WHAT IS SCREEN PRINTING?
Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate,
except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. It has a wide range of
applications and is a very easy and efficient process.
WHAT IS A MESH AND HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT MESH?
Mesh size is measured by how many threads are present per square inch. For example, if we
have a mesh count of 110, there are 110 threads per square inch. The lower the mesh count,
the larger the holes in the mesh become. Lower mesh counts are used for thick inks and
artwork with low detail. Comparatively, high mesh counts are used for designs with high
detail that need thinner inks.
The woven mesh consists of a warp and a weft thread. During the weaving process, every other
warp thread is separated to allow for the placement of the weft thread. The weft thread is held
straighter and tighter than the warp thread being woven over and under the weft thread. The
warp threads travel the length of the bolt of mesh and often stretch or elongate more than the
weft threads that cross the warp threads.
The squeegee should travel in the direction of the weft threads because they are more stable
and do not elongate as much as the warp threads. Since the weft threads don’t stretch as much
as the warp threads, they will not relax or lose tension as rapidly as the warp threads and
therefore offer maximum stability on press.
40-60 Mesh Count
This mesh is very coarse and has large holes. It’s used for extremely low detail designs and
inks with large particles. For example, a glitter ink with thicker particles.
60-86 Mesh Count
Thick, high density, peanut butter textured inks work best for this coarse mesh. The count is
typically used for a heavy and high ink deposit. It works great for printing large, bold text on
dark fabrics. Metallic is sometimes used with 86 mesh too.
110 Mesh Count
This medium coarse mesh gets the job done when you need large areas of ink or text.
Since the mesh has larger holes, it is helps in printing with thicker inks.
150-160 Mesh Count
Since this is a medium course mesh, it is commonly referred to as “the screen printer’s go-to
mesh”. It has the capability to print medium to high detail. White Inks can still pass through
the gaps, while runny inks can go on clean without blurring if a small gap is left between the
garment and press.
200 Mesh Count
This fine mesh count shines with automatic printers. It lays down underbase, and light and
white inks onto dark fabrics effortlessly.
220-240 Mesh Count
This mesh lays small text and logos down with crisp lines and simulates process work.
305 and Higher Mesh Count
The very fine mesh count is perfect for the smallest of details, 4-color prints, low-opacity
images.
Although this mesh is known for its supreme detail, it does not excel at printing light inks onto
dark substrates. All white inks are highly discouraged in this process.
TYPES OF PRINTING PASTES
Khadi Print
Khadi print is the most recommended form of screen textile printing for printing lighter color
shades on darker bases like printing white flowers on blue table mats or yellow lamps on brown
bed sheets.
Process
“Khadi” is apparently a thick white colored paste used to print light shades on darkened fabrics.
This paste is readily needed since pigments cannot be used alone to print on dark fabrics.
This “Khadi” paste ensures the desired results are achieved with lighter shades on dark dyed
fabrics. For making the paste, the ratio to be followed is 100 grams of khadi base in 1kg of
khadi.
The printing process utilizes titanium dioxide along with other accessories. These are then
mixed with the stains to generate different color combinations.
Features
It is quite easy to identify and differentiate khadi print because the printing ink is only visible
only on one side of the fabric as it does not penetrate to the other side.
The smearing and cleansing fastness of khadi printed fabrics is not very impressive. This is
because in khadi print, the fabric is not really printed with the khadi color, the color is merely
resting on the fabric surface and is just secured onto the fabric by an organic gum.
This printing technique is one of the easiest but is not recommended for intricate designs.
Applications
Khadi print is usually used with light colors for the print to stand out on the dark fabric.
Khadi print is a technique majorly applied on fabrics to be used for royal weddings and similar
grand occasions.
Nowadays, Khadi work is popular on sarees, salwar kameez, lehengas, Rajasthani dresses and
home furnishing items.
Pigment Print
A pigment is a substance used for coloring or painting. Pigment printing is a process of smearing
color to products like textile, wood, leather, etc using pigments.
Pigment printing is a mode of surface varnishing. Since pigments are insoluble and
impenetrable in nature, they do not pierce into the yarns but can be mutated to various hues.
Pigment printing is pertinent to be applied to both light as well as darker shaded fabrics.
Screen pigment printing is a process of using a paste of multiple colors which gives an
innovative look to garments. The paste constitutes a base of thickened consistency and
different pigments are added on to it.
