What is silk screen printing ink?
Date: Aug 28 2024 From: Star Color
Among the various printing technologies nowadays,
screen printing is probably the earliest one.
It is a simple process, does not require complex machinery and equipment, and has a wide range of applications, making screen printing ink occupy an important position in packaging, electronics, glass ceramics and many other industries.
Definition and Classification of Screen Printing InkScreen printing ink is an ink designed for screen printing process. It transfers ink to the substrate through patterned holes in the screen plate to form the desired image or text. According to different classification criteria, screen printing inks can be divided into various types:
- Classified according to ink characteristics: including fluorescent ink, glossy ink, magnetic ink, conductive ink and so on. Each of these inks has its own characteristics, which can meet the special needs of printing effects in different fields.
- Classified by ink state: colloidal inks (such as water-based, oil-based, resin inks, etc.) and solid inks (such as toner for electrostatic screen printing).
- Classification by substrate: inks for paper, inks for fabrics, inks for wood, inks for metals, inks for plastics, etc. This categorization is directly related to the formulation and performance requirements of the ink to ensure a good match between the ink and the substrate.
- Classification by drying type: volatile drying inks, reactive drying inks (including oxidative polymerization type and heat curing type), and ultraviolet hardening inks (UV inks).
Composition and Characteristics of Screen Printing InkScreen printing inks are mainly composed of pigments, connectors and additives. The pigment gives the ink its color, while the linker is responsible for dispersing the pigment and giving the ink proper adhesion, flow and transfer properties. Additives are used to improve specific properties of the ink, such as drying speed and abrasion resistance.
The characteristics of screen printing inks include rheology, viscosity, color, water resistance, etc. These characteristics directly affect the printing effect and performance of the ink.
The viscosity of the ink is generally higher than that of flexo and gravure inks, but too high a viscosity will result in the ink being difficult to flow during the printing process, which will affect the printing quality; while too low a viscosity may result in the loss of ink on the screen, reducing the printing quality and efficiency.
Application of screen printing ink1. Daily necessities field
Through screen printing, patterns or words can be printed on daily necessities such as movable covers, fluorescent tubes, swimming goggles, clocks, straws, cell phone cases, cards and so on.
2. Advertising and Packaging
In the field of advertising, the application of screen printing ink is also very wide. Such as: signs, advertising light boxes, spray painting, packaging printing, wallpaper, boxes and so on will use screen printing ink.
3. Electronic products field
In the electronics industry, screen printing ink is widely used in the printing and assembly of circuit boards, touch screens, displays and other products. Screen printing ink is also used to print components such as logos and buttons on electrical products.
In addition to the above areas, there are some such as furniture, toys, etc. will also be used, screen printing ink is also widely used in glass, ceramics, metal, plastic and other materials in the printing.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Screen Printing InksAdvantages:
1. Bright colors and strong three-dimensional sense:
Screen printing ink due to the ink layer is thicker, printed patterns full of color, bright, with a strong sense of three-dimensional, suitable for printing the need for fine, three-dimensional patterns and text, etc..
2. Wide range of application:
Screen printing ink can be used in the printing of a variety of materials, such as glass, ceramic tiles, ceramics, electronic materials, transparent plastics, metals, etc., especially in these materials with a three-dimensional sense of printing and fine patterns, outstanding performance.
3. Weather resistance and durability:
Screen printing ink printed patterns usually have good weather resistance and durability, can to a certain extent to resist the erosion of the external environment, to maintain the clarity of the pattern and color vividness.
4. Small printing pressure, small impact on the material:
screen printing soft and flexible, printing pressure is small, the impact on the printing material is small, is conducive to the protection of the surface of the material, especially for printing pressure sensitive materials, such as CD-ROM.
Disadvantages1. Slow drying speed:
The drying speed of screen printing ink is relatively slow, need to dry naturally at room temperature for a longer period of time or with a lower temperature for drying, which may affect the production efficiency.
2. Printing accuracy is limited:
Screen printing process and raw materials and other limitations, screen printing ink printing accuracy is relatively low, the image precision is generally 80-120 lines / inch, dot tone reproduction range is generally 10% -85%, fineness and layering is not as good as other high-precision printing methods.
3. High ink consumption:
As the ink layer of screen printing is thicker, the ink consumption is relatively larger, increasing the printing cost.
4. Easy to produce quality problems:
Because the ink layer is thicker, the curing time is longer, and the ink film shrinkage is more obvious, easy to lead to shrinkage, bending, and other quality problems in the printed materials.
5. Insufficient environmental performance:
Screen printing ink may contain chemical substances that are harmful to the environment and human health, such as organic solvents, etc., so special attention needs to be paid to environmental protection when using and disposing of them.
In summary, screen printing ink as the core material of the screen printing process plays an important role in the printing industry.
Screen printing ink colorful, three-dimensional sense of strong, wide range of trials, can be applied to glass, ceramic tile, metal and other materials, with the development of technology, the emergence of large-scale intelligent screen printing machine has also enhanced the efficiency of screen printing, but screen printing ink to solvent-based ink, the need to increase investment in environmental protection.
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