely expensive. The cost of equipment, materials and the time it takes to learn how to create professional-quality screen printing can be detrimental to any business’ budget and hamper their ability to be predictive and timely.
With commercial screen printing services, businesses have easy access to professional bulk screen printing services at a great price without going through the headache of trying to do it themselves. Moreover, printing companies often have decades of industry experience and can guide you through the process to ensure you are employing the proper process for the unique needs of your project.
Screen printing is a method that is often chosen because it can produce vivid colors on any color or material. Additionally, the ink lies on the surface of the material, giving it a very high quality and detailed finish that brings out the best in the design. The technique is often used as it allows for easy replication of a design. This is because the same stencil can be used to replicate a design, again and again. This makes it very useful for creating multiple copies of the same accessory.
The main advantages of commercial screen printing include:
- Vivid, high-quality output
- Durable, long-lasting prints
- Diverse application options
- Cost-effective for large orders
The Screen Printing Process: Explained
While there are multiple approaches to screen printing, they all center around the same basic technique. One of the most important aspects of screen printing is the stencil that is used to lay the designs onto the materials. The more intricate and detailed you can design the stencil, the more creative possibilities and details become.
The commercial screen printing process typically goes as follows:
Create the Design
The first step in the commercial screen printing process is to solidify the design. Once the design is finalized, the image is often sent digitally to the screen printing company. This design is then used to create the stencil.
Screen Preparation
Next, the printer will choose a mesh screen to accommodate the complexity of the design and the texture of the fabric. The mesh screen is then coated with a layer of light-reactive emulsion, which will harden when developed under bright light. In order to create multicolored products, the printer must use skill and expertise to design each stencil and line them up perfectly to ensure that the final design is seamless.
Prepare for Print
Once the design and screen are created, the screen is placed onto the printing press. The most commonly used techniques involve automated processes as this allows several different screens to work at once. For multicolored prints, these screen printers are used to apply the separate layers in quick succession.
Pressing
The final step in the process is lowering the screen onto the printing board where the design is pressed onto the material. Then, a squeegee is used to pull the ink along the full length of the screen. This presses the ink through the open areas of the stencil, imprinting the design on the product underneath. Finally, the material is sent through a dryer and checked for quality assurance.
Get Your Materials Screen Printed With Professional Graphics Inc.
At Professional Graphics Inc., our team of printing experts are trained to handle any type of screen printing project. We are capable of helping guide you through the process from initial design to implementation and everything in between. When you work with us, you can rest assured that you will have access to the most cost-effective and high-quality commercial screen printing services. Call us today at (203) 439-6120 or contact us online today.