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From
Concept
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to
Finished Artwork
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From the artwork, we make color separations, one for each
color in the design.
We print the color separations on laser film and
sandwich the artwork between a bright UV light source under glass and a screen made of monofilament polyester fabric stretched
and glued to a metal framework. The screen has previously been coated with a photo-sensitve emulstion, which will cure
during exposure to the UV light. The areas blocked by the black artwork don't harden under the UV light and can be washed
out with water. This creates a stencil through which plastisol garment-printing ink can be pushed using a polymer squeegee.
The colors are printed one at a time in whatever order is
needed to accommodate outlines and fills. We may flash-cure (apply heat with special unit) between each color to slightly
gel the ink so that it doesn't smear when the next color is applied. This assures a crisp print.
After a trip through a belt dryer or additional time under
the flash unit to cure the ink and make it permanent, you have the finished print.
Whether a simple 1-color graphic or a complex 4-color
process photoreal image, the method is pretty much the same for all garment screen printing.
After the job is completed, the screens are reclaimed for
use on the next project. Our studio uses only environmentally friendly soy-based and citrus-based solvents in that process.
Return to screenprinting.
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