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Okay, so you’ve heard their names, CMYK Process, Spot Color, and Simulated Process, but what are they? What sets them apart from one another and what is the best use for each? Let’s go through them, one by one!

Prepping a screen for water-based inks can be a little more tricky than plastisol. The print deposit is thinner, the ink dries on the screen over time, and the ink can potentially break down emulsion faster than plastisol ink would. Because of this, you need a good screen to get a good print. Let’s go through the process of making a screen so you’re prepared for your next water-based job. 

Let’s face it. Screen printing is dirty, messy, and toxic at times. From the chemicals, garment manufacturers, chemical waste, to water pollution, screen printing has a long road ahead to becoming eco-friendly. Implementing greener practices seems challenging and expensive, but that’s not the case. 

Our choices matter. Let’s look at ways screen printers can implement environmentally friendly products and processes in their shops. 

Different mesh counts are used for different applications in the screen printing process. What is mesh count? Well, mesh count is a measure of how many threads of polyester (used to be silk, centuries ago, hence ‘silkscreening’) cross each other per square inch of the screen. For example, a 110 mesh screen would have 110 threads crossing per square inch. The higher the mesh count, the finer the holes are in the screen.