Different printing techniques of garment screen printing

Screen printing, as a widely used printing technology, has various process types, including water-based ink printing, plastisol ink printing, thick plate printing, foam printing, and special effect textile screen printing such as gold and silver foil stamping. These different printing methods make textile screen printing more flexible in application.

In screen printing, water-based ink printing is the most basic and cost-effective technique, suitable for various fabrics such as cotton and polyester, and can print various patterns. This process uses water-based ink, and after textile printing, it has a smooth texture and does not cover the original texture of the fabric, making it very suitable for large-scale printing. Its characteristics are bright colors and soft texture, but it also has some drawbacks. Due to the light color of the water-based ink, it cannot cover dark fabrics, so it is suitable for printing on light-colored fabrics.

The plastisol ink printing technique achieves a high-level integration of the special chemical jel and the dye, leveraging the medium effect of the jel to firmly attach the dye to the fabric. This process not only overcomes the limitations of water-based ink printing but also can adapt to different color and materials of fabrics. It is applicable to blends of various fibers such as cotton, linen, viscose, and polyester, as well as materials like leather and artificial leather.

The greatest advantage of plastisol ink printing lies in its wide applicability, the vividness of colors, and the high degree of color reproduction. Therefore, it has quickly gained wide acceptance in the market. The emergence of the plastisol ink printing has greatly expanded the application scope of screen printing. Its excellent coverage ability enables light-colored clothes to be printed with dark-colored patterns, and it also gives the patterns a certain luster and three-dimensionality, significantly enhancing the quality of the finished garments. Therefore, the plastisol ink printing has rapidly gained popularity and has become a common choice for clothing items such as printed T-shirts.

It should be noted that since the plastisol ink has a certain degree of hardness which limits its application range. it is not suitable for large-scale pattern printing. For such patterns, water-based ink printing may be more appropriate. Using plastisol ink may affect the comfort of wearing. Therefore, when printing large-area patterns, we usually choose to use water-based ink and then combine it with plastisol ink for embellishment. In this way, we can avoid the hardness problem of using plastisol ink in large areas and effectively highlight the layering effect of the patterns.

Thick plate printing, also known as three-dimensional thick plate printing, is an advanced development based on the traditional plastisol ink printing method. Through multiple repeated plastisol ink printing processes, it can create a very neat and three-dimensional effect, with relatively high requirements for the process. This technology is particularly suitable for application in sport and casual style clothing.

Foam printing, also known as three-dimensional printing, is an innovation based on the plastisol ink printing technology. Its unique feature lies in ingeniously adding a specific proportion of high-expansion coefficient chemicals to the plastisol ink printing dye, thereby giving the printing a significant three-dimensional effect. After drying, it undergoes foaming treatment at a temperature of 200-300 degrees, ultimately presenting a three-dimensional effect similar to embossment.

The plate-making cost of screen printing is relatively low, and the printing process is simple and fast. It is widely used in the printing of T-shirts, cultural shirts, advertising shirts and other products. Overall, screen printing has extensive applications in the field of clothing printing. By choosing different inks, a wide variety of printing effects can be achieved. Therefore, when making a choice, we need to weigh the options based on specific requirements.

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