Graphic Design & Printing Technology

Graphic Design & Printing Technology

Resists chemical action and corrosion
Provides a means for register
Frame materials:- Materials used to manufacture screen frames include wood,
metal alloy, steel and plastic. Wood and metal alloy are the most commonly
used materials.

Wood frames:-Woodframes are constructed using screws, corrugated fasteners,
dowels, and nails. Frames are continuosly subject to mechanical and chemical
stress and is in contact with water. Fastners must be able to withstand the
stress. Avoid metal fasteners which may cause rust and corrosion and loosen
the joints.
Metal alloy frame:- Metal alloy frame provide greater rigidity and dimensional
stability than wood frames. They are not susceptible to chemical attack from
water but have poor resistance to acid and soda solutions.

Print size:- The maximum print size is determined by the inside dimension of
a screen frame. Normally, the non-image areas should be twice the size of the
image area. An ideal frame size is four times the image area.

Classifying screen fabrics

Screen fabrics are classified according to filament, mesh count, strength and
weave pattern.

Filament:- A filament is a single thread. It refers to the type of thread. A fabric
may be either multi filament or mono filament. Multifilament means there are
several strands of material per filament. Silk is an example for multi-filament
strand. Multi-filament silk strands provide greater cross sectional area than
monofilament strands and allow for the strong adhesion of any stencil. But
silk is not dimensionally stable which means it changes shape and size with
change in temperature and humidity. This
makes it unsuitable for work requiring critical
control of registration.

Monofilament means each filament is a
single strand of filament or one thread. Nylon
is an example for monofilament fabric. They
provide better ink film thickness, uniformity
and dimensional stability than multi-
filaments. They have uniform weaves and
pass pigments more easily through the mesh
openings.

Mesh count:- Mesh count is the number of
threads per linear inch in a fabric. The higher
the mesh count, the better the reproduction
of fine details. A high mesh count makes the