Frequently Asked Questions:

What is screen printing?

Screen process printing – also called “silk screen printing” and “serigraphy” -- is a method of stencil printing that allows excellent detail in reproductions.  A stencil is supported by a tightly stretched fabric, usually monofilament polyester, that is attached to a frame.  As a flexible blade called a “squeegee” pulls the ink across the screen the ink travels through the open areas of the stencil and onto the surface of the material to be printed.  As unsophisticated as this method may sound, screen printing can produce crisp text so small that it’s difficult to read without magnification!  The same screen printing principles apply to such varied substrates as signs, control panels, cosmetic containers, automobile dash panels and t-shirts.

What affects screen printing cost?

Screen printing price is influenced by the size of the image (how much screen area is required for the image), the number and size of the colors within the image (again, how much screen area is needed) and the quantity to be printed.  A larger size image requires more effort and time to screen print than a small image.  The number of colors is important because each color must be printed separately; therefore it takes more time to print multi-color images.  Quantity is important because the more pieces that are printed the less each one costs.  In screen printing, the first one is the expensive one; each additional piece reduces the unit cost.

What should be screen printed?

The Screenprinting and Graphic Imaging Association International once published a pamphlet with the heading “The only thing that can’t be screen printed is money and that’s only because the government won’t let us…yet!”  Almost anything can be screen printed.  Screen printing should be considered with applications requiring durability in exterior use and durability in applications subjected to the abrasion inherent in frequent handling, as well as projects that require a production run of more than a few pieces with the same image, materials whose composition or shape does not lend itself to other imaging methods, images that require fine detail with good clarity or images that require color matching or specialized inks.

What should not be screen printed?

Small quantity print runs – especially multicolor -- that can be accomplished by digital printers or computer-cut vinyl letters or images on substrates with obstructions in or near the image area.

What are the advantages of screen printing vs. vinyl signs?

Screen printing is a sophisticated form of stencil printing, where ink is deposited onto the substrate through a stencil to form an image that needs to be printed repeatedly without changes.  Vinyl signs are produced by cutting pressure-sensitive vinyl (bumper sticker material) with a computer driven cutting machine to reproduce one image with the vinyl.  The cut vinyl is then put onto the sign or other product  If text of 3/8” (this varies from sign company to company) or larger is involved and the graphics are similarly bold, more than one color is involved and the quantities are low – very generally in the range of seven to nine for one color – then pressure-sensitive vinyl may well be an economical and effective alternative to screen printing.  Vinyl comes in different grades, rated for different exterior applications, generally: promotional (2+ years), intermediate (4+ years) and premium (7+ years).  Choose well, the price for vinyl does go up with durability!  The promotional grade is “calendared” vinyl, produced during fabrication by squeezing the vinyl between rollers.  (This also creates the finish on the surface of the vinyl.)  The immediate shortcoming of the calendared vinyl process is that the vinyl, which is stretched during production, wants to return to a smaller dimension within an all too short period of time.  Ever had a decal “shrink”, leaving an adhesive residue outline?  That was probably calendared vinyl.  Generally the intermediate and always the premium grades are “cast” vinyl, so they won’t tend to shrink nearly as much.  Surprisingly to me, the better vinyls are the thinner vinyls!  By the way, in an up-close comparison between vinyl and screen printing you’ll probably notice a difference in the look between screen printing and vinyl because even premium vinyl at only two mils thick is thicker than a layer of ink.  It’s all up to the eye of the beholder under the particular viewing circumstances. 

If you have a project that doesn’t require small details in the image, that is multi-colored, that will never be produced in quantity, a project where you don’t have to worry about prototypes matching later production runs, then consider researching your project at local sign shops that work with vinyl.  Be sure to talk about the grade of the vinyl (“promotional” versus “intermediate” versus “premium” grades) to get the quality that best suits your needs.  Some sign shops have a tendency to lean towards a particular grade and that grade may not be the one you want for your application.  Ask, and if they won’t talk to you, go to the next intersection where you’ll probably find another sign shop that will talk with you.

What is screen printing “Art”?

Any screen printed image, be it graphics, text or a combination of the two, requires art.  The format for art used to be a black on white rendition of the image to be screen printed.  That art would be photographed by a process camera to create a positive, which is the same black image on a clear film.  This positive is used to expose the image into the light sensitive emulsion that is coated onto the screen used in screen printing.  In the last few years the format for art has become a computer file that is printed out in a positive form.  Either way, good art must be opaque black in the image area with sharp, clean edges when printed on paper.  This is the best way for you to check art.  What you see in the black on white rendition should be what you expect to see on the final screen printed product, no better or worse, whatever the color to be screen printed.

How durable are screen printing inks?

The screen printing inks that we use are effective for outdoor and indoor use.  Depending on the substrate used, the ink will generally last for the life of the substrate.

What are our color matching capabilities?

Screen printing inks are formulated in many standard colors that meet the demands of most projects.  If a custom color is needed, most of the screen printing ink lines we use can be mixed to achieve a close color match to samples provided.  In lieu of a sample, the Pantone Matching System, a standardized color system commonly used by offset printers, is an effective tool for communicating a particular color without the inconvenience of shipping color samples.  Find the color that is needed in a Pantone Matching System color chart and use the reference number for that color when discussing the project requirements.

What is the minimum production quantity?

Our shop is oriented towards short to medium quantity runs.  We don’t have a minimum quantity.  It’s not uncommon to have a project for a quantity of one when screen printing is the only viable method of producing the image.

What image sizes can we print?

We do not have a minimum size image; we like to limit our image size to 16" x 24" although we have printed larger images.  The size of the substrate that an image is printed upon can be much larger.

What is substrate?

“Substrate” is a generic term for whatever is to be screen printed.

What substrates can we screen print?

Screen printing ink lines are formulated for particular substrates, so there’s a line of screen printing inks for nearly any material.  In my experience, only two substrates do not have an ink formulated for them: chrome and stainless steel.  Contrarily enough, I’ve screen printed both (after telling the customer that my manufacturer and distributors uniformly disclaimed any liability!) and the end users were quite satisfied with the appearance and durability; the chrome was for custom components for high-end automobile stereos and the stainless was for two displays, one going to Saudi Arabia and the other going to Alaska.  (Talk about extremes!)  If you have questions about a particular substrate, give me a call or email.

What are our substrate fabrication capabilities?

We have in-house capability to cut thin materials to basic shapes and sizes, materials such as vinyl decals, polycarbonate film, magnetic sheet and card stock.  Complicated cuts or heavier materials require more specialized fabrication than we can provide.  If you have a specialized substrate and you’re satisfied with your fabricator we encourage you to continue to use your fabricator and let us do your screen printing.  (We’ll be happy to coordinate with your fabricator.)  If you don’t have a fabricator, we’ll do our best to find one that does quality work to your standards.