What is Screen Printing?

Screen printing: definition and history Textile screen printing has existed for millennia, it is the oldest form of printing.The term “serigraphy” is derived from the Latin word seri (silk) and the Greek word graphein.

According to historians, the Chinese would be the first to have developed this technique under the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD). In the 15th century , Japanese craftsmen adopted the practice of transferring designs onto paper and silk fabric. Screen printing arrived in Europe in the 18th century , but it was not successful until the beginning of the 20th century .century, due to the high cost of silk mesh at the time. Once silk became available at more affordable prices, screen printing grew in popularity across Europe. Europeans first used it to print expensive wallpapers in linen, silk and other fine fabrics, but as the market grew and techniques were refined, screen printing became a valuable industrial technology. 

The 1960s marked a major turning point for screen printing which would be propelled to the forefront by famous artists of the Pop Art movement, such as Andy Warhol, who used this technique to create repeated and colorful images. Among his most popular works are prints of Marilyn Monroe and Campbell’s Soup. At the end of the 1970s, screen printing was everywhere: on posters, clothing, vinyl covers, etc.

Today, screen printing is the printing technique par excellence. Ideal and economical for quality rendering on large print runs.

How does screen printing work?

Screen printing is a direct printing technique. It allows the ink to be deposited directly on the textile through a screen (stencil). Originally constructed of silk, the screens are now made of finely woven polyester or nylon. His process requires the creation of one screen per color, possibly another for the underlayer. This gives a final screen print with high color density and high color saturation. If you want the screen printing in Dallas then you can contact us.

The colors are printed one after the other. The star products of textile screen printing are personalized t-shirts whether for promotional, corporate or retail use.

➜ What are the key steps?

Here we will walk you through the screen printing process step by step. Discover below in the video how our personalized screen-printed garments are created.

 Step 1: decomposition of colors and creation of films

First of all, it is necessary to proceed to the separation of the colors of the visual. Each color will be printed on a transparent film in order to be insolated on a screen printing. The inked part (black) will stop the light while the transparent part will let it pass.

 Step 2: Insulation of the screens

Once the films are printed, they are placed on screen printing screens for exposure. These are aluminum frames on which is stretched a polyester canvas, which are first coated with a photosensitive emulsion that will react to light. You need 1 screen for each color. The screens are then exposed to UV light, which will dry the part exposed to the light while the part hidden by the ink of the film will not react, then they are rinsed with water. They will therefore let the ink through in places where the UV has not acted. 

 Step 3: color preparation

We prepare the inks that we must sometimes lengthen, or mix in order to obtain the consistency as well as the right color.

Step 4: machine setting

The frame is installed on the carousel, then wedged so that the pattern is well positioned on the support.

 Step 5: Printing 

Ink is added and a squeegee is used to pull the ink across the length of the screen which penetrates the fabric of the textile through the open areas of the stencil. The garment is therefore impregnated with each color, lively and perfectly deposited.

 Step 6: Polymerization in the drying tunnel

Finally, the screen-printed textiles are passed through an infrared tunnel, which has the effect of polymerizing the ink on the fabric.

The advantages and disadvantages of textile screen printing

If you plan to personalize t-shirts, sweatshirts or bags with screen printing, it is important that you know the advantages and disadvantages of this technique.

1. The advantages

● Profitability for large quantities

As this method requires the manufacture of screens for each color, it is best reserved for large orders. The higher the number of garments ordered, the lower the unit cost will be.

● Support diversity

It’s difficult to find a printing technique as versatile as screen printing. It can be carried out on almost all textiles, whether light or dark, in natural or synthetic fibers such as polyester. 

 ● Durability

Screen-printed visuals are generally much more durable than visuals transferred by heat press for flocking, for example, thanks to this technique consisting in depositing thick layers of ink which are absorbed by the fabric.

1. The disadvantages

 Preparation time

Only one colour can be applied at a time in screen printing. Therefore, this technique requires quite a lot of preparation time due to the different frames to be prepared depending on the number of colors. This method requires more preparation than other techniques before going into production, so it is less advantageous for small orders .

1. Special effect inks: the example of screen printing based on swelling and metallic ink 

In screen printing, it is possible to use effect inks. Metallic effect ink, glitter, swelling, phosphorescent, fluorescent, gnawing, crackle effect and much more.

At Main Gauche, we all particularly carry out swelling screen printing using metallic inks.

1. Inflating ink screen printing

This process involves the same process as classic screen printing, but it allows you to apply great 3D special effects to your design. Swelling ink literally expands and puffs up when exposed to heat. Before being exposed to heat, the ink lays flat on the garment like any regular ink. Heating the finished design activates the blowing additive and allows the ink to rise and expand approximately one to two millimeters on all sides

This type of ink adds texture and density , giving the garment an almost three-dimensional look, like the screen-printed sweatshirt pictured above. 

If you want originality, then the puffy ink will create a new dimension to your t-shirt and will add depth to your design. It can be used directly on typography or as a key to give volume to small details.

Discover in video the technique of swelling ink screen printing on a sweatshirt made in our workshop:

1. Screen printing based on metallic ink

Metallic screen printing inks provide the ability to incorporate gold and silver colors into your designs.  It’s still the same process as classic screen printing, with the added benefit of making your designs sparkle on the textiles. Silver and gold metallic finishes produce a beautiful shiny look when printed on custom t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets or bags. As in the example presented below, the golden ink screen printing brings sparkle and a premium touch to the textile! 

1. Personalize your screen-printed textiles at Main gauche

Virtually any garment that can be placed on a tray can be screen printed: t-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, aprons, tote bags … For complex marking areas (sleeve, claw-neck…), screen printing is done by ‘transfer’, that is to say that the ink is deposited on a sheet before being affixed to the textile. 

Our strength ? Thanks to our expertise, we can produce silkscreen prints in up to 10 colors! (9 colors on dark textiles).