Although the mechanics of screen printing have not significantly changed in hundreds of years,
technological advances impacting technique, equipment, and materials have revolutionized screen printing accuracy and application.
Semi-Automatic Hand Operated Screen Press
At Designer Decal, we've employed these technological advances to enable our team to offer greater repeatability and accuracy in the quality of our prints. Modern mechanical presses, UV Curing ink lines and dryer systems, direct photosensitive emulsions, and modern high thread-count mesh separate Designer Decal as your high quality Screen Printing supplier.
How does Screen Printing work?
Synthetic nylon
mesh is stretched evenly over an adjustable aluminum frame to a precise, even tension. Next, photo-sensative emulsion is coated over the mesh creating an even block-out stencil layer.
Film positives generated as color separations from computer art files are then positioned on the photo-sensative screen. This screen is then placed inside a vacuum table, and then
burned (or exposed) according to a precise amount of light units. Once burned, the screen is then removed from the vacuum table and "washed out" within a high pressure water washout tank. During this process, all emulsion protected from light exposure by film positives is dissolved and washed out of the screen, and all emulsion exposed through clear areas of film during burning remains hardened within the screen forming an image
stencil. The screen is then dried and prepped for press, undergoing block-out, pin-holing and final ink prep.
Once prepared, the screen is then loaded into the press, and
registered (or aligned) according to any previous colors.
Ink is then mixed according to color specifications and then poured into the top of the screen. The squeegee and flood bar are then loaded into the press and adjusted according to image requirements. Depending upon the type of press, the substrate (object being printed on) is then either loaded into register by hand or mechanically via a feeding mechanism. The flood bar is then triggered to "
flood " the stenciled screen with an even layer of ink. The
squeegee is then drawn over the screen forcing the ink through the stencil and onto the substrate. One color is printed at a time, and then dried instantly when deposited onto conveyer and exposed to a high intensity Ultraviolet light source. The process is then
repeated until all specified colors are deposited, each on top of the previous.
The printed sheet is then finished, and cut to specifications, quality controlled, packaged and shipped to our customers.
