How a Decal Paper Silk Screen Printer Works

How a Decal Paper Silk Screen Printer Works

Decals and stickers serve a multitude of purposes from labelling to decoration. There are two main methods used to print decals; digital printing and silkscreening. Traditionally, silkscreening has been the preferred method due to its versatility and high-resolution results. The process involves transferring ink through a porous fabric (silk screen) onto a substrate such as paper, fabric or metal. It’s an ancient technique, but is still very popular in the manufacturing industry.

Using a decal paper silk screen printer, you can reproduce all kinds of complex designs, including shaded effects, carbon fibre and Kevlar simulations. Using state-of-the-art Offset technology, we are also able to replicate chrome, gold and other metallic colours with amazing shine and mirror effect. These are then overprinted with the corresponding screen-printed matt or gloss for an even more appealing visual result.

For those who want to use their decals on surfaces such as bare-metal or powdercoat, silkscreening is the best option. This is because it can produce sharp-edged single-color images created from a stencil, and produces far superior results than a laser printed sticker. The silkscreening process uses durable epoxy based inks and has a wide range of colors available. It’s a great way to give your enclosures a professional, finished appearance and enhance its aesthetics.

A key part of the printing process is the creation of a stencil. This is achieved by coating a mesh screen with a light-sensitive emulsion. Once the screen is ready, ink is applied evenly across the surface. Then, the rubber blade called a squeegee is used to push ink through the open areas of the stencil, thereby creating a printed design on the surface underneath.

The final step in the printing process is to dry the decal paper silk screen printer. The ink must be completely dry before the decal can be re-applied to the substrate. If the decal is not completely dry, it may crack and fade over time. To speed up drying, it’s recommended to place the decal in the sun or under a heat lamp.

Getting started

When you’re a beginner, it is very important to start with pretensioned screens and a tile jig. This is because these will not distort when printed, and allow for accurate scaling of your design. It’s also a good idea to make a few test prints, and compare them to the actual model under layout lighting. This will help you to fine-tune your settings and achieve a perfect match.

After the ink has dried, it’s a good idea to spray a coat of Decal Bonder onto the screen. This will hold the inks together, and prevent them from separating when the decal is printed and soaked.

Once the decal has had a chance to dry, it’s ready to be applied to your enclosure. It’s a good idea to apply several coats of decal set solution to the decal before letting it air dry for a couple of hours. This will help the decal adhere to the surface, and ensure that it stays stuck for a long time.

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