Also known as ‘silk screen printing’ and ‘serigraphy’, this technique is the most widely used method of transferring decorative ink onto clothing and other textiles. As a time-honored tradition of the textile industry, screen printing offers a range of advantages for customizing clothing and creating team-color uniforms, and it can be found on everything from tee shirts to corporate logo-wear. This guide will explain the screen-printing process, compare its advantages, explain the different inks used, and provide helpful tips on how to achieve the best results.
Understanding Screen Printing
What is Screen Printing?
Also known as silk screen printing clothing, screen printing is a method where ink is transferred to absorbent fabric by way of a mesh screen. Ink is prevented from passing through the screen on the back by an impermeable, patterned surface, allowing one part of the fabric to pass through the mesh and be printed but not another. The technique can be employed on any kind of absorbent fabric: cotton, polyester and blends.
The Process of Screen Printing
The screen printing process involves several steps, each crucial for achieving a high-quality print:
Design preparation: the design that is applied on the cloth will be prepared firstly, it usually is made by graphic design software, and then use photo copy machine to make it as transparent film.
Screen Creation: The design is transferred onto a mesh screen that has been coated with a light-sensitive emulsion. Light hardens the emulsion, except in the area where the design is exposed, so that the design is imprinted on the screen as a stencil.
Here’s how the Screen Printing Process Works: 1. Setting Up the Screen: The screen is placed on the fabric, and then the ink is spread evenly over the top with a type of squeegee. The ink will go through the empty parts of the screen to the fabric slice at the bottom.
Curing the ink: be it heat, light, chemicals, air, time, or whatever is applied to the garment after the ink is down to make the design permanent and resist washing out – we call that ‘curing the ink’!
Final Inspection: After curing, the garments will be visually inspected for consistency of the print and free of defects.
Advantages of Screen Printing on Clothing
Durability and Longevity
However, another big reason why screen printing is most often used to produce clothing is that it can render a design extremely durable. Screen printed inks are significantly thicker than most other printing techniques, providing the material with colour that can maintain its vibrancy even after many washings and wears.
Versatility in Design
The versatility of screen printing allows it to be used for very basic designs, for example a simple one color logo, or for more artistic and complex designs, for example a multi-color print with multiple separations. The versatility of applying a wide range of screen printing methods means that almost any fabric content or color can be screen printed, to accommodate projects of all types.
Cost-Effective for Large Orders
It is highly cost-effective when you want to order lots of items at once. Once he has the screen set up (with the stencil on it and the screen also put in place), he can make multiple printings on multiple items, hence the cost to print each piece individually goes way down, which is an obvious big advantage of the cap Screen printing technique if you run a business, a company, a special event, or an organization that needs bulk orders of products with short, simple designs like club t-shirts or team hoodies.
Types of Inks Used in Screen Printing
Plastisol Ink
Plastisol ink is the workhorse of screen printing. It is the ink most used in the industry. It is a highly pigmented ink that has good covering power and does not soak into the fabric, staying on the surface. This makes it good for printing on dark fabrics. Plastisol ink is an opaque ink, which is very close to what we see between the dyes used in dye sublimation.
Water-Based Ink
Water-based ink serves the same use as plastisol, but is more often used for printing on lighter fabrics. As opposed to plastisol, water-based inks sink into the fabric rather than sealing it, which makes them softer than plastisol inks. Additionally, water-based ink is a non-toxic product and easier to clean up compared with other inks.
Discharge Ink
This is accomplished using discharge ink, a printing technique that removes the fabric’s original colour and replaces it with another. The final print has a soft, vintage feel and also happens to be very smooth to the touch. Discharge inks work with natural fibres like cotton but don’t tend to yield great results on manufactured fabric.
Tips for Successful Screen Printing
Choose the Right Fabric
The selection of fabric can make all the difference in how the screen print will turn out, and natural fibres – such as cotton and cotton blends – are the best base for screen printing, as they absorb ink and give a good surface for the print. Synthetic textile materials will probably need special inks to really make the image pop.
Pay Attention to Detail
Screen printing calls for precision. Make sure your design is crisp and clear, with no tiny details that will get lost on fabric. Array your fabric properly on the screen as well in order to avoid misprints.
Test Your Design
It is not possible for me to order a full production run without first trying the design. The only way I can do this is by making a sample on a piece of fabric to check the colours, screen set-up and design, as there is no guarantee that it will work on the first try.
The Future of Screen Printing on Clothing
With the fast technological advancements, just like so many other applications, the screen printing world will continue to provide innovations in inks, printing techniques and printing equipment that will make it easy to have wonderful prints on your clothing. For example, digital hybrid printing is a combination of digital and screen printing and gives much more flexibility to the limits of digitally-printed jobs.
In addition, sustainable printing practices, such as using eco-friendly inks and avoiding waste in the printing process, are becoming more common in the screen‑printing industry, and that’s a win-win for the environment and the rise of ethical fashion.
Conclusion
Screen printing on garments is one of the most time-tested processes in the industry. It is durable, versatile, and costs less. If you are creating a custom shirt, towel, or sweatshirt for a business event or team wear, screen-printing offers precision and detail that can excite and impress your audience with flare.