Process
Pigment printing process incorporates a base, a binder, fixer and water. The process constitutes
table preparation with fabric braided on a table and pigment printing paste is applied on the
fabric with the help of a screen.
After the print dries, the fabric undergoes a heat process at 160 degree Celsius. This process is
acknowledged as Polymerization or curing.
Advantages
The process of pigment printing is quite simple and unfussy. It is extremely cost effective, and
can be amended to produce a wide range of different sundry colors. It is also a rapid process of
producing immense number of outputs at a diminutive time.
The process purges the additional endeavour of steaming as steaming is supplanted by the
process of polymerization.
Screen pigment printing has the advantage of having its colors intact even after repeated wash
off because the screen printing ink is made everlasting on fabric With application of heat.
The color is durable and doesn’t fade away even when exposed to weird weather conditions.
Applications
Pigment print exhibits an outstanding color gamut and is applied to cotton as well as polyester
fabrics.
Its application pertains to both natural (jute, leather) as well as artificial fabrics. It is used in
bedcovers, curtains, children’s outfits, etc
WHAT IS EMULSION AND WHY IS IT USED IN SCREEN PRINTING?
As part of the photo stencil phase of the production cycle, screen printing emulsion is the light-
sensitive liquid or capillary-direct films that we coat or adhere to the degreased screen fabric
prior to taping our film positives in place.
WHY IS EMULSION APPLIED IN DARK ROOMS?
Screen printing emulsion is a light-sensitive liquid substance that creates an ink-resistant border
around your image. Since all liquid emulsion and emulsion sheets (capillary film) are light-
sensitive, application should be done in a darkroom or under ultra-violet (U.V.) safe lights.
Dirasol 25 is a diazo photostencil emulsion that is compatible with water-based or plastisol inks.
It is specially formulated for printers of T-shirts, sports and fashion wear, using water-based or
plastisol inks.
DEGREASING
All screens should be degreased prior to coating with emulsion or film. Nylon bristle brushes
should be used to brush the degreaser onto the mesh. This adds a mechanical action that aids
cleaning. Also, brushes are gentler on the mesh than scouring pads and easier to keep clean
than rags.
SCREEN MAKING CONSIDERATIONS
Screen Making with Film Positives: To create film positives for screen printing, the rasterized
image is sent from the computer to a laser or inkjet printer and printed onto clear transparency
films.
CTS Inkjet Printers: With computer-to-screen (CTS) equipment, you can bypass the film-making
stage altogether and print the rasterized image directly from the computer to the contact side
of the emulsion-coated screen. Not only does this process eliminate creating expensive films,
but it also eliminates the need to store them. The main ink types used with today’s CTS systems
include wax, water-based inkjet toner and specially formulated UV-blocking formulations.
Wax: The heated wax inkjet technology is a popular method for printing a high-density image
directly onto an emulsion-coated screen.
Water-Based Inkjet: Some CTS systems use Epson piezo inkjet heads with proprietary inks that
have special UV blockers added to increase performance during the screen exposure stage.
STENCILING TECHNIQUES:
1. The original image is created on a transparent overlay, and the image may be
drawn or painted directly on the overlay, photocopied, or printed with a
computer printer, but making so that the areas to be inked are not transparent.
Any material that blocks ultra violet light can be used as the film. A black-and-
white positive may also be used.
2. A screen must then be selected. There are several different mesh counts that
can be used depending on the detail of the design being printed. Once a screen
is selected, the screen must be coated with emulsion and dried. Once dry, it is
then possible to burn/expose the print.
3. The overlay is placed over the screen, and then exposed with a light source
containing ultraviolet light in the 350-420 nanometer spectrum.
4. The screen is washed off thoroughly. The areas of emulsion that were not
exposed to light dissolve and wash away, leaving a negative stencil of the image
on the mesh.
PRINTING INKS
Discharge inks
Discharge inks use Zinc Formaldehyde Sulfoxylate to activate the dye in fabric to
discharge from the originating fabric. Discharge inks are available in clear or colours.
Cons of using discharge inks is that the process only works properly on dark fabrics that
have a content of 100% cotton. Fabrics with under-dyes and fabric blends will discharge
their dye to different degrees. Pros to this process is that discharge is especially effective
for distressed prints and under-basing on dark garments that are to be printed with
additional layers of plastisol. It adds variety to the design and gives it that natural soft
feel.
