SCREEN PRINTING TECHNIQUES

Exploring the Possibilities
Exploring the Possibilities of Screen Printing on Metal Substrates

The market for screen printing on metal provides ample opportunities for screen printing businesses. To succeed in that market, screen printers have to understand the technical aspects of screen printing on metal substrates. Not all metal substrates are created equal, and not all inks will adhere to all metals. Laying down a great print means […]

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Adding Custom Can Koozies to Your Screen Printing Shop’s Product Line
Adding Custom Can Koozies to Your Screen Printing Shop’s Product Line

Koozies — those insulating foam can and bottle holders — have become a mainstay at backyard barbecues, summer holiday picnics, tailgates and sporting and musical events. For consumers, koozies help keep drinks colder by insulating them from warm air and warm hands, and by wicking away condensation. They also help set apart cans and bottles from the crowd, so everyone can keep track of their own drinks at social gatherings. 

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A Beginner's Guide to Screen Printing with UV Ink
A Beginner’s Guide to Screen Printing with UV Ink

UV inks have been on the market for screen printers since the 1970s. They’ve grown in popularity as manufacturers have worked out product kinks and printers have learned the best applications and methods for UV inks. Screen printers who have been working primarily with garments — or those who are just getting started in screen printing — might be new to the world of UV inks. 

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How to Prevent Scorching to Keep Your Screen Prints Looking Sharp
How to Prevent Scorching to Keep Your Screen Prints Looking Sharp

Screen printing requires heat. Every screen printer knows that applying the right amount of heat for the right amount of time results in a crisp screen print that’s fully bonded to your substrate. Sometimes, however, heat can prove the enemy. 

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Getting Started with Capillary
Getting Started with Capillary Film Emulsion for Screen Printing Stencils

For most screen printers, liquid emulsion is the preferred tool for coating screens to make stencils. There is an alternative that’s often overlooked and undervalued: capillary film. Capillary films are sheets of hardened emulsion on a polyester backing. The emulsion side of the film is applied directly to a wetted mesh screen. The emulsion forms a firm bond with the mesh as it dries, and the backing is peeled away. From there, the printer can expose a stencil much as they would a screen coated with liquid emulsion.

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Exploring the Future of Screen
Exploring the Future of Screen Printing in an Increasingly Digital World

Screen printing remains the top method for garment decoration for a variety of reasons. It’s a straightforward, versatile and time-tested process that’s economical for high-volume printing and delivers great results on almost any substrate. However, emerging new technologies have created some doubts about screen printing’s future. So where might the screen printing industry be headed in coming years?

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The Pros and Cons
The Pros and Cons of Using a Dip Tank to Reclaim Your Screen Printing Screens

How do you reclaim your screens? This might be one of the least liked jobs in the entire screen printing shop, which leads most screen printers to explore all screen cleaning options. If you’ve undertaken the search for the best way to reclaim your screens, you’ve likely come across the controversial dip tank. Some screen printers love them, touting them as time and supply savers, while other screen printers warn against them, saying they waist chemicals and produce hazardous waste.

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The Pros of Plastisol
The Pros of Plastisol: Why Plastisol Ink Is Still the Top Choice for Screen Printing

Plastisol ink transformed the screen printing industry when it was introduced to the market in the 1970s. Since then, plastisol has become the industry standard. Why is plastisol ink so popular? 

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A Guide to Common Water-Based
A Guide to Common Water-Based and Plastisol Screen Printing Ink Additives

When it comes to altering ink to get it to behave just how you want, ink additives can be invaluable. When you’re trying to get a print to look and feel just so, looking to create an eye-catching effect or printing on tricky substrates, screen printing ink additives are tools you can use to get your screen printing jobs to turn out just right. 

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Add an Extra Dimension
Add an Extra Dimension to Your Screen Printing with Puff Ink

For those who are old enough to remember, “puff ink” brings to mind neon graphics and all-over 3D designs that were all the rage in the 1980s and early 1990s. The puff ink craze might have gone out of style with the Walkman, but that doesn’t mean puff ink doesn’t have its place in modern screen print designs. When used right, puff ink can add a fun textural element to your screen prints, and if you’ve never given this specialty ink a try, it’s time to see how puff ink can transform your screen printing.

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A Starter's Guide to Decorating Team Sports Apparel
A Starter’s Guide to Decorating Team Sports Apparel

For screen printers, team apparel can generate big business. From local school sports teams to rec leagues to local colleges and universities, there’s plenty of business to be had. Contracting with a team can result in repeat business, year after year, and it brings more than just jerseys: Think  warm-up gear, hats, team jackets and fan apparel. So if your screen printing shop isn’t already churning out team apparel, it’s something you should be looking into.

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Tackling Tricky Tri-blends
Tackling Tricky Tri-blends: A Screen Printing Challenge

Tri-blend shirts have become a major force in the fashion industry since their introduction a decade ago. In the custom apparel industry, tri-blend fabrics have become a customer favorite. But these blended garments present their unique blend of decorating challenges. To be able to profit from the popularity of tri-blend garments, screen printers have to know how best to print on them.

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