Why Is Screen Printing Still Standing Strong?

Screen printing is the process of transferring a stencilled design onto a surface using a mesh screen, ink, and a squeegee (a rubber blade). Originated in ancient China, screen printing is undoubtedly an old printing technique. However, it still has a number of advantages, even in the modern era.

Vibrancy of ink colors

There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing a logo or design that looks great on your computer falls short of your expectations when you see it in a finished product. One of the reasons that screen printing technique is so widely used is that it produces higher fidelity results with more vivid colors, even on darker surface. Screen printing applies a thicker print to the material, allowing for vibrant colors and speciality effects like glitters, puff and high density, none of which are achievable using other printing techniques. It also makes sharper, cleaner lines and more well-defined details possible.

More eye-catching designs

Thicker inks allow for vivid colors, as well as bolder and more eye-catching designs. If you have professional equipment, it's possible to create intricate multicolored designs. While the complexity of the process does mean there's a limit to the number of colors the printer can use, it does allow for more intense coloring that is impossible to achieve with digital printing alone.

Besides, screen printing also facilitates custom design. Having a custom design printed on items can be much more appealing and effective than having some ordinary photo or graphic. Custom designed items are excellent ways to advertise a brand or event by displaying a company’s name or the product/service they offer.

Great durability

Compared to other printing methods, screen printing applies a heavy ink coverage, so designs placed with this method can withstand far more stress than others without losing the quality of the print. Additionally, certain coatings and additives can make the ink resistant to UV rays, scratches, moisture and chemicals, allowing screen-printed products to be used outdoors and in harsh environments without fading. What’s more, the flexibility of screen printing allows the selection of printing on any material and eliminates the worry about the quality being hurt or ink harming the fabric.

Exceptional efficiency

The simplest solutions are often the best. The screen printing process is fairly straightforward, whether it is automated or done manually. And the tools are hardwearing and easy to repair/replace. Another advantage that we can’t ignore is that screen printing technique allows the printer to easily reproduce a design multiple times. Because the same stencil can be used to replicate a design again and again, it's very useful for creating multiple copies of the same garment or accessory. This makes screen printing a very efficient technique for creating large batches of custom items.

Extraordinary versatility

It is hard to find a printing method as versatile as screen printing - screen printing can be done anywhere with a flat surface, including fabric, plastic, wood, glass, metal, etc. The ink or paint also lies in layers on the surface of the item, which gives the print a pleasingly tactile quality. Plus, there is almost endless design freedom when using screen printing. Many artists have used this printing process to create transcendent pieces, most notably Andy Warhol.

Cost-effectiveness

A huge benefit of screen printing is getting more for less. The whole process is relatively quick and easy, thus saves us a great deal on labor costs which we can then pass onto our clients.