|
|
Imprinting 101
Screen Printing
A screen is made of a piece of porous, finely woven fabric (originally silk, but typically made of polyester since the 1940s) stretched over a frame of aluminum or wood. Areas of the screen are blocked off with a non-permeable material to form a stencil, which is a positive of the image to be printed; that is, the open spaces are where the ink will appear.
The screen is placed atop the item to be printed (the substrate). Ink is placed on top of the screen, and a fill bar is used to fill the mesh openings with ink. The operator then uses a squeegee (rubber blade) to move the mesh down to the substrate and pushes the squeegee to the rear of the screen. The ink that is in the mesh opening is then transferred to the substrate in a controlled and prescribed amount.
Pad Printing
Logo is recessed into a plate and then filled with ink. The surface of the plate is then wiped off, leaving ink in the recessed areas only. A silicone or rubber pad is then pressed against the plate, pulling the ink out of the recessed areas. The ink on the pad is then pressed directly onto the item being printed.
Deboss
Logo is pressed into the material (typically leather or vinyl), causing it to be recessed below the surface of the material.
Emboss
Logo is raised above the surface of the material.
Hot Stamp
Colored imprinting foil is pressed into the surface of the material using a heated die and pressure.
Laser Engraving
Black and white artwork is engraved into the surface using a focused laser beam. Typically used on wood and metal, and occasionally leather.
Embroidery
Artwork is stitched into fabric using a computer controlled embroidery machine. To prepare artwork for embroidery it must first be digitized. Digitizing is the process of converting artwork into individual stitches, creating an embroidery “tape” that provides the information for the machine to follow as it sews the design.
Acid Etch
The item to be imprinted is covered with a protective coating that resists acid to create the artwork. This leaves a bare surface and a protected surface. It is then exposed to acid. The acid etches the logo into the bare surface.
Die-casting
The process of injecting molten metal into a mold of the artwork. Often used for creating custom coins and medallions.
Die-striking
Creating custom coins, medallions, or lapel pins by striking a blank metal sheet with a hammer that holds the die.
Color Fill
Logo is first printed onto product (usually a screen print), and then debossed into the surface.
4-color Process
Full color artwork is separated into 4 colors – cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. These four basic colors can then be combined to create a virtually unlimited number of colors. Combinations of the cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are then used to reproduce the original image.
Sublimation
Colored dye is absorbed into the printing surface. Typically used for printing mouse pads and other fabric surfaces.
Decal
Artwork is printed on a transparent decal and applied to the product.
Offset Printing
Typically used for higher quantity orders and for more detailed artwork. Ink is transferred from a metal plate to a rubber covered cylinder, and then applied to the product.
|
|
|
