So, What Exactly Is Screen Printing, Anyway?

Screen printing is a time-tested process used to transfer images onto fabric and other surfaces. Over the years, this technique has evolved with modern technology, a

llowing for greater precision and quality. At Pork Chop Screen Printing, we use a combination of industrial automatic presses and traditional manual presses to achieve the best results for your custom apparel.

During the screen printing process, ink is pushed through a fine mesh screen onto the garment, creating a bold and lasting design. Every print job involves multiple steps to ensure the highest quality. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Preparing Your Artwork

Before screen printing process begins, our art department optimizes your design for the best results. Depending on the complexity of your artwork, we determine the most effective screen printing technique to use. Whether you need spot color, halftone, grayscale, or four-color process printing, we’ll choose the best method for your project.

Step 2: Creating the Screens

Each color in your design requires a separate screen.

To prepare, we:

• Coat the screen with light-sensitive emulsion
• Expose it to high-powered light, which “burns” the design into the screen
• Wash out the unexposed emulsion, leaving a stencil of the design
• Let the screens dry before setting them up for printing

For multicolor designs, multiple screens are created and carefully aligned for a seamless print.

Step 3: Setting Up the Press

Once the screens are ready, we mount them onto the press. This setup can take time, especially for detailed, multicolor prints. Our team:

• Ensures perfect alignment to prevent misprints
• Hand-mixes ink to match your design colors precisely
• Applies ink to the screens, getting them ready for printing

Step 4: Loading the Garments

Each garment is hand-positioned on pallets attached to a rotating carousel. Laser guides ensure proper placement, guaranteeing that every shirt, hoodie, or tote bag is printed with accuracy.

Step 5: Printing Each Color, One by One

The press rotates each garment through each color station, printing one color at a time. A squeegee applies

Step 6: Curing the Ink for Durability

To make sure the ink sets properly, we use a flash dryer between colors. After the final print, each garment goes through an industrial conveyor dryer, which reaches temperatures over 350°F to fully cure the ink.