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Screen printing is a form of garment decoration utilizing a stenciling process to transfer an
image onto the print surface or substrate.
Most T-shirts and apparel on the market today obtain
their logos or designs through the screen printed process. The stencil used to transfer the image
is known as a screen and consists of nylon mesh stretched tight over a frame. Each individual color
in an image requires a separate screen.
The first step in producing a screen is color separation. An
image is digitally separated into its base colors, one color per screen, and output as a film positive the way
they should appear on the printed surface. The film positive image is then transferred to the screen by exposing
the film to intense light on photographic emulsion applied to the screen. This is called burning a screen.
After the screens are burnt they are prepared to go onto a press. All the screens for an image are then
alligned or registered to one another and the respective inks are loaded onto the screen itself.
Next the press operator uses a specially designed squeegee to push the ink through the mesh of
the screen and onto the substrate. The process is repeated for each color and when finished the
result is a composite representing the original full color image.
Most T-shirt and apparel inks are
finally heat cured for long lasting color and durability. View the gallery to the left for examples.
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