Screen Printing and the Garment Industry

Screen printing is a technique of printing that employspattern printed. Prints with large areas should use an
a screen of a mesh of fibers that acts as a stencil toink that can be absorbed by the garment. There is
convey ink to a substrate. Such technique has thealso the CMYK ink which can cover the whole
advantage that it can print any type of textilespectrum of colors through the use of only four
regardless of its shape, design or size. It can evencolors that can be mixed with given proportion to
print different designs with variable colors. It is easyresult in the required degree of the color wanted for
to be applied and its costs are low.the print.
With the introduction of Screen printing to theClean pattern detail should also be considered when
clothing industry, many possibilities have beenselecting the screen thickness to be used in the
available for the design of different garments.printing process. Also the number of nodes in the
Different patterns can be easily applied to thescreen mesh plays an important role in the clarity of
textiles used. A good printing should account for thethe pattern details. The patterns can be anything
right printing ink that matches the type of textilefrom a customer's initials or logo up to a customer's
used for the production of the garment. An ink thatfavorite pattern.
can provide the required opacity, especially with darkScreen printing can be used for special campaigns,
colored garments is one of the tricks in selecting thewhere a logo of the campaign with its slogan can be
proper ink. Some inks have the ability of penetratingprinted on t-shirts, caps and bags. Many shops
the textile and hence creating a softer touch thanprovide customizable services where the customer
that produced when the ink stays on the surface ofcan select his preferred shirt or garment design. Then
the garment. Depending on the pattern to be printed,he chooses the design that will be printed over the
and the fabric of the garment and its color, the inkgarments and decide the location of the prints,
type that can result in an optimum print can bewhether it will be over the back, or only the front or
decided. Some types of inks can replace the originalthe sleeves or a combination of any of these
dye used in the fabric production. Such type of inkslocations. Depending on the size of the pattern, the
can also produce a soft touch for the print and iscolors used for the print, and the area of the
suitable for vintage prints. Some inks can be mixedgarment printed surface, the cost of the print will be
with sparkling or shimmering particles or metaldetermined.
particles to add a sparkling or a metallic effect to the