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Silk Screen Printing Equipment: Unique Designs for Clothes

JenniferWaller | May 11, 2010 |

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Screen printing has a long tradition and its history can be traced back many centuries. While the equipment used in screen printing has improved as technology has advanced, the technique itself has remained broadly similar over the years. The standard process uses a mesh screen and stencil to form a design, with ink used to print this.

Screen printing was originally developed for printing on fabrics and was used for printing designs on items such as clothes and fine wallpaper. As the technique developed styles for printing on other materials were developed. Ceramics are typical of this and designs can be placed on cups, plates and other objects. Paper is also commonly used, along with wood, metal and glass.

The mesh screen is an important part of the equipment used in screen printing. These days this is typically manufactured using polyester thread. Other materials which can be used include stainless steel and nylon although these tend to be a more specialized mesh which are less commonly used. The use of the technique in the west became popular when silk became more readily available. For many years silk was the material of choice for the mesh although its use has largely died out these days.

Most people will be aware of silk screen printing equipment through flatbed presses which are widely used. However this is only one of the types of presses available. Two other presses are also widely used and these include the rotary and cylinder press. Each has its advantages and the best machine will typically come down to the type of printing and the material to be printed on.

The design to be printed using a screen printing press is formed by the combination of stencil and mesh screen. There are various methods by which the stencil can be prepared. Separate stencil material can be used for this or it is also possible to paint a design directly onto the mesh using filler material. Photo emulsion is another popular method for creating a design on the mesh screen.

Depending on the material to be printed on and the final effect you are looking for, there are a few different inks to choose from. Mirrored silver, nylobond and plastisol are typical of these. It is also possible to use effects rather than ink and flocking and caviar beads are typical of these. These are generally used on fabrics and are glued to the material.

Their use as t-shirt printing machines is how most people will be aware of screen printing. However this is only a small part of the work they can be used for and they are extremely versatile machines. Some of the common applications for which they are used include balloon printing, snowboard graphics and product labels. The advantage they have is that they can print fast and this makes them popular for many uses.

Screen presses vary from smaller home use machines to larger commercial presses. For those interested in this type of equipment some of the names to look out for include Silk Screen Supplies and Systematic Automation Inc. These companies produce a range of presses for sale and their company websites have details of these.