Expanding ink (puff)
Expanding ink, or puff, is an additive to plastisol inks which raises the print off the
garment, creating a 3D feel and look to the design. Mostly used when printing on
apparel. Also known as embossed/foam printing. It is a plastisol that has been modified
with the addition of a heat reactive foaming agent.
Flocking
Flocking consists of a glue printed onto the fabric and then flock material is applied for a
velvet touch.
Foil
Foil is much like flock, starting with an adhesive glue or plastisol ink base layer. Foil is
finished by applying a thin sheet of reflective/mirror like material on top of the screened
base, then heat pressed to set. The foil substrate does not adhere to non-screened
areas of the design, and the balance of the foil sheet is discarded.
Plastisol
Plastisol is the most common ink used in commercial garment decoration. Good colour
opacity onto dark garments and clear graphic detail with, as the name suggests, a more
plasticized texture. This print can be made softer with special additives or heavier by
adding extra layers of ink. Plastisol inks require heat (approx. 150 °C (300 °F) to cure the
print.
PVC and phthalate free
PVC and phthalate free are relatively new breed of ink and printing with the benefits of
plastisol but without the two main toxic components. It also has a soft texture.
Suede ink
Suede ink is a milky coloured additive that is added to plastisol. With suede additive we
can make any colour of plastisol have a suede feel. It is actually a puff blowing agent
that does not bubble as much as regular puff ink.
Water-based inks
these penetrate the fabric more than the plastisol inks and create a much softer feel.
Ideal for printing darker inks onto lighter coloured garments. Also useful for larger area
prints where texture is important. Some inks require heat or an added catalyst to make
the print permanent.
High density
High density is a process which uses a type of varnish against a lower mesh count with
many coats of emulsion or a thicker grade of emulsion. After the varnish passes through
to the substrate, an embossed-appearing, 'raised' area of varnish is created. When
cured at the end of the process, the varnish yields a Braille effect, hence the term 'high
density'.
PRINTING INKS COMPARISION:
Water based ink
It is a high-end ink commonly used in retail printing. In essence, water-based ink dyes the fabric
of the shirt and replaces the fabric color with the color of the ink, rather than having the ink sit
on top of the shirt.
Longevity: Water based prints last as long as the garment does, with no signs of cracking or
peeling over time.
Brightness: The level of brightness of a water based print can range from very bright to
somewhat faded, depending on the fabric of the shirt it’s printed on. For example, on a 100%
cotton t-shirt, your print is going to come off very bright and vibrant. But if you’re to print on a
cotton/polyester blend or tri-blend, it might come out a more toned down.
Feel: Water based ink is going to leave your shirt with an incredibly soft, and much more
breathable print than any other ink type. Since the ink dyes the fabric of the shirt, you literally
cannot even feel the ink on the t-shirt.
Ease of Use: Water based ink is a higher quality ink that takes significant training to use. Since
the inks react differently with each t-shirt, it takes a deep knowledge of ink and fabric types to
get the right colors and opacities.
Plastisol Ink
Plastisol ink is a plastic-based ink made for apparel. It is a cheaper ink that has long been the
industry standard for screen printing despite its generally thick, heavy feeling print results.
Plastisol ink lays directly on top of the t-shirt fabric, covering the top of the shirt with a layer of
ink.
Longevity: Plastisol ink prints do eventually break down. After and a handful of washes, plastisol
prints tend to crack, peel, and/or flake off.
Brightness: Since the ink sits on top of the shirt, plastisol ink always results in a bright print.
Feel: Plastisol ink prints feel thick, heavy and do not allow any breathability.
Ease of Use: Plastisol inks were chemically formed to be easy to use for screen printers. They
don’t dry up on the screens, nor do they require much knowledge of fabric types.
CURING:
Curing is a process during which a chemical reaction (such as polymerization) or physical action
(such as evaporation) takes place, resulting in a harder, tougher or more stable linkage (such as
an adhesive bond) or substance (such as concrete).
Curing is the actual chemical process by which the ink dries and bonds to the shirt fabric. When
the fabric is printed, it is important to cure the ink otherwise when the fabric goes through the
wash, we will notice that it fades, cracks and in some circumstances disappears altogether.
There are some inks that are air dry but popular inks such as plastisol and water-based inks
need to be cured.
OVERVIEW OF THE MANUAL SCREEN-PRINTING PROCESS
A screen is made of a piece of mesh stretched over a frame. The mesh could be made of
a synthetic polymer such as nylon, and a finer and smaller aperture for the mesh would be
utilized for a design that requires a higher and more delicate degree of detail. For the mesh to
be effective, it must be mounted on a frame and it must be under tension. The frame which
holds the mesh could be made of diverse materials, such as wood or aluminium, depending on
the sophistication of the machine or the artisan procedure.
