Accessories to help with screen printing

Screen printing is one of the most versatile printing technologies, which offers the possibility of printing on a wide variety of substrates and, at the same time, works well for small print runs, offering good quality and not too high a cost. However, in order to produce efficient prints, you need not only the right equipment and inks, but also the right accessories for screen printing. Let's find out how printing works and check what you will need.

What is the screen printing process like?

As with any printing process, the whole process begins with the preparation of the design, which must then be transferred onto a mesh that can be made of natural fibres, synthetic fibres or thin metal wires and stretched onto a wooden or aluminium frame. The process of transferring the design onto the mesh can be done in various ways, but a common one is to apply a photosensitive emulsion to the mesh and then expose it after covering it with a specially prepared film. After the grid is developed, it is placed in the machine. During printing, the mesh covers a substrate placed on a table and a squeegee is moved across its surface to apply the ink. The screen is then lifted. Once the ink has dried, which can be fixed with e.g. UV light, the substrate is ready for the next colour to be applied. The printing process depends on the type of machine used - in the case of automatic printing, all processes are carried out by appropriate mechanisms, while with manual printing, the person operating the machine is responsible for them.

Which screen printing accessories will be necessary?

One of the items that are indispensable when preparing the screens for printing is a chute for applying photosensitive emulsion, which allows its even application over the entire area of the screen. When using manual printing machines, squeegees will be indispensable equipment - you will need both a squeegee handle, which is used to guide the squeegee, and a squeegee rubber, which allows the ink to be spread. It is worth remembering that the shape of the squeegee should be matched to the substrate to be printed, in order to achieve the best results. It will be hard to do without accessories to help tighten the mesh, such as butterfly clamps or the so-called screen catcher. It is also worth remembering the chemicals for screen printing - degreasers, frame adhesives and release pastes.