Screen printing
Also known as silkscreen, screen printing is characterized with pressing the dye through the screen prepared of nylon, polyester or metal mesh.
It is usually woven from 100-150 filaments, creating a mesh opening with diameter of 40-34 micrometres.
Screen is printed from the template, of which non-printed parts are covered in a very various ways, depending on circulation, mesh, the brand of ink or the desired effect. Utilising two suitable brands of inks results in vivid colours and appropriate index of opacity, while the colour fastness is achieved by fixing them in the temperature of 160° C.
Screen printing has the centuries old tradition, and the perceived cradle of the method is the Far East. The fathers of screen printing are the Japanese men, Yuzensai Miyasaki i Zisukeo Hirose.
Screen printing thrived in 20th century in art - the examples are Andy Warhol's and Richard Anuszkiewicz's artworks.
Usage:
Screen printing allows for achieving the one- or multi-coloured effects, and is also used in large format printouts. This technique, while used in graphic art and applied graphic, is called serigraphy.
The advantages of silkscreen:
- Wide range of applications;
Applied to different kinds of garments, such as: textiles, cotton, knits, wood or plastic. It is the reason why it may be applied to the branding of bags, apparel, umbrellas, caps, and plastic, wooden or leather gadgets.
- Durability;
Thanks to very durable printing inks the final result is resistant to UV rays exposure, moisture, mechanical effects, with excellent wash fastness.
- Color saturation;
By using a wide variety of inks it is possible to obtain expressive and rich colors
- Universality;
Screen printing may be applied to flat or cylindrycal surfaces.
- Low price;
The method is one of the least expensive technique of branding products. However, it is important to note that it is profitable with high circulation, in case of lower quantities it is not so cost-efficient. It is more beneficial to choose this method in case of bigger circulations.
Circulation:
Screen printing is mostly targeted towards high circulations. The costs of this method is the preparation of the screen, while it should be remembered that every color equals an another screen, which needs to be exposed for printing and therefore has to be included in the final costs.
