How to print on T-shirts- I -What is screen printing?

[benthomas]

Screens are basically stencils that are used to print directly onto clothing.

The first step in producing the screens which will enable us to print directly on the garments is to produce the films. Once your artwork is a suitable format i.e. vector based, which is created using a program such as Illustrator or Corel Draw then the artwork is broken down into layers, depending on how many colors are in your design. Once the artwork has been broken down into layers, each layer is then printed onto a clear film in black.

The next step is to prepare the screens ready to receive the artwork. Screens are produced using a mesh that is pulled tightly around a frame. The mesh is coated with a chemical that when put under a UV light turns hard. Once the mesh has been coated with the chemical the film and the screen are placed under a UV light, leaving the printed area of the film still in a soft state on the screen. When the screen is removed from the UV light the remaining chemical is washed off leaving the image on the screen.

This process is repeated for each color in a design.

Once all the screens have been produced the screens will then be fitted on the printing carousel. The colors are then applied to the t-shirt individually. The screens are pulled down and the ink is dragged across allowing the ink to penetrate the uncoated area on the screen. The screen is then lifted and the lower part of the carousel is moved around and the next t-shirt is waiting to be printed.

Its best to use light colored t-shirts for printing so that the print comes neat.


Happy Printing !

Regards
Ben Thomas