Saturday, January 23, 2010

Screen Printing Tshirts So You Can Use As A Corporate Gift

By Vent Wong

Printing is a process of producing images and text, normally utilizing ink, paper and a printing press. Printing has changed considerably and improved over time. Screen printing is among the most common printing techniques.

Screen printing, also called silk screening, is ideal for printing on flat and even materials. A thin screen is stretched taut around a wooden or metal frame, and ink is pressed through the uncovered areas of the screen to create an image. To create a print, the silk screen is placed on top of your material and the image is covered with a thick ink. The ink is then pressed with a heavy piece of rubber through the image and the screen. The print is created where the ink is pressed through the unmasked areas. A heated tunnel is then used to dry the wet print; the prints can then be stacked and packaged.

For more than one color, this procedure is repeated with additional screens. For example, a print of four colors will be created with four different screens; this is either done on a rotary press or by hand to ensure that the screens are aligned correctly on the image.

There are many different methods for masking a screen. For simple projects, a masking fluid may be applied directly on the screen. Two-color graphics work best with this method; more complex multi-colored jobs will look better with a photosensitive emulsion process.

Screen-printed T-shirts using plastic inks are often stiflingly hot if you aren't sure of what you're getting as you order. For more subdued and vintage-looking screen-printed apparel, inks with a water base might be preferable. For a bold and heavy printing, application of plastic-based inks using heat might be a wise choice.

A lot of screen printing pros utilize plastic-based inks, since they are gentler on the screen printing gear and are often stronger, more vivid and bold. Inks containing plastic may begin cracking within a brief time. Choosing natural inks creates a more attractive and longer-wearing appearance.

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2 comments:

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  2. Wonderful article. All the important points are covered in the blog regarding t-shirt print and it's really helpful. Read our blog for :
    Customised corporate gift printing

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