Screen printing is a popular method of adding designs to a whole range of materials. Even in a digital age, businesses still need physical materials carrying their branding.
Many people recognise screen printing from the work of artists such as Andy Warhol. He used the technique in the 1960s to create art inspired by advertising.
However, traditional screen printing relies on harmful solvent-based inks. The drying time alone can hold up production.
UV screen printing offers a solution to these problems. The process has been refined in recent years to replace traditional processes.
Wondering why you should use UV screen printing? Read on to learn more.
1. Inks Stay Put
When you use UV curing systems for printing, the ink is cured rather than dried. That means the ink is turned into a polymer, making it solid.
Drying the ink relies on evaporation to take the liquid out of the ink and leave behind a solid.
Using the curing process means the ink bonds with the surface as it cures. This means it stays put, leading to more durable designs.
2. Speed Up Production
This curing process is also almost instantaneous. This speeds up your production time since you don’t need to wait for products to dry.
You can move straight onto finishing products immediately after the inks are cured.
3. Ditch the Harmful Fumes
Traditional screen printing inks can contain solvents, which give off fumes. These fumes, or volatile organic compounds, are problematic for three reasons.
- They smell bad,
- The fumes add to air pollution, and
- They pose a health risk.
The inks used with UV screen printing don’t contain solvents. As a result, you get no solvent fumes during the curing process.
4. Better Image Quality
Traditional solvent-based inks can clog print heads and screens because they dry in the air.
But UV screen printing uses inks that only cure under UV light. So they don’t cause the same clogging issues.
You can enjoy better image quality with more details.
5. Superior Color Reproduction
Traditional screen printing inks can lose color intensity because of the presence of the solvent. They also soak into materials, so they can fade during drying.
During the UV curing process, the ink is 100% color. They sit on the material’s surface, making colors more intense.
6. Use Less Ink
Because UV light cures the ink, it doesn’t absorb into any porous materials. This means you use less ink during the process.
The inks only cure under UV light so you can even leave them on a screen overnight with no problems.
Needing less ink brings down the cost of operation.
7. Create a Smaller Setup
The curing machines used with UV inks take up less physical space than the dryers needed by traditional inks.
This means you can either use smaller premises or run more machines in a larger space. All of that adds up to less outlay/more income for your printing business.
The 7 Benefits of UV Screen Printing
Now you know the top 7 benefits of UV screen printing. UV inks are faster and safer to use. You’ll use less and enjoy better image reproduction.
All these benefits will help boost the quality of your output.
Why not check out our other business articles for more tips?
