Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Knowing T-shirt Screen Printing

By Leif Sianez


The t-shirt screen printing or also known as silk screen printing has been already in the market for decades. From the easiest process of hand printing to the newly automated process, the principles will not change. The negative image associated with this is burned into confusion between screen and frame. This image however is unclear. The ink that has been placed into the mesh is forced into the holes through the use of a squeegee that is automated. The opaque negative image will not permit the ink to pass it and that the positive print is then printed into the shirt which is put underneath the screen.

DTG t-shirt printing is more of the environment side than screen printing. The DTG process is using an ink which is a water based type thus helping in saving inks because there aren't wasted only on the head cleaning but you should also think that in head cleaning no tools are involve externally only the ink. The major head cleaning can be prevented by the everyday maintenance of the printer, and therefore one head clean per day is very satisfactory. If the ink is disposed properly, printing t-shirts with the use of DTG technique does not affect the environment. Using the screen printing, a lot of ink will be wasted and if you will clean the stencil, the ink would also be washed.

There is a major benefit that screen printing can provide over the other techniques. This is very quick. Out of 6 color press, there can be 30 to 90 shirts available. You will only be paying less for the ink. But since it is really a time consuming process to set the printing and cleaning the screens, a lot of the companies charge the client at one time set up for each of the color separation. You can also keep the screens so that you can have it easily if the client will have a reprint.

The positive side of the screen printing is that the printouts are very clean. And this is suitable for logos and sharp text. This is also best for mass production and that the price of the printing can be lowered. This is also great since it will not easily fade out after how many washing. The print will really last long after how many wash cycles than the digital printing which is often used by the Caf Press.

The negative side of the screen printing is: this is not ideal for photographic reproduction unless you are willing to have a lower grade of photo image. Each of the colors is printed differently and that it needs to have a separate screen to be made and stored for every color. You really have to mess up when you are in a screen printing industry.

Talking about the environment, the screen printing industry has able to clean up for how many years. A lot of the companies are making used of the environment friendly soy based plastisol inks. All of these are water soluble and does not have any odor. This does not contain air pollutants substances and have no organic compounds. The making, transport, storage, use and disposal of the plastisol ink do not create any environmental hazard when used accordingly.




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