Silk screen printing
is a popular screen printing process that transfers a design onto a substrate
through a fine screen or mesh. Silk screen printing first originated in China,
before slowly making its way through other Asian countries, eventually ending
up in Europe by the end of 1700s. Today, it is one of the most popular methods
to apply custom designs like logos or artwork onto cotton fabrics and polyester
fabrics. There is a total of three types of silk screen printing – direct silk
screen printing, indirect silk screen printing and reflective silk screen
printing.
Silk screen printing is the preferred method for orders of
large quantities as they are very economical and faster to produce. Silk screen
printing is very durable and long lasting and can also be used to print on many
different items. However, silk
screen printing does not work if
the designs require a gradient colour and it might be expensive if the designs
have too many colours or if it is produced in limited or small quantities.
Although
it may seem intimidating, silk
screen printing can also be done at home, if you have the necessary
equipment. It would require you to have a screen frame, a design template, some
emulsions to create the ‘stencil’ template and ink to create your own silk
screen print from home. Many art stores are selling pre-made silk screens, so
you could purchase a standard screen that is big enough for your design, if you
don’t want to make a custom one. Your stencil or drawing needs to block light,
as this is what etches the design into the screen and allows you to screen
print. Everything covered by a stencil or black ink will not get exposed to
light, leaving it "open" and allowing ink to pass onto the shirt or
item. Squeeze some ink over your template frame design, then drag the ink over
your design firmly, coating the entire stencil in ink. The harder the force
applied over the stencil, the darker the image on your print will be. Repeat
with as many shirts as you want, cleaning the screen occasionally.
Ark Industries offer two types of silk screen printing services. It is the indirect silk screen
printing and the direct silk screen printing. The indirect silk screen printing
combines the elements of both the direct silk screen preparation method and
photographic film. The technique used in the indirect silk screen printing
produces highly durable stencils that are used when prints of high quality and
finer details are required on the custom t shirts.
On the other hand, the direct silk screen printing refers to the process of
screening ink through silk or synthetic fibre mesh, combined with a stencil to
reproduce a design on the chosen materials. It works like a stencil, in which
the artwork is burned unto a mesh and empty areas are covered with impervious
chemical. After which, ink is applied and push through the mesh onto the fabric
used. As the silk screen printing
is done in a way that allows the ink to bond with the fibres and fabric of the
custom t shirt printing
Singapore, this type of silk screen printing ensures durability as
it does not easily peel off. This conventional method usually requires a
Pantone code to ensure accuracy and is mostly used for design in solid colour
prints.
