What's Happening in Paarl, Western Cape…

Screen printing is a method that uses a stencilled mesh screen to produce a printed design on almost any surface.  Although few people are familiar with the process of screen printing, most have used and owned products that were branded using it since it can be used in many industries and for different purposes.

How Does Screen Printing Work?

Screen printing uses a mesh screen, ink, and a squeegee to transfer a stencilled design onto flat surfaces. You can make these designs using many techniques, and you can use multiple colours.

Screen printing involves several steps:

• Step 1: Design Creation. This step involves deciding on the design and printing it onto transparent acetate film. This will be used to create the stencil or screen.

• Step 2: Preparing The Screen. Second, choose the screen and mesh, and count. This is the total number of fibres/inch. Different designs might require different mesh counts. A higher mesh count allows for finer detail printing while still preserving ink. After selecting the mesh, a layer of light-reactive emulsion is applied to it. Different types of the emulsion can provide different results.

• Step 3: Exposing The Emulsion. After printing the design onto the acetate sheet, the entire thing should be exposed to bright sunlight. The light hardens the emulsion so that liquid remains on the design-covered areas of the screen. A separate screen is needed to apply each layer if you intend to use multiple colours in your final design. A printer capable of perfectly aligning each stencil can create multi-coloured products.

• Step 4: Washing Off The Emulsion. The screen will harden after being exposed for a specific time. To make a clear imprint, any remaining oil must be rinsed. The screen is dried and cleaned by the printer. Now the stencil is ready to be used.

• Step 5: Preparing The Item For Print. Lay the material flat on the printing board. Next, place the screen with your design on top of it in the desired location. The screen can be lowered to the printer board. Next, add the ink colour to the top. The squeegee can then be used to evenly distribute the ink along the length of the screen. It is then applied to the stencil, pressing it through it, and then transferred to the material below. Finally, the design can be printed. 

• Step 6: Finishing The Product By Drying. Checking and finishing it. After printing the product, it is dried in a dryer. This will 'cure" the ink and create a smooth, colourfast finish. To remove any residue, wash the final product thoroughly before handing it to its new owner.

What Can Screen Printing Be Used For?

You can screen print materials of any size and thickness. Screen printing can also be used in various applications such as:

1. Posters, canvasses and artwork.
2. Clothing designs.
3. Stickers and Decals
4. Signage.
5. Sports products that are branded
6. Promotional merchandise
7. Textile fabric designs.
8. Decorations and balloons
9. Packaging and product label

Minuteman Press Paarl can help you promote your company using screen printing. Contact us today for more information.