Is there a thermoformable screen printing ink?

[Jon Aston]

Try SERICOL, in Kansas City…this sort of thing is right up their alley.

[chuckie38]

I’ll be dipped! they sure have it – Called UVIFORM 3D –
Much appreciated jon! now I’ll have to figure out how to screen print!

[Steve Lamb]

Chuckie38

If you provide the equipment I’ll be happy to train you, but I don’t come cheap. Commuting daily from the UK can be expensive, but I can bring my own packed lunch 🙂 . Seriously if you do take the plunge into screen print I’ll be happy to advise where I can.
Cheers

[chuckie38]

Been away, sorry didn’t get back to you on the most generous business proposal of commuting between the UK and South Florida!
Screen printing scares me. Mostly because we would have to print on to some very large sheets 4′ X 8′, then cut out the pieces with the laser, and form them.
I do have some embarrasingly basic questions, that you might be able to answer:

Ours will be a very low volume application that may involve batches of about 3 or 4 sheets at a time.

1. Is it possible to screen print such a large area without a great deal of capital equipment?

2. If the screens are adequately cleaned, do they last a long time?

Thanks!

[rosette]

I would think that the actual printing would be less of a problem than coating and exposing the screens without expensive kit. http://www.screenprinters.net is a great source of information. The book ‘Printing Teeshirts for Profit and Fun’ is sold there. This book goes into screenprinting from the most basic, using home made kit to full colour process. Videos and DVD are also available.

Although the book deals mainly with textiles, the basics are the same whether its vinyl signs or teeshirts. And it does actually deal with exposing large frames in sunlight!

If you want a good basic grounding in screenprinting this book is ace

Eddie Prentice

[Steve Lamb]

Chuckie 38
Thats some name mate, feel like I’m replying to a horror film!

Now back to your screen printing, I agree with Jon! In my years of screen printing I always used Sericol, sometimes tried other inks but no where near Sericol inks.
I would think the best ink for the thermoforming would be Polyplast which still contains small amounts of lead and is quite versitile on all plastics.
I’m not in screen printing anymore and have not done any for 6 years,and,
although we mostly vinyl customers curtain sider trailers, we still buy from Sericol and use Polyplast whenever we have to paint a curtain to good effect too. You can imagine the abuse a curtain gets all the time.

To you questions finally!
1st a question: is your print an image or a flood colur?
If a flood colour? thats easy!
If an image, slightly different, but we will talk about flood only for now!

1. Yes it is, if all you want to do is do a bit of screening for this type of job then you will need:

A large screen (bigger than the size of print area)
A bench slightly bigger than the screen and make sure you can get all around the bench because it may take two of you to pull the squeegee.
A large rubber squeegee (red rubber) ask Sericol
Ink, very important!
Thinners
Green or red filler for blocking out unwanted print areas
Some spray adhesive
Foam, as in what is in a sofa
A couple of hinges
Screws and a drill
I think thats it!

All this should be fairly inexpensive an you can get it all from Sericol( I don’t have shares in the company, honest 😮 )
You could possibly buy a screen second hand if you know an printers around as this will be your biggest expense.

This brings me to screen life!

2.
A screen can be used over annnnnnd over agiain as long as you look after it, no sharp objects near it at all. As you said clean t well, it will last for a long time.

I will come to an applicable method tommorow as this is a little long winded too.

Rossette idea of the web site might also be worth a look!
As for the commutable traing, I’m now onnnnly availble at weekends! Is this double time! 😉

Cheers

[Steve Lamb]

Whoops 😳

Shows I’ve been away from printing. I advised Polyplast and you already have made the call to Sericol who advised UVForm, should of read your earlier post again. Everything else should apply.

more on this subject later

Cheers