Screen printing is hundreds of years old, in fact, it might even be older than that! It has evolved over the years as new materials and technology have been developed though. Those that use it to create a customized jacket and other garments and things need certain skills and knowledge. Not every printing service is equal, some have more talent and experience than others. It is an interesting process and if you are looking to invest in some printed items it is worth understanding the process since this is the method of printing that most organizations and businesses choose.
First you need to have an idea for your design
The first thing to do is know what you want to put on the item or garment. You can create your own design, hire someone to come up with something, or in some cases, some printers have a whole range of options you can use. When that is in the correct format it is then sent to the printing team. Some will create a sample for you to approve at that point. It is useful if they do since then you can see properly how it looks on the jacket, shirt and so on.
Next, the screens are created
If you are happy with the design the process of screen jacket printing begins. For each color a screen is created to build up the image and lettering you have created. Think of them as large stencils really. First, the screens are covered with emulsion to stop the ink from going through. Then the design is burned onto the screen and the emulsion is removed from certain parts to create the image. The right inks are loaded into the press ready for the printing process.
Time for the press
Then a press operator will make sure the screens are properly aligned and place the jacket or shirt in the right place to ensure the design goes where you have ordered it to go. When all the screens have been applied someone will check to make sure there have been no mistakes made in the printing.
Into the very large dryer
Now the shirts or customized jacket go into a huge industrial dryer. Once the ink has been dried they are examined again against your order to make sure they match completely.
Finishing off the garments
At this point in your t-shirt or jacket printing order, there are two directions they can go. They might go to a finishing team if there are other services you have ordered. For example, you might want embroidery on the jackets as well as a printed design, so they will go off for that. Or you might want tags printed on them, or hem tags sewn onto them. If there is no other work to be done to them then they are inspected by someone who checks every detail is just right and then they go to shipping and are sent directly to where you want them.