Multi-functional screen printing will be more powerful

Although some people predict that there will be an economic downturn in 2001, the prosperous economic environment of the United States in 2000 provided a healthy development environment for the silk screen industry. There have been some industry experts predicting that the screen printing industry will give way to other printing methods and digital imaging technologies, but until now silk screen printing technology still flourished. Screen printing is not just a simple decoration process, but there are still many opportunities for development in this industry – especially in high-tech industries such as large-scale image companies, electronics companies, and medical institutions. Many products produced or decorated by screen printing are irreplaceable for other imaging methods.

Screen printing can be imaged on any object or substrate, from T-shirts to glassware, and screen printing features are the most powerful. Screen printing is essentially a high-tech stencil printing process that can reproduce details of printed products and subtle changes, fine color differences on microcircuits, and, if necessary, thick, heavy ink films.

Among the several existing imaging technologies, the ink layer that can be reached by the screen printing is the thickest. The ultimate color strength, lightfastness and durability of silkscreen images are unsurpassed.

The screen printing uses a squeegee to immerse the ink in a porous mesh of synthetic resin mesh, which is tightly fixed and adsorbed on the rigid frame under high tension. The mesh is an image template material that prevents the ink from passing through the image area by passing through the non-image area. Various combinations of various meshes, stencils, and squeegee materials enable screen printers to precisely control the ink to meet different printing needs.

The industry-scale screen printing industry has seen a series of mergers, acquisitions, and even store closings in the past few years. The biggest change is in the supply side. Several large manufacturers have acquired small-scale competitors, wholesalers, and developers of new technologies. This trend is gradually slowing and the screen printing industry seems to be undergoing tremendous changes.

According to conservative estimates, the annual output value of 30,000 commercial screen printing companies is approximately US$68 billion. The growth of the screen printing industry has exceeded the annual value-added of the Internet (about 3%~5%). The annual revenue estimates for commercial screen printing companies are as follows:

Screen printing estimated value:

Total Fiscal Million U.S. Estimates for Industry in Fiscal Year 2001 68,000
Printing and dyeing products 18,000
Industrial products 17,000
Signage and Displayed Product 20,000
Applique printing and pressure products 11,000
Touch Switches & Electronics 2,000

The above table does not include many market branches. For many industries, silk screen printing is an indispensable part. For example, screen printing is one of the methods of manufacturing electronic components, such as resistors or capacitors. For flexible devices on small devices such as mobile phones, laptops, palmtops, pagers, and other similar small devices, it is typical to use a silk screen process to print circuits.

Process Improvements Because of technological innovations and process improvements, the traditional printing process has changed, and the new screen printing model can solve many internal problems. For example, moire caused by the interaction of mesh and mesh is a difficult challenge for screen printers. New research has given us a better understanding of the dynamic characteristics of screen printing so that we can identify the moiré and eliminate it fundamentally.

The stencil technology and improvements in water-based UV inks have enabled people to obtain images that are similar to those of offset products. If you do not use a microscope, you cannot see the difference between them. Process studies show that silk screen printing is the most suitable for the current state of printing - perhaps the best, because screen printing can be imaged on more substrates than other methods.

Silk screen printing can also improve or improve the traditional products printed by other processes. A good example is: Lens sign - the image moves or changes when viewed from different angles. Lens images must be accurately printed to obtain the best results for 3D, image motion, and image transformation. Silk screen printing can not only produce high-quality lens logos, but also can print spectacular large lens images.

Progress in Crafts In 2000, at the SGIA conference in New Orleans, many exciting screen printing products and exciting technological advancements were exhibited. The most significant of these is the development of digital prepress, printing, and curing technologies.

Several new types of oversized screen direct exposure systems have been available. These new technologies use a digital optical system that is directly exposed to the screen without the use of intermediate image carriers and film. The improved exposure of the film to the photographic emulsion produces an improvement in the image clarity of several screen direct imaging systems.

Large-format multi-unit sheet-fed presses can print 4 to 6 color images, reducing the printing cycle while improving the print quality. When online printing systems become common and common, screen printing has already solved several technical difficulties and can obtain more complicated high-tech products.

For traditional high-intensity UV curing systems, the use of low-intensity light sources in UV curing is a major technological innovation. Using a general low-energy light source, the UV ink layer can be completely cured completely without adding extra energy and destroying previously printed colors. When multi-color printing of UV inks is performed, the problems of mutual adhesion can be truly eliminated, and the problem of “locking” of the film base is reduced. Improved ink adhesion, color strength, color density, and faster printing speed are some of the advantages of screen printing using UV inks.

Digital Printing Technology Some screen printers have already adopted direct digital printing technology. It is estimated that about 25% of screen printing companies use some kind of digital printing system, and most of them output wide images. VUTEX, Meredith, NewHampshre designed and marketed a new press. This new platform structure is not only suitable for roll-type materials, but also for sheet-fed materials including foam boards, cardboard, wood products and anything of any thickness. Each unit can print full four-color images, and can also be attached to the rear of the online configuration to increase printer speed.

These systems can provide excellent products so that existing screen printing companies can meet the needs of customers to expand or develop new markets. You can also combine screen printing with digital printing to get better prints.

Progress in the Printing and Dyeing Industry In the US silk screen industry, many new changes have taken place in the field of apparel printing in the past few years. Customers like to make changes in some wearable items and embroidered clothing. NAFTA has made this market a United States, adding many challenges. Low-margin operations have left many screen printers on the brink of bankruptcy, but fortunately, this has been reduced. The demand for screen printing of garments continues to grow, and the strong US economy has underpinned its development. The total sales value of printing and dyeing is declining while the production value of printing and dyeing silk screens is increasing. The printing and dyeing industry in the United States is advancing.

It is difficult to say what a new management government and a slow economy will bring. Screen printers are still full of expectations in 2001 and full of confidence. The screen printing industry continues to grow due to its diversity. When screen printing workers, suppliers, and manufacturers continue to improve the printing process and improve business operations, we look forward to a better development in 2001.