When screen printing is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is usually slogans on T-shirts and company logos on the back of windbreakers. At one time, this was true, but not anymore. As with most other industries, technologies march on, and screen printing is no exception. In decades past, industrial screen printing predominantly created graphics in the form of pipeline warning labels and flag markers for the oil and gas industry due to the durability of the process and itÕs impervious properties to the elements and by-products of that industry. Today, screen printing is everywhere.

The long lasting durability and wide variety of substrates available have caused many industries to stray from the conventional and somewhat restrictive venues of offset printing. Today, screen printed products are all around us, from hard hat decals to sides of tractor-trailers. At the local fast food restaurant, theyÕre seen as clear window clings, counter displays, backlit menu boards and even outside as pole signs, banners and drive thru displays. At public venues, they are seen as informational and directional high traffic floor graphics and over-head banners. As a matter of fact, most Point of Purchase (P.O.P.) items both retail and wholesale markets are now screen printed.

Thanks to advancements in all industry-related technologies, greater detail, color accuracy and durability can now be achieved. What was once a tightly stretched piece of low thread count silk, has now developed into high tech polymers in a wide variety of meshes offering longer lasting screens with greater possible detail to the final product. In most cases, ultra-violet (UV) inks and UV dryers have replaced solvent inks and gas dryers / drying racks. This innovation has decreased post-printing time dramatically, allowing product to be packaged and shipped almost immediately after coming off the press. Automated In-Line and Carousel presses allow multiple colors to be applied to products at the same time, reduce the actual print time as well as allow full color press proofs to be available to the client without multiple set-ups and tear-downs to get each color on the product. Higher / tighter mesh thread count in conjunction with larger and higher line-count image setters have allowed for great detail even on the smallest of products such as hard hat decals, warning stickers and the legal disclaimers previously illegible in screen printing.

Not only are the printing technologies advancing by leaps and bounds, the available materials / substrates are as well. Decades ago, screen printing was relegated to printing on otherwise unmanageable materials such as textiles, metals and masonite. TodayÕs substrate manufacturers have allowed for a cornucopia of new products including clear vinyls and static clings, translucent and corrugated plastics, paper-thin brushed aluminum, and textured skid resistant plastics as well as new innovations in the standard product arena.

In an effort to better serve client needs, many screen printing companies have expanded the scope of their capabilities to include plotter cut vinyl products, large format digital printing and bindery facilities to offer in-house die-cutting and other custom finishing elements. Many screen printers have realized that the best way to keep clientÕs satisfaction at a high level is to offer good quality, wide product base, qualified expertise, and fast service. The recent technology improvements have allowed the industry to do just that.

Yes, textile printing is still, almost exclusively, done with screen printing but that is only the tip of the iceberg. The screen printing industry has come a long way since itÕs inception, and the industry will continue to embrace technology and expand the vistas of durable graphic excellence no matter the size or end use.

Michael Mumford, Art Director

Mercury Signs & Display, Ltd.