Screen
Printing
The process of forcing ink
through a porous fabric
and the open areas of a
stencil to produce an
image.
Two terms commonly used:
Serigraphy (in the field of
fine arts) and Screen
Printing used in the graphic
communications industry.
Applications for Screen
Printing:
Posters
Plastic bottles
Drinking glasses
Soda bottles
Mirrors, metal surfaces
Wood
Textiles
Printed circuit boards
Product displays
Vinyl binders
Advantages of Screen Printing
Images can be printed on a wide variety of
substrates
The production process is relatively easy.
Capital expenditures are low compared to
other printing processes
Images can be printed with glitter, flock,
and other decorative finishes.
The ink film is very resilient due to the
extreme thickness of the ink deposit
Disadvantages of Screen
Printing
The process is usually limited to flat,
relatively thin substrates, such as
paper, metal, or plastic.
Rate of production is slow.
Ink mileage is poor.
Excessive drying times may be
necessary.
Details and fine line images may be
difficult to print.
Basic Equipment for Screen
Printing:
Screen fabric
Frame
Stencil
Ink
Squeegee
Substrate
Squeegee blades
Square edged: flat surfaces and general
purpose printing
Square-edge with round corners: Gives
extra-heavy ink deposits on flat
substrates. Used when a light color will be
printed on a dark substrate.
Round-edge: Used primarily in textile
printing where an extra-heavy ink film is
required.
Single-sided beveled edge: Used for
printing on glass.
Squeegee Blade Shapes (con’t.)
Double-sided beveled edge with flat
point. Used for printing on ceramics
Double-sided beveled edge. Used for
printing on cylindrical objects such as
bottles and containers.
Squeegee Blade Shapes
Screen Inks
Water Based
Oil Based
Screen Printing Solvents
Water
Mineral Spirits (or mineral spirits
substitute)
Screen Frames
Wood
Aluminum
Steel
Plastic
Screen Fabrics
Filaments are threads
Multifilament – sewing thread example
Monofilament – fishing line example
Mesh count = number of threads per linear
inch
The higher the mesh count, the better the
reproduction of fine details.
Mesh Count (con’t.)
Multifilament ranges from 5 to 25.
Multiply the digit by 10 to get an
approximate number of threads per
linear inch.
Monofilament are specified by actual
number of threads per linear inch.
Fabric Strength
X
XX
XXX
Most screen printers select XX
multifilament or
T- monofilament.
Types of Fabric
Silk - most expensive
Organdy - cheapest
Polyester - middle of the road
Nylon - used for non-flat substrates
Metal Mesh - most durable, but
expensive
Metalized Polyester - durable but not
too expensive
Fabric Attaching and Tensioning
Stapling
Cord and Groove
Mechanical Clamping
Adhesive Bonding
Measuring Fabric Tension - tensiometer
Fabric Treatment - abrading
Stencils
Knife-cut stencils – Paper stencils,
water-soluble stencils,lacquer-soluble
stencils
Photographic Stencils – indirect,
direct, direct/indirect
Screen Printing at Pope
Aluminum Roller Frames
XX, monofilament, polyester mesh
Photographic direct emulsion
Plastisol (oil based) ink
Mineral spirits substitute
Emulsion removed and screen cleaned
with special solvents and water.