Jayva Screen Printing El Paso One T-Shirt At a Time
How to Do Screen Printing On Fabric
Screen printing is among the best ways to add some custom designs and patterns to your fabric. Whether you want to make some promotional materials like t-shirts or even uniforms for employees in your business in El Paso, Texas screen printing will always come in handy. The best idea is always to go for the services of a professional, but it is also good to understand how to do screen printing on fabric.
Screen printing is easy to do, but it will take some practice to perfect your skills. Here is a rundown of the actions involved in screen printing.
#1 Gather the Necessary Materials
The first and most important step is always to gather all the items that are essential for screen printing. They include a water-based ink (non-toxic) that is suitable for printing on fabric, readymade screen, plain paper, masking tape, craft knife, squeegee and the item that requires the print. Although the current screens for industrial scale printing tend to have some extra features the basic design entails stretching mesh over canvas frame and stapling it firmly on the frame.
#2 The Set Up
Since a professional screen printing company already has all the necessary things to do the printing, the second step which entails setting up things is the most important. During this stage the customer will bring in the particular design that they want on the fabric and an expert will then transfer it to the screen. Once the design or pattern is on the screen the next step is to test it on some fabrics to ensure that it comes out just the way the customer wants. If it needs any alterations, the printing professional will do it so that the image will conform to the client’s preferences.
#3 Printing the Fabric
After the setup and once the customer ascertains that the pattern looks okay the next step is to do the actual printing. The technician will place the fabric on a flat surface and stretch it out to ensure that there are not creases that can affect the image quality. Before the printing, caution is also taken to make sure that the picture will appear on the particular point on the fabric that the customer wants. The actual task will entail putting ink at the top of the screen and using a squeegee to spread it out. After this, the technician will lift the screen carefully to prevent ink from dripping on the fabric.
#4 Curing and Cleaning the Fabric
It is important to heal the material as this is what will ensure that it is possible to wash it without affecting the image or print. Curing will involve passing the fabric through a heat tunnel for a few minutes. However, for small scale project it is also possible to do the curing with a hot iron but without putting it directly on the image because this will ruin it. The curing will only take a few minutes regardless of how you do it after which the fabric will be ready for washing which is the last step in the process.
Screen printing is an affordable way of branding material, and it is also a good way of personalizing things. Regardless of the type or quantity of fabrics that you want to print, your El Paso, Texas screen printing expert is always a phone call away.