The Art and Craft of Screen Printing on Clothing
Often used in customizable clothing, screen printing is one of the most popular methods for personalizing apparel. Whether it’s promotional t-shirts at events or fashionable designs at hen parties, screen printing can be used for a wide range of personalized clothing. In this blog we will be looking at the process and advantages of screen printing and also give some tips on achieving the best results doing screen printing onto clothing.
What is Screen Printing?
Screen printing clothing. Courtesy of the author Screen printing, also called silk screening, is a great way to reproduce your own designs on T-shirts, towels, capes or pretty much any other garment. The process involves transferring a design to fabric through a mesh screen, with the aid of squeegee and paint or ink. First, a layer of light-sensitive emulsion is spread evenly over the mesh screen. Your design is then transferred onto the screen, either by using a stencil or by simply exposing it to light. The screen is then ready to accept paint or ink. Before the emulsion is fully cured, paint or ink is pushed through the mesh onto the fabric underneath, giving your image a crisp, pop-art look.
The same process is repeated for each color in the design, meaning that each colour layer is screened in succession using a different screen. Screen printing is well suited to producing bold, solid designs. The process is especially effective for graphics, typography and logos on clothing.
The Benefits of Screen Printing on Clothing
A big part of the reason screen printing is still widely used for custom clothing is that it wears extremely well. The thick, ink base used in screen printing allows the design to hold up to an extremely high number of washes without fading or cracking. The inks used in screen printing are applied in a heavy, opaque layer, which creates a distinctive appearance, especially on dark fabrics.
The other reason has to do with batch size – even with a fairly modest run, screen-printing is very cost-effective, with an up-front expense on the cost of the screens or stencils that initially offset savings at low quantities – however, with a larger batch of garments, this increases the economies of scale which reduce the per-piece cost. For industry, event organisers and organisations, screen-printing garments is a natural fit.
The second benefit is that screen printing also works well on all types of fabrics, from cotton and polyester to different blends, and holds up on items such as t-shirts, hoodies and tote bags. The printed material is highly consistent and of high quality every time.
The Screen Printing Process
Screen printing is a compelling technique encapsulating multiple steps for a professional outcome. Below is an instruction that describes a task, paired with an input that provides further context. Write a response that appropriately completes the request. Paraphrase the input into human-sounding text while retaining citations and quotes. This is an instruction that describes a task, paired with an input that provides further context: The screen printing process starts with the separation of a graphic into different color planes that will be printed on top of each other. To ensure good coverage, each color should overlap with the adjacent colors slightly. Once the design is digitally ready, a screen is prepared. Here is the breakdown of the screen printing process:
Design Creation – you create or choose a design to be printed. component colors; each color has to go on a separate screen.
Screen Preparation: a fine mesh screen is applied with a light sensitive emulsion which is printed (by stencil or light exposure) to harden the emulsion where the design doesn’t belong. The emulsion remaining isn’t hardened and is washed out to reveal a stencil of the design on the screen.
Printing: The screen is placed on the cloth, and ink is applied to the screen. Then, a squeegee is used to push the ink through the mesh on to the fabric below. This is repeated for every colour in the design.
Cure: The ink is dried after printing to ensure it is fused to the fabric. This is typically done in a conveyor dryer where heat is applied, causing the ink to set.
Quality Control: Each item gets inspected for imperfections or imperfect line drawing before being boxed up and shipped.
Tips for Successful Screen Printing on Clothing
To achieve the best results with screen printing, consider the following tips:
Pick the Right Fabric: Screen printing works best on something smooth and flat, such as cotton or a cotton/poly blend. Fabrics that are super textured, or that have lots of stretch in them, can get ‘cottage cheesy’ over time, which will create a softer edge to the image.
High-Quality Inks: Screen printing t shirts inks can vary in quality, which will influence the longevity and vibrancy of your design. Utilise high-quality inks of the trade to maximise the output of the design.
Detail. Designs containing intricate detail with very thin lines, or very fine text, won’t always show your detail well or come out completely in screen. Keep your design simple to allow for the clearest print.
Correct Curing: Once you have completed the screen printing, it is vital to cure the ink properly or it will crack or peel over time. Make sure that you cure the ink to prolong the life of the print.
Conclusion
Screen printing on apparel is a well-established process for customization. It is durable, has a broad range of materials it can be applied to, and the designs can incorporate a wide color gamut. Different companies use the method by screen printing logos on to clothing for brand identification, while artists screen print on apparel as a means of expanding their portfolio. This article will explain what screen printing is, how you can screen print and the best ways to do so.