Out of all of the different printing processes that exist today, you will find that screen printing is the one that is the most multipurpose in nature. It utilizes a lot of different mediums (i.e. paper, paper board, metals, fabrics, plastics, glass, nylon, cotton). Once the products are finished you will have a lot of different things to enjoy (i.e. posters, labels, signage, textiles, electronic boards).
Why Choose To Use The Screen Printing Press
Screen printing’s main merit has to do with the fact that it is able to be used to print on numerous surfaces regardless of their size or shape. You can also use thicker ink whenever you are utilizing a screen printing press, which is something that you cannot do with a lot of other types of printing techniques. This feature is responsible for a lot of the really interesting designs that you cannot create with other types of printing. There are a lot of different types of inks and dyes that can also be used. Nevertheless, it is really quite simple to use a screen printing process. It is also a very quick process even though it does offer you such great flexibility. This is something that is due to the development of the rotary printing press, better dryers having been invented and U.V. curable ink.
Different Types Of Screen Printing Presses
There are actually a lot of different types of screen printing presses in use today. However, the three most popular ones are the flat bed, the cylinder and the rotary. It is a good idea to know a little something about each of them so that you can choose which one will work best for you.
Flat Bed Screen Printing Presses
The flat bed screen printing press is one of the most widely used screen printing presses in existence today. It utilizes a flat screen and a three step reciprocating process to perform the printing process. Herein the screen is moved onto the substrate, the squeegee is pressed onto the mesh before being moved to the image area, then the screen is removed from the substrate so that the printing process can be completed.
Cylinder Screen Printing Presses
The cylinder screen printing press is actually quite similar to the flat bed screen printing press in the way that it works. However, the main difference lies in the way in which items are positioned onto the screen printing press. While the flat bed screen printing press has you place the items horizontally onto the print bed in a fashion that is parallel to the computer screen, the cylinder screen printing press actually utilizes a cylinder. So, with the cylinder screen printing press you will need to place the item that you are going to be printing onto this cylinder.
Rotary Screen Printing Presses
The rotary screen printing press has been developed in order to facilitate continuous, high-speed screen printing. The screens that are utilized within this press are very thin and are shaped like a metal cylinder. Both of the ends of the cylinders are open ended and fit into blocks that are located on the sides of the press. As the printing process occurs ink is pumped into the one end of the cylinder so that there is continually a flow of ink available to be used. A squeegee is also there and acts like a free-floating bar within the cylinder. Magnetic bars, that are located underneath of the press bed itself, maintain its pressure. More often than not, the rotary screen printing press is used for printing textiles, wall paper and other such items that require an unbroken, continuous pattern.