Types

Screen Printing

• Screen printing is arguably the most versatile of all printing processes. It can be used to print on a wide variety of substrates, including paper, paperboard, plastics, glass, metals, fabrics, and many other materials. Some common products from the screen printing industry include posters, labels, decals, signage, and all types of textiles and electronic circuit boards. The advantage of screen printing over other print processes is that the press can print on substrates of any shape, thickness and size.
• A significant characteristic of screen printing is that a greater thickness of the ink can be applied to the substrate than is possible with other printing techniques. This allows for some very interesting effects that are not possible using other printing methods. Because of the simplicity of the application process, a wider range of inks and dyes are available for use in screen printing than for use in any other printing process.
• Utilization of screen printing presses has begun to increase because production rates have improved. This has been a result of the development of the automated and rotary screen printing press, improved dryers, and U.V. curable ink.
• Screen Printing Process Overview
• Screen printing consists of three elements: the screen which is the image carrier; the squeegee; and ink. The screen printing process uses a porous mesh stretched tightly over a frame made of wood or metal. Proper tension is essential to accurate color registration. The mesh is made of porous fabric or stainless steel mesh. A stencil is produced on the screen either manually or photo-chemically. The stencil defines the image to be printed in other printing technologies this would be referred to as the image plate.
• Screen printing ink is applied to the substrate by placing the screen over the material. Ink with a paint-like consistency is placed onto the top of the screen. Ink is then forced through the fine mesh openings using a squeegee that is drawn across the screen, applying pressure thereby forcing the ink through the open areas of the screen. Ink will pass through only in areas where no stencil is applied, thus forming an image on the printing substrate. The diameter of the threads and the thread count of the mesh will determine how much ink is deposited onto the substrates.

Pad Print

• Pad Printing is a combination of the gravure (indirect intaglio process), offset and rubber stamp printing processes. It uses an image that is recessed into the printing plate. Ink is flooded into the recessed image; the surface of the plate is doctored clean. The image is then transferred from the plate to the substrate being printed by a smooth silicone rubber "stamp" called a pad. This is where the process derives its name.
• The factors that make Pad Printing unique are:
• Possible to print onto uneven and curved surfaces, i.e. a golf ball.
• Is capable of printing multi color "wet on wet" with no need to dry the ink between colors.
• Extremely fine detail printing is possible, i.e. a print resolution of 300dpi.
• Very large ranges of substrates are capable of being printed.

Hot Stamp

• Hot Stamping also known as Foil Stamping or Gold Embossing is a letterpress or relief printing process that uses a combination of metal printing plates with raised images, hot stamping foil, heat, pressure and time. In almost all cases the heat, pressure and time factors are delivered by a hot stamping machine. The factors that make Hot Stamping unique are:
• The fact that there is no other printing process that can deliver the bright metallic finishes that characterize the process.
• It is a dry printing process and requires less training and experience than almost all other printing processes.
• A wide range of substrates can be hot stamped; in fact all wettable materials such as paper and board, thermoplastics and duroplastics, leather and textiles, wood and many other materials.

Surfaces

Cylindrical

The custom tooling of our equipment securely locks your cylindrical product in place to ensure quality printing. Multiple layered colors and printed text are crisp and accurate images.

Flat

Over the years, we have provided high quality printing on a variety of flat surface products.

Custom Parts

We can ensure high quality printing on any surface, including camera parts, knobs, acrylic boxes, lighters, pens, flashlights, anything. You submit a Request For Quote with a sample product and we'll let you know how we can meet your requirement.

Contact us to see how we can meet your custom decorating requirements.