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Screen Printing Column (33)

~Continued Screen Printing and Thread~

Screen printing requires a screen plate. The specifications of the screen determine the amount of ink and the fineness of the pattern.
In general, it is a cloth-like screen (also called gauze) stretched over a frame. This screen is made by knitting various kinds of threads. And the performance of screen printing changes depending on the type of thread used for this.

The cross-section of the thread used for the screen is circular. That's one point.
There are two ways to make a screen: weaving threads and making small holes in a board. The cross-section of the type of screen with holes in the plate is rectangular.
Please take a look at the schematic diagram shown when these two screens are in contact with the substrate.
It can be seen that the screen using threads has a smaller contact area with the printed material. In a screen that does not use threads, it is difficult for the ink to transfer to this part because it is in surface contact with the printed material.
However, in a screen that uses threads, the contact with the printed material is line contact, so the ink wraps around the threads and is transferred to the printed material.

Also, even if the type of thread is the same, the thickness of the screen can be changed by the way the thread is woven. In plain weave, the thickness of the screen is generally twice the thread diameter, but by changing the weaving method, it is possible to increase the thickness to three times the thread diameter and print more ink.

What kind of thread is used for screen printing? For example, the thickness of human hair is about 80 μm for an average Japanese person and 60 μm for a thin person. The thin thread used for screen printing is 13 µm, and the most commonly used thread is 23 µm. It's less than 1/3 the thickness of a human hair. These thin threads control the thickness of the ink and control the resolution of the pattern.
Look at the surface of the screen version with a magnifying glass. Thin threads are arranged in an orderly manner.
It is no exaggeration to say that screen printing is supported by threads.
NEWLONG SEIMITSU KOGYO CO.,LTD.
〒141-0022
3-21-5 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo-to
TEL.03-3473-1155
FAX: 03-3473-5055
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