Screen Printing

Historical Background
Egyptians and Greeks used
stenciling
1907, Samuel Simon of Manchester
England patented process of using
silk fabric as printing screen
John Pilsworth developed multicolor
process of silk screening


Screen Printing
Advantages: Print on any
surface that will accept ink
Print on irregular/ cylindrical
surfaces
Print thick abrasion and weather
resistant ink films
Process
Screen Printing Process-Scoop coat
mesh with Direct Stencil
Output positive separations
Expose your emulsified screen with high
intensity bulb, this will harden the
emulsion on screen
Wash out the exposed areas of emulsion
Blackout any areas that may have been
exposed or accidentally blown out
Process Cont.
Tape edges of the screen, where there is
not emulsion. (this helps with clean-up)
Mount and position from on the press
Begin to print
Remember to clean your screen
Wash and position frame on the press
Use chemical spray to remove your stencil
Use chemical called Dehaze to remove any
shadow left behind
Degrease your screen, this allows your next
image to better adhere to your screen

Screen Printing
Components
Wooden Frame
Easy to build
Low Cost
Subject to expansion and contraction,
which also means that it is subject to
damage and warping due to the
chemicals and or the water used during
the screen printing process
Need to coat with water proof sealer
Screen Printing
Components
Steel/Aluminum
Expensive compared to wood
frames
Less prone to damage from
chemicals
More rigid than wood frames,
retains size
Frames larger than 36x36 should
be constructed of steel
Screen Fabric Types
Natural silk, which has limited
use today
Synthetic polyester, nylon,
which has a wide array of
applications
Metal mesh, for use with heated
inks on poly
Fabric Tension
Need correct tension to produce
quality printing
Fabric manufactures provide
tension specs
Measure by percent stretch
measure by tension meter
Stencils
Hand cut stencils
Paper cuts
Inexpensive
Not used for production runs
Placed under the screen
Stencils
Water soluble
2 layers, support layer and gelatin
layer
Cut and remove gelatin layer
Adhere under the screen
Cannot use water soluble inks
Stencils
Burned Edges
Material cut wit dull knife
Fabric not degreased before
adhering fabric
Screen was not immediately dried
after area is washed away


Stencils
Indirect, which means that it is
exposed separately from the
screen fabric
Can be exposed in a plate-maker
Stencil has three layers
Light sensitive gelatin layer
Support base
Adhesive layer to bond gelatin and base


Stencils
Direct, a thin coat of light
sensitive emulsion applied to
screen fabrics
Expose in a deep bottom vacuum
frame
Image area hardened and non-
image area washed away
Masking/Taping Screen
Masking works will for blocking
non-image areas in production
runs, that way the ink will not
run off the screen and clean up
will be easier
Screen Printing Inks
Match ink to substrate
Plastisol used for textiles
Required high intensity heat to dry
Lacquer based if used for wood
Printing
Use of a squeegee to draw the
puddle of ink across the stencil
opening with one smooth motion.
This should be done at a 60 deg. Angle
In class we will be using a water-soluble
stencil
The fabric that will be used is Polyester