So we’ve told you about the advantages of certain promotional products, but now you may be curious as to how the magic behind custom printing your corporate logo on promotional merchandise actually works.
One of the most widely used techniques in the promotional products industry is screen printing, because the process works so well on so many different types of items.
Another major advantage of using this is that graphics that are printed through the process don’t fade as easily as they do through the other printing processes, and it is generally the most inexpensive printing option.
Screen printing, at its base, is a stenciling process of getting ink onto a surface through a prepared screen of fine material. The end result looks something like this:
Item#: USA100 – Port & Company All-American Tee
Let’s dive into a little behind the scenes of what this looks like.
In order for screen printing to be possible, a bit of a pre-press process has to take place.
- It all starts with a fine, mesh screen. This is tightly stretched around a rigid frame. The areas that will not be printed are masked out on the screen. The screen is also thoroughly cleaned with a special wash and degreaser, and finally dried.
- Once it is fully cleaned, the screen is coated with a green emulsion, which is a thin coating of light sensitive and water-soluble film or paper.
- Next, a special ink is applied to the screen in the shape of your custom logo. The areas that were masked off will prevent the ink from seeping through, while the unmasked areas will allow the ink to be imprinted onto the material.
- When the screen is exposed to ultraviolet light, the green emulsion hardens everywhere, except for the section shielded from the UV light by that special ink.
- Then, all that’s left to do is to spray the screen with water, which washes away the ink and non-hardened emulsion under it, leaving a negative in the shape of your logo.
Now, we get into the main process:
- The operator locks the screen into the station, pours on the printing ink, and aligns it as necessary.
- A thin layer of ink is spread over the screen, and it seeps through the logoed portion of the mesh, and onto the item.
- The ink is then heat-dried in an oven, or under UV light.
- Depending on the shape of the product, some screen items may require a few extra steps.
Screen printing is a handy and versatile method of efficiently printing your logo onto a range of custom promotional products like the Non Woven Promotional Cinch Pack, the Arc Edge Two Tone Imprinted Umbrella, and the Screen Printed Clois-Tech Label Pin.
At Pinnacle Promotions, this is just one of the processes that we implement in order to help you reinforce your brand and Make the right impression™ with your marketing efforts. All you need to do is take the first step by connecting with us today.
