How Silkscreen Printing Works
How Silkscreen Printing Works
Screen printing is much more than just a way to jazz up your favorite tee shirt.silkscreen printing It’s a mix of meticulous artistry, a pinch of science and a dash of history.
The heart of the process is a mesh screen, which is tightly stretched over a metal or wooden frame and coated in a light-reactive emulsion layer.silkscreen printing Traditionally these screens were crafted from silk, but today most are made of synthetic materials such as terylene. The emulsion is exposed to a light, which “burns” areas of the screen that are intended to be printed. Areas that are to remain transparent become blocked off by the stencil, and the squeegee is then used to push ink through those open areas onto the garment or paper substrate below.
Inks can be dyed to a wide range of hues and used to print on a variety of different materials including paper, fabric and metal.silkscreen printing The versatility of the technique allows for a wide variety of textures to be achieved as well, which can further enhance the overall design and look of product packaging. In addition, the printing process is highly adaptable and can be utilized to create custom color combinations that are uniquely suited to your brand and/or specific products.
The process of making a screen for silkscreen printing begins with creating the desired artwork.silkscreen printing The design is then transferred to a transparent acetate sheet, which will eventually be used as a template for the printing screen. A fine mesh screen is then coated with a light-reactive emulsion, such as Diazo or SBQ (both of which are available in varying strengths). The emulsion is then allowed to dry. Once the emulsion has dried, it is then necessary to block out any unwanted ‘pin-holes’ that may allow ink to pass through and leave marks on the final print. This can be done with various tapes and speciality emulsions.
Once the screen is ready, it is lined with a pallet tape, which prevents ink from reaching the surface supporting the screen and the frame (commonly called the pallet).silkscreen printing The pallet is then covered with a lint-free cotton pad or film that protects it from getting stained by any excess ink that may be transferred during the printing process. The pallet tape is also useful in keeping lint and other debris from contaminating the prints and can be replaced as needed.
During the printing process, the squeegee is then pressed over the top of the mesh screen. The squeegee is then used in a circular motion to apply ink to the substrate underneath. The squeegee is also used to remove any excess ink and to create smooth edges.
The finished product can be a single image or multiple images in a single print run. Generally speaking, an edition is limited to 500 prints or less. The process is very time consuming and labor intensive, requiring careful preparation of each individual stencil for each print. It is common practice for an artist to allow 10% of his total intended print run to be rejected due to errors in the production process.
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