By Vent Wong

The term 'printing' may be explained as the procedure of creating lettering and pictures, usually using ink and paper via a printing press. The science of printing has really advanced and progressed over the years. Screen-printing, in all of its various forms, is a popular technique.

Screen-printing, or silk-screening, is a process ideally used on fairly flat surfaces. In this procedure, a fine mesh screen is secured snugly across a sturdy frame, with the screen masking the region which remains unprinted. To make the print, the screen is positioned atop the material along with a swath of dense ink. Using a squeegee tool, the ink is pushed through the screen part. The ink soaks into the region that is not masked, forming the print, while the masking keeps any ink from making contact, resulting in distinguished areas. Next the printed material goes through a hot passageway until the ink dries and it is ready to be packed up.

When more than one color is involved, the process is repeated, utilizing different screens. So, four screens would be necessary for a four-color print; they can be placed on a rotary press or done by hand, allowing each color to print in its proper place.

There are several methods of masking a screen. The easiest thing to do is to employ masking fluid right onto the screen. This process works very well for two-color graphics, while a photosensitive emulsion procedure is utilized for jobs involving multiple colors.

If you are unsure what to request when ordering, remember that a screen printer's t-shirt printed with ink with plastics will be hot and tacky afterwards. It might be wise to request water-based inks if you prefer a softer, vintage-look screen printed shirt. But if you are wanting a heavy laid print, you should request ink containing plastics to be applied with a hot press.

Inks containing plastics are used by many screen printers because sometimes they last longer, are brighter, heavier and more easily seen, not to mention being easier on the screen printing equipment. Within a short time frame, plastic inks can begin to crack up, though. Natural inks last longer and they look best too.

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