What is screen printing?
Screen Printing is a process where a mesh screen is used to print artwork on a product, such as an article of clothing or another fabric (bags, cloth etc). Ink is applied to the screen and spread using a squeegee. The ink fills the empty spaces in the screen and creates the logo or text that has been chosen by the customer.
How can multiple colours be printed?
Only one colour can be printed on a single screen. This means each different print colour requires its own unique screen. This is why screen printing costs increase with the number of print colours.
How does the ink cure to the product?
Ink requires heat to cure to the fabric. Different fabrics require unique temperatures and varying lengths of time to properly cure. Soft-handed cotton will require a different time and temperature than a performance fabric, like polyester. This is why choosing an experienced screen printer is vital. Once printed, your product goes through an oven (not the kind that you have at home) with a conveyor belt. The speed of the conveyor system needs to be adjusted based on the fabric of the product.
How long will my screen printed products last and how do I care for them?
Rule number 1 – HANG ALL SCREEN PRINTED ITEMS TO DRY. Because the ink is cured by heat, it can also be smeared if exposed to high temperatures (like your dryer). Wash your items as you normally would, but be sure to hang them to dry. The ink colour and overall print quality will stay good-as-new for years to come if treated properly.
What limitations are there with screen printing?
Screen printing is versatile and cost-effective. From six items to tens of thousands, screen printing is an excellent way to decorate your products. Certain fabrics require a specially blended ink – Nylon fabrics being one of them and also Spandex. Because of the unique finish to Nylon (things like hockey bags and some polyester blends) a special additive is needed to make sure the ink cures to the fabric.
How does pricing for screen printing work?
Screen printing is based on three factors:
1- Number of print colours
2- Number of items being printed
Because each print colour requires a new screen, printing costs will increase as your print more colours. The same goes for printing your order: we can only apply one colour of ink at a time, which means that as you add print colours to your order, you are increasing the time it takes to complete the printing process.
What type of artwork is required for screen printing?
High quality jpegs, PDF or vector based artwork is required for screen printing. If you do not have access to these we can create artwork for you. The cost to create artwork is an hourly rate. Please contact us for details on these costs and how we can help.
