Screen printing

It's long been known that advertising is a driving force in commerce. Properly prepared and distributed, it can bring tangible benefits that translate not only into financial gain but also into building brand awareness. So how can you reach customers without overwhelming them with unnecessary information and ensuring they associate your company with only positives? A simple way is through various types of promotional items. Briefcases, umbrellas, bags, T-shirts, balls – these are just some of the items worth considering to achieve your goals. Before they reach the customer, however, they should be branded with a specific company logo. Screen printing can be helpful in this regard. However, it's not the only way to use this technique. Screen printing is also used in industry, for example, for printing on household appliances, car panels, windows, and other car surfaces. It is also effective in the medical, textile, and glass and metal packaging industries.

What is screen printing?

One of the most commonly used advertising printing techniques is screen printing. It's an extremely versatile technique for marking various materials. In this method, the printing plate is a stencil. Its preparation involves covering the so-called "non-printing areas," which essentially involves blocking the openings of the screen printing mesh. A properly prepared screen printing plate, or screen, has both printing and non-printing areas. This is achieved through photochemical processes that create a pattern on the mesh, where ink can be pressed. The prepared stencil is then applied to a fine mesh. This mesh is most often made of polyester, and less commonly of polyamide or metal. The mesh is one of the key elements of screen printing. The meshes most commonly used for printing contain 100 to 150 fibers per centimeter, but the range of mesh sizes is much wider. Flat screens are most commonly used, where a doctor blade and a scraper slide across the screen surface over a stationary object, or the doctor blade remains stationary during the process while the printed object and screen move. The latter option is often used when the printed part is cylindrical.

Screen printing and its secrets

Graphic ink is a crucial factor in the creation of this type of printing. The Keller ink mixing facility offers its clients a variety of these products for every application, such as plastics, textiles, metals, glass, and wood. We offer solvent-based inks (one- and two-component), water-based, and UV inks. We use RAL and Pantone color charts to create our screen printing inks. Custom selection is also possible, based on a sample provided by the customer. It's also worth noting that the desired effect depends on the ink consistency.

Where Did Screen Printing Come From? A Brief History

Screen printing is derived from duplication methods used for thousands of years in the Far East. It experienced significant interest and flourishing, particularly in Japan. Yuzensai Miyasaki and Zisukeo Hirose are considered the fathers of screen printing. The former used this method to decorate kimonos in the 17th century. The latter invented a stencil called "katagami" in the 19th century. A motif cut from paper was applied to a mesh of human or animal hair stretched over a wooden frame. Over the years, screen printing has gained increasing popularity. The method has been developed and refined in many ways. A real boom occurred during World War I. John Pilsworth made a significant contribution to the development of the technique. The San Francisco native pioneered the so-called multicolor printing process using a single printing plate. Louis F. D'Autremont achieved another breakthrough. He invented shellac film, which sped up the production process. This made it possible to quickly and accurately prepare stencils for printing. However, his invention was soon superseded by Joseph Ulano's invention of cellulose film, an invention still in use today.

Screen printing – the beginnings of popularity

Initially, screen printing was used exclusively in printing. The 30s, however, saw the widespread use of this method among artists. Screen printing reached its peak popularity in the 60s thanks to the pop artist Andy Warhol, who used this method to create a series of stylized portraits of Marilyn Monroe. His work remains world-renowned to this day, and the technique he used won many admirers at the time. A particularly interesting thread in the history of screen printing is its widespread use in underground printing houses in Poland during the difficult times of the 70s and 80s. During martial law, due to the confiscation of existing printing houses, this technology was imitated by numerous underground publishing houses. Representatives of publications such as "Głos" (Gloss) eagerly utilized it. Thus, screen printing became one of the methods used to combat the communist regime.

Where is screen printing used?

Screen printing is used to mark various materials. It works well on a wide range of materials, including paper, foil, cardboard, metals, and textiles. It can be used without any problems on both flat surfaces and on surfaces of various shapes, such as bottles. It's worth noting that Keller manufactures machines for printing cylindrical objects in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and food industries. This makes it a highly versatile method. It's the only one that allows printing on a wide range of substrates, with varying textures and shapes.

Why is it worth using screen printing?

The printing technique known as screen printing has many advantages. First and foremost, it's a highly versatile printing method that works well on a variety of materials. Applying the desired image to fabric, wood, plastic, cotton, or metal is effortless. For this reason, screen printing can be used to label clothing, bags, umbrellas, or any other gadgets that could end up in the hands of potential customers. It's also worth noting that such prints are very durable. They are resistant to moisture, washing, UV radiation, and mechanical damage, among other things. This doesn't compromise their quality. Screen printing produces prints characterized by full and vivid colors. Another advantage is the price. It's undoubtedly one of the most affordable marking techniques available on the market. It's effective for creating entire series of essential materials. Both large and small businesses without a large advertising budget can easily benefit from it.
Why is it worth investing in screen printing on gadgets?

Screen printing, as a complementary printing technique (alongside offset, letterpress, and rotogravure), offers the ability to print on quite unusual substrates where other technologies cannot be used due to machine design. Screen printing's advantage is its ability to decorate irregular objects and objects significantly thicker than sheets of paper or cardboard. This explains its widespread use in the advertising, packaging, and industrial printing industries (medicine and pharmaceuticals, automotive, cosmetics, and food).