Tuesday, October 13, 2009

How To Use Tshirts As A Perfect Corporate Gift

By John Wong

Printing is a process of producing pictures and text, usually using ink, paper and a printing press. Over time, printing technology has developed significantly. Different techniques are available, but screen-printing is used most of the time.

Screen-printing, or silk-screening, is a process ideally used on fairly flat surfaces. In this procedure, a fine mesh screen is secured snugly across a sturdy frame, with the screen masking the region which remains unprinted. To make the print, the screen is positioned atop the material along with a swath of dense ink. Using a squeegee tool, the ink is pushed through the screen part. The ink soaks into the region that is not masked, forming the print, while the masking keeps any ink from making contact, resulting in distinguished areas. Next the printed material goes through a hot passageway until the ink dries and it is ready to be packed up.

When more than one color is involved, the process is repeated, utilizing different screens. So, four screens would be necessary for a four-color print; they can be placed on a rotary press or done by hand, allowing each color to print in its proper place.

There are several methods of masking a screen. The simplest thing to do is to employ masking fluid right onto the screen. This process works very well for two-color graphics, while a photosensitive emulsion procedure is utilized for jobs involving multiple colors.

If you are unsure what to request when ordering, remember that a screen printer's t-shirt printed with ink with plastics will be hot and tacky afterwards. It might be wise to request water-based inks if you prefer a softer, vintage-look screen printed shirt. But if you are wanting a heavy laid print, you should request ink containing plastics to be applied with a hot press.

A lot of screen printing pros utilize plastic-based inks, since they are gentler on the screen printing gear and are often stronger, more vivid and bold. Inks containing plastic may begin cracking within a brief time. Choosing natural inks creates a more attractive and longer-wearing appearance.

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