How to Choose the Right Screen Printing Machine for Your Business

Screen printing is the process of taking a stencil design and transferring it onto a flat surface with the help of a mesh screen. In most cases, either fabric or paper is used. However, a screen printing machine can also be used on more complex surfaces like wood, metal, and plastic.

A screen printing machine is designed, so each design color is its separate screen, so the colors don’t blend. Each color will include part of the design as a stencil for that specific color. The ink is then pushed through these screens to create designs.

There are several different types of screen printing machines you can choose from. Here are the different types of screen printing machines that are available:

Clamshell Screen Printers

These printers take their name from their clamshell-esque look that opens and closes similarly. Think of this kind of printer working almost like a giant copy machine. You place the item you want to screen print onto the surface, you lower the lid, and its screen prints everything on.

Harmonic Lift Screen Printers

A harmonic lift screen printer is similar in design to a clamshell screen printer. The one significant difference between the two is that instead of lowering a screen onto the object, it’s placed onto a lift that is then raised and pressed into the net. This helps provide a more stable press.

In-Line Printers

In-Line Printers take screen printing to a whole other level. Imagine screen printing done in the style of an assembly line. You place your item to be screen printed on one end and feed it through to each screen for each other until it comes out the other side. This printer is excellent if your clients need fast turnarounds on printing projects or plan to mass produce something.

Turret Motion Printers

Turret Motion Printers are highly automatic screen printers. It utilizes a multicolor printing apparatus to allow something to be completely screen printed in seconds. These are great for mass production. And they are flexible with screen printing onto many different surfaces.

Sliding Table Printers

This screen printer is similar to many other printers on this list. The only real difference is that the flat surface you will use to screen print something is a sliding table. This means no need to lift the printer or up some other process. Place the item on the surface and slide it underneath the printer.

Rotary Index Printers

This one works the most different from all the screen printing machines on this list. Cylinders featuring the patterns of each color layer have ink continuously pumped into them. The item to be screen printed is then fed underneath the cylinders, allowing continuous printing. Rather than stopping at each color station like on other screen print equipment.

Consider what you’re screen printing on. The best screen print machine for your small business will depend on the machine’s needs and what kind of screen printing you’re doing. If you’re starting, several starter kits and entry-level printing machines are available to handle the basics you’ll want to cover. Screen printing on clothing will be somewhat different from printing on a coffee mug.

Some great options are good all-around screen printing machines. While they might be excellent at one thing, they can handle many items well. If your business is growing, consider getting something more elaborate. Such as features many stations or a full-size machine that can take much work. Click here to browse our available screen printing equipment.

It would help if you considered a few factors when looking for a screen printer machine for your business.

Budget

Ultimately, it all boils down to what you can afford. Getting a more minor, entry-level screen printer might be great if you’re starting and do have no enough budget. If you’re a bit more advanced and have a bigger budget, you can spring for something capable of handling more and has a few more bells and whistles.

Size

What kind of space do you have available for a screen printer? If you have room to spare, getting a full-sized printing machine can benefit your operation. If you’re working in a smaller area, there are some excellent tabletop models that you can work with to get quality screen printing done.

Volume of Production

Another factor that will play into your decision is the volume of production you need to do. The number of colors you plan on using and the required stations determine what you need. There are several machines with many stations and many colors available. Before purchasing a screen printing machine, you need to plan for this kind of thing.

Screen printing a design in a screen printing machine is basic. But it can take some time, especially when creating the stencils for your design. Here are the steps to using a screen printing machine.

Create a Design

The most important part is creating your design. This is important for how you want the final product to look, the number of colors you need, and how many screens you must prepare.

Prep the Screens

You have to decide on what kind of mesh screen you want to use and then coat the screen in a light-reactive emulsion. Exposing it to bright light causes the emulsion to harden, eventually creating the stencil you need. If you’re using many colors, you’ll prep various screens, one for each color you use. To have your final stencil, you’ll wash off the emulsion once it hardens.

Get Your Item Ready

Next, you’ll have to insert your item into the printing press. Make sure that it’s nice and flat to minimize errors in the screen printing process.

Print

Next, you will push ink through the screen onto the item you’re screen printing. If done successfully, you should see your stencil printed onto your item. Again, use different screens to print many colors to make a multi-colored print.

If you’ve been contemplating buying a screen printer machine for your local business, you may be curious about the benefits. Fortunately, there are many advantages to owning a screen printing machine.

Here’s an overview of these advantages to help you decide which screen print machine is suitable for you and your business’s overall goals:

Saves Money

Hands down, one of the most significant advantages of owning a screen printing machine is that it can save you money. Though other popular methods like digital printing have lower startup costs, they will increase with individual orders, making it less cost-effective.

But screen printing is different. As a business owner, you’ll likely have multiple orders to fulfill. Depending on the manufacturer, you can make up to 1,200 orders at a time with an automatic screen printing machine.

When using a screen printing machine, you ultimately save money. Because you can complete large jobs faster.

Versatility

Unlike digital printing, screen printing offers business owners greater versatility in the types of products. They can create and sell for profit. Fabric is most commonly used in company screen printing. But professional screen printing equipment is equipped to handle everything from wood to textiles, electronics, glass, and more.

A screen print machine allows you to customize a wide range of products. And it can grow your business even more by tapping into unexplored markets.

Finding the screen print equipment that best fits your business’s needs is essential to any screen print operation.

It’s important to remember your specific needs, costs, and space. It would be best if you also realized many benefits to using a machine like this to help your business meet its goals. If you want to invest in a screen printing machine for your business, check out our website to see all our products.