Screen printing
In hand screen printing the squeegee is drawn steadily across the screen
by hand at a constant angle and pressure. However, screen printing is
now usually automated, with hand screen printing confined to the high
fashion industry. Fully automatic screen printing involves the continuous
rotation of a cylindrical screen which is kept in constant with the fabric,
ensuring continuous movement of the fabric through the machine. As the
screen rotates, printing paste is forced through the design (open) areas
of the screen with the aid of stationary squeegee. Printing paste is pumped
into the inside of the screen from a container at the side of the machine
at an automatically controlled rate.
This
technique is the most common form of textile printing and it involves
the application of the printing paste through a fine screen placed in
contact with the fabric to be printed. A design is created in reverse
on the screen by blocking areas of the screen with a material such as
an opaque paint. The screen is then placed over the fabric and the printing
paste is forced through the open areas of the screen using a flexible
synthetic rubber or steel blade known as a squeegee.
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