screen printing methods

Operating a small apparel decorating business today presents a multitude of choices and dilemmas. It means running your operation in an era where there have never been more opportunities and challenges. If you’re an established shop owner, you may be anxious to see your business grow. However, first you need to determine whether you’re ready for growth.

Have you ever felt a soft, velvet-like screen print and wondered how the image was created? Flock printing, or flocking, creates a unique, soft texture on garments, cardstock and even on car interiors.

Before you can create high quality prints, you have to create high quality stencils. However, this is often easier said than done. There are many, many variables that go into creating the right stencil for the job, and some of these factors are easy to overlook. First, you need to right emulsion, then you need to apply it correctly.

Nearly all printers begin with simple, color-blocked prints, laying down one to three colors at a time. While there’s certainly plenty of money to be made, and plenty of designs to be made, by printing spot colors, many screen printers look to advance their skills and try new techniques.

Designing artwork for screen printing is not always a straightforward job. In order to create a great-looking print, you need art that’s up to the task. Making an effort to use vector images whenever possible can help keep you avoid some headaches throughout the screen printing process.

Every winter — when the moisture in the air drops outside and furnaces further dry the indoor air — static electricity abounds. Unfortunately for printers, print shops create the perfect environment for the generation of static electricity.

Loading shirts onto the screen printing press the right way — that is, with the shirt straight and properly positioned for the print — can be a challenge, especially for novice screen printers. Screen printers have to master the skill of loading shirts the right way. Your press-loading technique impacts how quickly you can print, as well as the amount of discarded prints you’ll have due to crooked or off-center prints.

If you’re familiar with the garment decoration or promotional product industry, you know there’s no shortage of methods used to apply a design to a t-shirt, sign or other item. Screen printing is one of the most well-established and time-tested methods. However, dye sublimation is a newer technology that has made rapid gains in the industry in recent years.

If you have mastered printing on sweatshirts, t-shirts and polos, it’s time to consider what other items you could offer to help expand your screen printing business. Screen printed sweatpants, yoga pants and athletic pants are perennial favorites for athletic teams and clubs, and as spirit wear and promotional items.

For many screen printers, dealing with color separations presents on ongoing battle. From understanding the different types of color separations and knowing when to use them to knowing how to troubleshoot tricky separations, many screen printers struggle to consistently produce successful color separations. From basics to overcoming obstacles, here is our guide to screen printing color separations.

Most screen prints involve laying down simple designs with finite borders, one color at a time. But every screen printer has to deal with more complex prints from time to time, whether it’s a four-color process job or a print with gradient tones for special effects.

Custom garment makers often line up on each side of the debate: Screen printing versus heat transfers. While the issue is one that can divide, the reality is that both types of garment decorating have their merits.