Screen Printing Materials

Screen-printing has been around for thousands of years. The concept has remained the same but the available materials today as well as types of inks have evolved.

To start, screen-printing is a printing technique particularly suited for flat or relatively flat surfaces. The heart of the process involves a fine mesh or screen that is tightly stretched around a rigid frame. The areas that are not to be printed are masked out on the screen. There are several ways to create a stencil for screen-printing. An early method was to create it by hand in the desired shape, either by cutting the design from a non-porous material and attaching it to the bottom of the screen, or by painting a negative image directly on the screen with a filler material which became impermeable when it dried. For a more painterly technique, the artist would choose to paint the image with drawing fluid, wait for the image to dry, and then coat the entire screen with screen filler. After the filler had dried, water was used to spray out the screen, and only the areas that were painted by the drawing fluid would wash away, leaving a stencil around it. This process enabled the artist to incorporate their hand into the process, to stay true to their drawing.

So what types of materials are used in today’s screen-printing world? Let’s look at them:

1. Plastisol – Plastisol is an ink and one of the most commonly used, especially in the commercial garment industry. It has Good color opacity onto dark garments and clear graphic detail with, as the name suggests, a more plasticized texture. Using plastisol, a 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) for many inks) to cure the print.
2. Water-Based inks – Water based inks are known to penetrate the fabric more than the plastisol inks. With this penetration comes a much softer feel to the print. Water-based inks are ideal for printing darker inks onto lighter colored garments. They are also useful for larger area prints where texture is important. With water-based inks, sometimes they require heat or an added catalyst to make the print permanent.
3. PVC/ Phthalate Free – This ink is relatively new to printing and has the benefits of plastisol but without the environmentally toxic phtalate.
4. Discharge inks – These inks are used to print lighter colors onto dark background fabrics. They work by removing the dye in the garment – this means they leave a much softer texture. They are less graphic in nature than plastisol inks, and exact colors are difficult to control. If you are looking for distressed look, these inks are excellent. They are also wonderful for dark garments that are to be printed with additional layers of plastisol.
5. Flocking – This is a technique and material that consists of a glue printed onto the fabric and then foil (or other special effect) material is applied for a mirror finish.
6. Glitter/Shimmer – Using metallic flakes that are suspended in the ink base, a glitter shimmer or sparkle effect can be created on the print. These flakes are usually available in gold or silver but can be mixed to make most colors.
7. Metallic – Metallic is similar to glitter, but smaller particles are suspended in the ink. To apply, a glue is printed onto the fabric then nanoscale fibers are applied on it.
8. Expanding ink (puff) – To create a raised effect or puff, inks with a plasistol additive helps raise the print off a garment giving a 3D feel.
9. Caviar beads – These beads are applied with a glue printed into the shape of the design. These beads work well with solid block areas creating an interesting tactile surface.
10. Four color process – You may have heard of this in printing, it also works with screen-printing. The artwork is created and then separated into four colors (CMYK),which combine to create the full spectrum of colors needed for photographic prints. This means a large number of colors can be simulated using only 4 screens, reducing costs, time, and set-up. The inks are required to blend and are more translucent, meaning a compromise with vibrancy of color.
11. Gloss – This is simple a clear base laid over previously printed inks to create a shiny finish.
12. Nylobond - A special ink additive for printing onto technical or waterproof fabrics.
13. Mirrored silver - Another solvent based ink, but you can almost see your face in it.
14. Suede Ink - Suede is a milky colored additive that is added to plastisol making any color you print have a suede feel.

While the technique of screen-printing is ancient, the new inks and additives are new and always changing, which gives the artist more license to create an array of designs for you.

Justin Morris is a Managing Partner of LEADApparel.com. LEADApparel.com offers first class Screen Printing & Embroidery services, custom clothing including printers t-shirt. Companies purchase t-shirts print services from LEADApparel.com at heavily discounted prices. For more information, visit http://www.leadapparel.com/

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Screen Printing: Plastic Feeling or Soft?

A screen printer’s t shirt printed with ink containing plastics can be hot and sticky if you do not know what to ask for when ordering. If you are looking for a softer, vintage-feeling screen printed shirt, you may want to ask for water based inks. If you need a heavy laid print, you may ask for ink containing plastics applied with a hot press.

Many screen printers use inks containing plastics because they are not as hard on the screen printing equipment, they are sometimes more durable, can be brighter, heavier and more visible. But, if you want your t shirt to look old and worn, you will most likely be happier with a water based ink product. Plastic inks laid with a hot press are not very breathable and create a lot of heat against your body. They do not stretch with fabrics and can crack if exposed to a lot of wear and tear.

Water based inks are well absorbed by almost every kind of fabric. Keep in mind that water based ink does not show up as well on darker fabrics. This is especially true on black and navy blue garments.

