Screen Printing Honor

Arts & Crafts

Requirements

  1. Make a list of the tools and equipment needed to do screen printing.

    Answer: Equipment: a screen-printing screen (with mesh stretched on a frame), a squeegee (a rubber blade for pushing ink), inks made for screen printing, photosensitive emulsion, a UV light source (to expose the screen), paper/fabric to print on, a square/ruler for alignment, a dryer, masking tape, and a cloth for cleaning. A dark environment for exposing the screen is essential. — A screen-printing screen uses polyester mesh with 43-200 threads/cm; the squeegee is the central piece — it pushes ink evenly; photosensitive emulsion blocks light where there is no design; UV polymerizes the exposed emulsion; the standard process of the Brazilian Federation of the Graphic Industry since the 1970s — the basis of Brazilian T-shirt printing, currently in force.

  2. Mention 3 types of ink suitable for screen printing work.

    Answer: Three types: (1) plastisol ink (for fabric, PVC-based, requires heat curing); (2) water-based ink (eco-friendly, washable until it dries, used on paper and fabric); (3) UV ink (cures by ultraviolet light in seconds, used on vinyl, plastic, and metal). Each type has an ideal application depending on the surface and the durability desired in the project. — Plastisol is the world textile industry standard (T-shirts, caps); water-based ink gained ground in the 2000s for sustainability; UV ink allows printing on non-porous surfaces; the ABNT and ANVISA standard for screen printing on food packaging restricts certain solvents in the ink used in Brazil, currently in force.

  3. List at least 3 industrial uses for screen printing.

    Answer: Three industrial uses: (1) printing T-shirts, uniforms, and fabrics in general; (2) product packaging (medicine boxes, paint cans, soda bottles); (3) industrial signage (signs, banners, stickers, vehicle panels). It is also used in printed electronic circuits, ceramic decals, and prints on various glass and plastic items. — The textile industry consumes 80% of screen-printing inks; packaging is the second largest segment; screen printing on electronic circuits is the basis of manufacturing printed circuit boards (PCBs); the ceramic decal of Brazilian tiles uses screen printing; the standard of the Brazilian Visual Communication Industry (ABRIGO), with about 5 thousand companies, in force.

  4. Explain how to do screen printing on bottles and rounded surfaces.

    Answer: For screen printing on rounded surfaces, use a special machine called a "bottle printer" (rotary). The bottle rotates slowly under the screen while the squeegee passes over it, transferring the ink evenly. Without a machine, it is impossible to get a professional result. For an amateur, use the pad technique (pad printing) or an adhesive decal with the ready-made design. — Rotary bottle screen-printing machines cost R$50,000+; pad printing is an alternative for extreme curves (pens, vials); screen-printed adhesive decals can be applied manually; the standard used by Coca-Cola, AmBev, and pharmacies for Brazilian labels — a principle applied in Adventist technical schools, currently in force.

  5. Make a design, transfer it to a screen, and print one of the following projects:
    • At least 10 cards
    • At least 3 posters
    • Print a design on fabric
    • A similar project of your choice

    Answer: You draw a simple design (logo, phrase, drawing) and prepare a black-and-white transparent film. Apply photosensitive emulsion to the screen, wait for it to dry in the dark. Place the film on the screen and expose it to UV light (5-10 min). Wash with running water — where the design was, the emulsion comes off. Position it over the T-shirt/paper, pour ink, and pass the squeegee. Dry and heat-set. — The UV time varies according to the intensity of the lamp; DiazoCraft emulsion is the most common; washing reveals the design as a stencil; plastisol ink requires curing at 160°C for 90s to fix permanently on fabric — the Brazilian Industrial Fabrics manufacturing standard for the textile industry, in force today in Brazil.