A stencil is formed by blocking off parts of the screen in the negative image of the design to be
printed; that is, the open spaces are where the ink will appear on the substrate.
Before printing occurs, the frame and screen must undergo the pre-press process, in which an
emulsion is scooped across the mesh. Once this emulsion has dried, it is selectively exposed to
ultra-violet light, through a film printed with the required design. This hardens the emulsion in
the exposed areas but leaves the unexposed parts soft. They are then washed away using a
water spray, leaving behind a clean area in the mesh with the identical shape as the desired
image, which will allow passage of ink.
In fabric printing, the surface supporting the fabric to be printed (commonly referred to as a
pallet) is coated with a wide 'pallet tape'. This serves to protect the 'pallet' from any unwanted
ink leaking through the screen and potentially staining the 'pallet' or transferring unwanted ink
onto the next substrate.
Next, the screen and frame are lined with a tape to prevent ink from reaching the edge of the
screen and the frame.
The last process in the 'pre-press' is blocking out any unwanted 'pin-holes' in the emulsion. If
these holes are left in the emulsion, the ink will continue through and leave unwanted marks.
To block out these holes, materials such as tapes, speciality emulsions and 'block-out pens' are
used effectively.
The screen is placed atop a substrate and adjusted along a straight edge. Ink is placed on top of
the screen, and a squeegee is used to push the ink through the holes in the mesh. The operator
begins with the fill bar at the rear of the screen and behind a reservoir of ink. The operator lifts
the screen to prevent contact with the substrate and then using a slight amount of downward
force pulls the fill bar to the front of the screen. This effectively fills the mesh openings with ink
and moves the ink reservoir to the front of the screen. The ink that is in the mesh opening is
pumped or squeezed by capillary action to the substrate in a controlled and prescribed amount.
As the squeegee moves toward the rear of the screen the tension of the mesh pulls the mesh
up away from the substrate leaving the ink upon the substrate surface.
Most screens are ready for re-coating at this stage, but sometimes screens will have to undergo
a further step in the reclaiming process called dehazing. This additional step removes haze or
"ghost images" left behind in the screen once the emulsion has been removed. Ghost images
tend to faintly outline the open areas of previous stencils, hence the name. They are the result
of ink residue trapped in the mesh, often in the knuckles of the mesh.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE:
MACHINE DETAILS AND SPECIFICATIONS:
FUSING MACHINE
Temperature 200 deg C
Brand/Make Cheran
Model CF 2002
Platen Size 400x500mm (16inch X 20inch)
Heater 2.5 kW
Timer 0 to 99 Sec
Air Pressure 0-8 Bar
Air Consumption 0.4 cfm at 8 Bar
Power Supply 230V, 50 Hz, 11Amps
This Digital Heat Transfer Press Machine is capable of generating high volume and hard
pressing on garments, leather, nylon and other fabrics for finishing.
Features:
Micro control based digital temperature and timer control
Automatic double stroke operation and production monitoring
Die cast heater bed with Teflon coating is used for longer life
Gas Curing Machine
Automation Grade Automatic
Brand Cheran
Application Industrial
Voltage 440 V AC
Frequency 50HZ
Phase 3 Phase
AUTOEXPOSE UV LED CUM GLOWDRY
Fully automatic operation
Multiple light source – UV LED
Exposes all emulsions: Direct, Indirect and Capillary
High air volume guarantees fast drying
Centrifugal blower with jet walls for perfect air circulations in all corners
Hair Dryers – they are not hot enough; they will dry a water-based ink but not cure it
Heat Guns – can be used to touch dry water-based inks.
Tunnel Dryers – the best solution to cure large numbers of garments in a short space of time
but the most expensive. They can cure potentially hundreds of garments per hour. If you are
printing with water-based inks choose the longest dryer you can afford to avoid having to put
the garment through twice.
AUTOMATIC SCREEN-PRINTING MACHINE:
Features:
– Modular design allows custom configurations
– Built of heavy-duty steel and premium components
– Large touchscreen display uses icon-based commands for ease of operation
– Automatic palette preheat mode with built-in pallet temperature sensor
– Electronically adjustable ink retrieval system
– Tool-free calibrated front & rear stroke length adjustment to maximize printing speed
