Screen Printing on Plastic

Screen printing on plastic is a wet process of decoration on flat plastic sheets or cylindrical plastic products. Ink will be pressed through the image “burned” into a silkscreen board to get your required image. If you need multicolor images, it’s fine to operate one pass for each color.

WeProFab has professional screen printing on plastic capability for different applications, such as screen printing on plastic bags, screen printing on polypropylene bags, screen printing on plastic sheets, screen printing on plastic bottles, screen printing on plastic containers, screen printing on PVC, screen printing on corrugated plastic, silkscreen acrylic sign, silkscreen graphics overlay, and many custom plastic products.

If your plastic products require a large image printed on flat plastic sheets or cylindrical plastic bottles, silk screen can offer you not only a cost-effective solution but also reliable quality. If you have a professional plastic fabrication manufacturer with rich experience of screen printing on plastic like WeProFab, your plastic products will have many advantages. The images on your plastic products will be waterproof, steam proof, neat, and will not peel off or fade.

WeProFab can screen print on many plastic materials. We can handle screen printing on acrylic, screen printing on polycarbonate, screen printing on polypropylene, screen printing on PVC, screen printing on polyester, screen printing on ABS, screen printing on nylon, screen printing on polyethylene, etc.

Also, we have full capabilities in plastic fabrication. We can offer a one-stop solution and the best plastic product finishing according to your design.

Screen Printing on Plastic: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

What is Screen Printing on Plastic?

It refers to a method of printing which allows the transfer of comparatively large opaque images onto flat and cylindrical plastic objects.

Why Choose Screen Printing on Plastic Substrates?

• You can use it to decorate any type of plastic material with large surfaces, especially those that require two-sided or wrapped images.
• Screen printing is less restricted by image size hence making it easy for you to decorate parts which need large images.
• You get vibrant colors when using this method, which is quite difficult to replicate when using other printing techniques.
• It is a suitable technique for printing parts with cylindrical shapes such as syringes, plastic bottles, vials, flow tubes, and jars, among many more.
• It is difficult for the print to fade, wrinkle, tear, peel off or stain, which implies that it gives you a long-lasting effect.
• It is comparatively cost-effective than quite a number of printing techniques.
• You do not have any restrictions on screen printing as far as creativity is concerned.

What are the Disadvantages of Screen printing on Plastic?

• The initial setup cost for screen printing is quite high and takes a lot of time.
• In some instances, the quantity of ink that you use in this method seems to make the design appear like it is raised from print material.
• It is relatively difficult to customize it compared to digital printing.
• Screen printing is not environmentally friendly despite the fact that several efforts have been put in place to make the inks eco-friendly.
• It can be somewhat complex depending on the design as well as the project since it involves quite a lot of steps than other methods.
• It is seemingly unsuitable for on-demanding printing, given that it is somehow not practical for small orders.
• It can be a little bit costly, especially if you want to print multiple colors.

Can you Screen Print Multiple Colors on Plastic?

Yes. Just ensure that you have all the necessary materials, tools, and equipment for the task as well as the knowledge to execute the technique.

Which Plastic Surface can you Screen Print on?

You can screen print on virtually all plastic materials which may include but not limited to:

• PVC
• Acetal
• Polyethylene
• Polycarbonate
• Polyester
• Nylon
• Polypropylene, etc.

Are UV Inks Used in Screen Printing on Plastic?

Yes, and they have been used for a long time in screen printing due to the fact that they have high mechanical and chemical resistance.

Screen printed plates

Is Screen Printing on Plastic better than Digital Printing on Plastic?

Not necessarily.

The better option between these two types of printing processes is dependent on numerous aspects including the following;

• The number of plastic items that you need to print
• The budget for printing particular plastic products
• Overall turnaround for printing the order
• The specific type of plastic material which you want to print on
• The accuracy and detail of the prints
• A number of colors you desire to have on the final product.

How do you prepare Plastic Surface for Screen Printing?

Ideally, you need to choose a type of plastic material with closed-cell, matte finish that makes it possible for it to wipe-off mistakes easily using the recommended thinner.