Water based ink screen prints are preferred on items that have more texture, such as golf towels, hats and pique polo shirts. They can be ironed without running the risk of melting. They can hold up through stretching, washing and ironing as well as the garment that they are printed on.

There are some circumstances where you may prefer inks containing plastics. Sports jerseys are one example. The complete coverage that you get with inks containing plastic is usually preferred for the extreme visibility that is needed on sports jerseys. Some companies prefer plastic inks on waterproof items, such as umbrellas, raincoats and ponchos.

There is still another reason that you may prefer screen printing inks containing plastics. Fading is of more concern with water based inks. If you want a shirt to look worn or vintage, then definitely go with water based ink. If you want a vibrant color or more durable print, you can still get soft, breathable results from inks containing plastics if a hot press is not used.

Hot press is used to give a heavy plastic feel, such as on a jersey. If a hot press is not used, the result is almost the same as with water based inks. Because most garments come out more durable, most screen print shops use inks containing plastics and no hot press.

The main thing to consider when you are ordering screen print t shirts, polos or other custom clothing is the quality of the print. Ask to see examples of a screen printer’s work before you order. Most screen printers will have samples of their work on their web site.

Find a printer that offers a wide variety of custom clothing and apparel. This way, if you later decide to expand distribution of your logo, you can order different screen print items knowing the quality that you are getting. Some screen printers offer custom clothing from major name brands, such as Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Adidas. Getting high quality products and high quality screen printing in one place can save you a lot of hassle and wasted money.

Justin Hoehn is a Managing Partner of LEADApparel.com. LEADApparel.com offers first class Screen Printing & Embroidery services, custom clothing including printers t shirt. Companies purchase t shirts print services from LEADApparel.com at heavily discounted prices. For more information, visit www.leadapparel.com.

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Screen Printing and Its History

Screen-printing, the technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil, which allows for the image of your choice on cloth, has been around for thousands of years. Although the technique itself has changed, the concept has not.

Historians say screen-printing first appeared in a recognizable form in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE). Later, Japan and other Asian countries adopted this method of printing and advanced the craft using it in conjunction with block printing and paints. By the time Western Europe was introduced to the concept, it wasn’t until the late 1700s and even at that, it was not used as widely as in Asian countries. For the most part, screen-printing in England was used to print on wallpaper, linen or other fine fabrics.

By the early 1910s, several printers began experimenting with photo-reactive chemicals using the well-known actinic light activated cross linking or hardening traits of potassium, sodium or ammonium bichromate chemicals with glues and gelatin compounds. Roy Beck, Charles Peter and Edward Owens studied and experimented with chromic acid salt sensitized emulsions for photo-reactive stencils. This trio of developers would prove to revolutionize the commercial screen-printing industry by introducing photo-imaged stencils to the industry.

In 1928, Joseph Ulano founded the industry chemical supplier Ulano and created a method of applying a lacquer soluble stencil material to a removable base. This stencil material was cut into shapes; the print areas removed and the remaining material adhered to mesh to create a sharp edged screen stencil.

Originally a profitable industrial technology, screen-printing was eventually adopted by artists as an expressive and conveniently repeatable medium for duplication. The Printer's National Environmental Assistance Center says, "Screen-printing is arguably the most versatile of all printing processes."

So how does the screen-printing process work today? To start, a screen is made of a piece of porous, finely woven fabric called mesh stretched over a frame of aluminum or wood. This mesh is typically made of steel, nylon, or polyester. Areas of the screen are then blocked off with a non-permeable material to form a stencil, which is a negative of the image to be printed; that is; the open spaces are where the ink will appear.

The screen is placed atop a substrate such as paper or fabric. Ink is placed on top of the screen, and a fill bar (also known as a floodbar) is used to fill the mesh openings with ink. 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 operator then uses a squeegee (rubber blade) to move the mesh down to the substrate and pushes the squeegee to the rear 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, i.e. the wet ink deposit is equal to the thickness of the mesh and or stencil. As the squeegee moves toward the rear of the screen the tension of the mesh pulls the mesh up away from the substrate (called snap-off) leaving the ink upon the substrate surface.

Screen-printing has become popular for companies as a promotional tool as numerous types of apparel can be screen-printed with a company’s logo or name. Screen-printing’s versatility is also seen in the printing of products such as electronics, balloons and medical devices. There are few limitations when it comes to screen-printing and the industry is only growing bigger.


Justin Morris is a Managing Partner of LEADApparel.com. LEADApparel.com offers first class Screen Printing & Embroidery services, custom clothing including printers t-shirt. Companies purchase t-shirts print services from LEADApparel.com at heavily discounted prices. For more information, visit www.leadapparel.com.

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