outline.
Screen prints stand out for using a mesh screen and thick coloured inks to print a design onto a garment. Screen printed T-shirts are beloved by many due to its ultra-fine detail, high-quality finish, soft feel and durability. Below is an explanation on the process.
You can either commission one of our artists to bring your design to life, or alternatively you can send us your artwork. You will be emailed a visual proof of your design to sign off. This way we know you are happy with everything before we proceed to the printing stage. Once the design is approved, it is printed to the actual size in black onto clear acetate film called kodatrace.
set up.
Our silk screens are coated with a special emulsion which will stop any ink from seeping through the screen when printing, A separate screen is needed for each colour in the design.
The design is placed onto a large exposure unit, similar to a lightbox. The coated screen is placed on top of the design and exposed to the light for a specific amount of time.
The screen is rinsed with water. The emulsion will be carefully washed away leaving clear mesh to show the imprint of the design. The screen will be dried, then touched up with the emulsion if needs be and re-exposed to toughen the additional emulsion.
printing.
We use a carousel for all our printing. This is an ingenious piece of machinery that can print up to eight separate colours or detailed full colour designs. The screen is set up in the carousel and the water based ink is placed at one end of the screen.
When the carousel is in motion, the garment is laid down flat onto a printing board. When the garment reaches the screen, the screen is lowered and a large squeegee pulls the ink along the length of the screen. The ink is pushed through the clear areas of the screen, leaving the design imprinted on the product.
finishing.
The printed item is run through a large dryer at a specific temperature. This bakes the print onto the item which results in a colour fast product. Your order is checked for print quality and prepared for dispatch.
Finally the screen is washed thoroughly. It is striped and re-coated with emulsion, in preparation to be re-made with a totally new design.
Minimum orders are applicable on screen printed designs. Please us the contact page to discuss your requirements for your project.