While at it, you also need to ensure that the surface of the material remains dry, clean, and free from any detergent such as oil, grease, or any form of sticky substance.

Additionally, you also need to ensure that you clear any form of scratches from the surface to prevent from forming a shadow through the ink.

If possible, clear the surface using a soft white cloth moistened with isopropyl alcohol before printing.

How does Screen Printing on Plastic Work?

It is quite a thorough and involving process that requires attention to detail to make it a success.

It thus starts with the preparation of graphics, which is something you can simply do using computer software.

While at it is also essential to ensure that you keep the designs relatively simple, then print the graphic on heat transfer vinyl.

Ensure that design is accurate by removing any form of errors, then cut it on a stencil and soak it in the emulsion.

Afterward, you’ll have to remove the stencil again from the emulsion and place it precisely where the design is going to appear.

Pour ink on the stencil and use the squeegee in spreading the ink all over the stencil.

While moving the squeegee back and forth, it is necessary to ensure that you cross the image as much as possible so that it is transferred on the plastic material.

Then you can remove the stencil and confirm the printed image on the plastic material.

If it doesn’t appear as clear as your wish, place the plastic under the stencil again then spread the ink over using a squeegee.

You can do this repeatedly until you attain desirable print.

How do you Choose Reliable Screen Printing Machine for Plastic?

Manual screen printing machine

• Check the size and ensure that it suits the products which you intend to print on it as well as your working space.
• User-friendliness- It is vital to ensure that you the ease of operating the machine since it greatly determines the efficiency of the entire process.
• Versatility – In this instance, it implies that you need to choose a printing machine that can print a wide number of plastic materials and at the same time, factor in numerous elements.
• Ease of installation- When buying this type of machine, check out how easy it is to fix it on your working space.
• Budget- It is also fundamental to determine your budget beforehand when buying a reliable screen printing machine.
• The essence here is to get what you necessarily is worth it as far as your budget is concerned.

Is Screen Printing on Plastic Permanent?

Not necessarily, but you can, however, add some specific types of catalyst and heat on the ink to make the prints permanent.

 Screen printing on Plastic

What is the recommended “Off-contact” Space Screen Printing on Plastic?

It is dependent on a wide range of factors, such as the mesh thickness as well as the surface thickness, among others.

However, most people prefer a distance of between 1/16’’ to 1/8’’.

How many Screen Printing Inks for Plastic are there?

They are quite numerous and vary in terms of use and ingredients.

Some of the commonly used ones include the following;

• Permaset inks
• UV and Solvent inks
• Water-based screen printing inks
• Plastisol inks

How can you Prevent Under Cured Emulsion?

You need to ensure that you remove all ink from the screen and frame, apply emulsion remover to get rid of the emulsion and lightly scrubbing the screens using a suitable degreaser and a clean brush.

You must also ensure that you completely dry the mesh and screen frame before coating.

Are there Challenges in Screen Printing on Plastics?

Definitely.

Some of the common challenges include;

• Prints are peeling away from the substrate.
• An ideal way of handling this is ensuring that you check the ink’s temperatures during the curing process as well as using the right ink from reputable manufacturers.
• Stick prints – It occurs as a result of insufficiency in allowing the ink to dry.

‘So you need to ensure that the ink dries appropriately to prevent this trouble.

• Cracked ink- It is also as a result of the poor under curing.
• Therefore, you can choose to test your prints by giving them a gentle tug.
• Prints are washing away- It is most likely as a result of incomplete curing.

Therefore, you need to check on the curing temperatures.

Can WeProFab handle Custom Screen Printing on Plastic?

Definitely. All you need to do is proving your desirable designs, and we shall do the rest of the work for you.

Which are the Key Screen Printing Equipment?

• Emulsion
• Printer and film
• Computer machine with design software
• Drying racks
• Exposure unit
• Screens
• Screen printing machine

What Affects the Quality of Screen Printing on Plastic Substrates?

• Type and quantity of screen printing ink used
• Color management
• Curing system

What are the Benefits of Automatic Screen Printing for Plastic?

• High volume capability
• You can choose a wide range of shapes to print
• Ability to use any specific type of plastic substrate
• Increases overall efficiency as far as screen printing is concerned