How Silk-Screening Is Applied to Pins

Most people connect the process of silk-screening to tote bags and garments like T-shirts. It is the one way to get a uniform design that has to be duplicated many times. It is important to understand this basic process to properly understand how silk-screening is done for pins.

Silk-screening is done using a flat woven mesh screen stretched onto a wooden frame. Like wood block printing, the screen areas that are to be printed are open to allow ink to pass through the screen onto the surface of a shirt or bag. The rest of the screen is blocked so that ink will not come through.

Silk-screen artists must go through a process to make the image that will be transferred ready for printing. Sometimes they receive artwork that is nearly perfect. At other times, there is quite a bit of tweaking that has to be done to make the art sharp enough to use for printing. Most now use a software program like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop to make outlines of the text and separate all the colors in the design.

Next a film positive is used to create a stencil of the design in black ink. A different stencil is made for each color in the design. An emulsion that is sensitive to photos is spread over the mesh screen using a squeegee and sits overnight to dry. Once the emulsion dries, the film positive is placed very carefully onto the emulsion. The photo-sensitive solution on the screen helps the artwork image burn onto the screen. When the screen is rinsed with water, open mesh areas appear where the color will go.

Silk-screen printers use a squeegee and special inks to push color through the mesh screens and onto a printed surface. This has to be repeated for each color, and a single color ink must be allowed to dry before moving on to the next color. When all the colors have been screened, it is time to cure the shirt to make sure the colors set. Often a large professional dryer does the job of curing.

Silk-screening on pins works the same way as the traditional process. Instead of cloth, aluminum, brass or stainless steel is used as the surface. Brass is often the preferred metal for pins because it can be plated in silver or gold. Stainless steel and aluminum cannot. Silk screens and rollers are used to print multi-color designs onto pins. Some companies bake the pins in a large oven to set the color and then apply a coating of varnish to protect the colors from chipping or other damage.

There will be flaws in the final product if silk screens are not properly cleaned or prepared. One of the most common is small pinholes where no color appears. This is usually caused by a small, almost microscopic gap in the emulsion or a particle that may be stuck on the surface of the pin. The emulsion problem is solved by placed transparent tape over the spot so that no color bleeds through. If the particle on the pin is removable, taking it off the pin is the only way to ensure even coloring. This kind of trouble can be discovered by holding the screen up to light to inspect it before the printing process begins.

Another common problem is fish eyes. It happens when the emulsion separates from the screen. Fish eyes look like round spots in the final color and are sometimes a result of not degreasing the screen or allowing it to properly dry. Degreaser in a spray bottle and a scrub brush make it easy to degrease screens. Some silk-screen professionals also use pressure washers to degrease.

Silk screened pins are a popular choice for companies who want to push a logo or slogan in increase brand awareness. The process lends itself easily to complex color designs and duplication. Some silk-screening companies make it easy to reproduce logos that bleed onto the metal edge and do not leave too much of a metal border. Many companies have strict policies about reproducing exact replicas of logos. Most lapel pins are individually wrapped before they are delivered to customers.

Although the silk-screening process dates back to ancient Chinese dynasties, it is an artistic endeavor that requires much patience. The wait for drying and coating the screens with emulsion can be trying. The end result, however, is always worth the wait. Pins come out with crisp color and very close to the original design.

If you?re looking for more information about trading pins or lapel pins with silk-screening, visit http://www.tradingpinzone.com or http://www.ashlynpromotions.com for a huge collection of pins and images to help you design your next pin.

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Source: http://toddsblogs.com/referenceandeducation/2012/07/19/how-silk-screening-is-applied-to-pins/

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