New buyers often ask for customized brand needs, but many buyers do not understand some common problems encountered in customization. I believe buyers will find answers after studying this article carefully.
Screen printing (silk screen printing)
Screen printing is a widely used printing technology. The following is a detailed introduction:
The principle of screen printing is to use the characteristics of the screen printing plate that the mesh of the image part is permeable to ink, while the mesh of the non-image part is not permeable to ink. The printing plate is usually composed of a screen (such as nylon mesh, polyester mesh, etc.) stretched on the screen frame and a photosensitive film attached to the screen. When making the printing plate, the photosensitive film of the image part is removed through exposure, development and other processes to form mesh holes, so that when printing, the ink can be transferred to the substrate through these mesh holes.
Equipment and materials
Equipment: mainly includes screen frame (used to tighten the screen), scraper (to squeeze the ink from the mesh to the substrate), and printing table (to place the substrate).
Material: The screen is the key material, and its mesh count (the number of mesh holes per inch length) determines the printing accuracy and the amount of ink penetration. The ink should be selected according to the material of the substrate, such as plastic ink, metal ink, fabric ink, etc., to ensure good adhesion and printing effect. In addition, photosensitive glue is needed to make printing plates.
Advantages
Wide range of applications: It can be printed on a variety of materials, such as paper, plastic, glass, ceramics, metal, fabrics, etc. For example, you can print exquisite patterns on ceramic vases, and you can also print personalized text on T-shirts.
Thick ink layer: It can print patterns with bright colors, high saturation and strong three-dimensional sense. Because the ink is accumulated on the substrate through the mesh, the thickness of the ink layer can be controlled to be relatively thick.
Special effects can be achieved: By using special inks such as fluorescent inks, reflective inks, imitation hot stamping inks, etc., a variety of special visual effects can be achieved.
Disadvantages
Limited precision: Compared with other printing methods (such as digital printing), screen printing has lower precision and is not suitable for printing overly fine and complex patterns and small-size text.
Complex plate making and high cost: The production of screen printing plates requires multiple steps, including stretching the mesh, applying photosensitive glue, exposing, developing, etc., and the process is relatively complicated. Moreover, if only small batches are printed, the plate-making cost will be allocated to each product, which will make the cost higher.
Slow printing speed: Since each printing requires a scraper to squeeze the ink through the mesh one by one, the printing speed is not as good as some high-speed rotary printing methods.
Application scenarios
Advertising industry: Used to make billboards, posters, car body advertisements, etc., its thick ink layer and bright colors can attract people's attention.
Clothing industry: Printing patterns and brand logos on textiles such as T-shirts, sportswear, backpacks, etc. is one of the common methods of clothing printing.
Packaging industry: Product information, patterns and brand logos can be printed on product boxes and bags.
Decoration industry: Printing decorative patterns on ceramics and glass products, such as printing patterns on glass doors and windows, and printing decorative patterns on ceramic tableware.
Heat transfer printing
It is to transfer the designed pattern from the transfer paper to the target object by high temperature and high pressure. This method can be printed on various irregularly shaped objects, such as ceramic dolls, plastic toys, etc. It can achieve photo-level printing effects, rich colors, and natural transitions. However, the color fastness of thermal transfer is slightly poor, and it may fade after repeated friction or washing.
Digital printing
This is a method of printing images or text information from digital files directly onto objects through inkjet or laser technology. It does not require plate making, is highly flexible, and is suitable for small batches and personalized customization. For example, printing a logo on a personalized notebook can quickly adjust the pattern, color and other details according to customer needs. However, digital printing is relatively slow, inefficient in large-scale production, and has a high unit cost.
Offset printing
It is a type of lithography that uses the principle that oil and water do not mix. It is mainly used for printing on flat materials such as paper and cardboard, such as product packaging boxes, brochures, etc. Offset printing can print high-quality, detailed patterns and text with high color reproduction. However, offset printing has high requirements for the flatness of the printed material and is generally not suitable for logo printing on non-flat objects.
Logo laser engraving
Logo laser engraving technology is a technology that uses a high-energy-density laser beam to process materials.
The principle of laser engraving technology is based on the photothermal effect. The laser beam focuses on a tiny area on the surface of the material, causing the material to absorb the laser energy and the temperature to rise sharply. After reaching the melting point and boiling point, the material is melted and vaporized, thereby forming the desired pattern or text on the surface of the material.
The laser engraving process has many advantages. In terms of precision, it can engrave extremely fine patterns and text. For example, the precision of engraving logos on tiny buttons of electronic products can reach the micron level. In terms of effect, it can achieve different engraving depths, line thicknesses, etc. by controlling laser parameters, creating rich visual effects, such as 3D stereoscopic effects. Moreover, laser engraving is a non-contact processing, which will not produce physical pressure on the material like mechanical engraving, which is an ideal processing method for fragile materials (such as glass and thin plastic sheets).
The laser engraving process is suitable for a variety of materials. On metal materials, such as stainless steel and titanium alloys, it can produce clear and high-quality logos, and can also change the color of the engraved area by adjusting parameters such as laser frequency. For some non-metallic materials, such as ceramics and acrylic, effective engraving can also be performed, such as engraving brand logos on ceramic vases, which are beautiful and durable.
However, laser engraving also has some disadvantages. The equipment cost is high, and professional laser engraving equipment is usually required, which makes the processing cost rise accordingly, especially when small batches are produced, the unit cost is higher. In addition, some materials may deform, discolor, etc. due to high temperature during the laser engraving process, such as some heat-sensitive plastics.
Sticker logo
Sticker logo technology is a common way to make and apply logos. Below are the detail introduce for it:
Screen printing: As mentioned before, the ink is passed through the mesh of the graphic part of the screen through a scraper and printed on the sticker material, which can achieve a bright and thick effect. It is suitable for making sticker logos with relatively simple colors and three-dimensional patterns.
Digital printing: Print patterns and texts directly from digital files to sticker materials without plate making, which can achieve complex patterns and photo-level color effects, and can flexibly produce small batches of personalized sticker logos.
Material selection
Paper: There is ordinary coated paper with a smooth surface and good printing effect, which is suitable for simple graphics and text logos; there are also mirror coated paper with higher gloss, which can make the logo look more eye-catching; and special paper, such as kraft paper, which has its own texture and can add a natural and retro style to the logo.
Plastic film: PVC film is tough, waterproof and moisture-proof, and can adapt to a variety of complex environments, making the sticker logo durable; PET film has good transparency, stiffness and chemical resistance, and the logo printed on it is clear and not easy to deform. It is often used for stickers for products with high appearance requirements such as electronic products.
Application characteristics
High flexibility: It can be easily attached to the surface of objects of various shapes and materials, such as product packaging, notebooks, mobile phone cases, cars, etc. For example, in promotional activities, stickers with brand logos can be quickly attached to gifts to increase brand exposure.
Low cost: Compared with some processes that directly make logos on the surface of products (such as laser engraving, silk screen printing, etc.), the sticker logo process is simple to make and the cost is relatively low. It is especially suitable for small-batch logo applications or temporary brand promotion.
Easy to replace and update: If the brand logo needs to be updated or the product needs to replace the promotional sticker, it is easy to tear off the old sticker and replace it with a new one without damaging the product surface.
