ImagesMagUK_November_2020

STEP-BY-STEP: SCREEN PRINTING AN UMBRELLA In this step-by-step, the Quadra umbrella is printed on a six-colour M&R Chameleon. When selecting a pallet, choose one that is small enough to allow the open umbrella panel to sit flat on it. Screen Print World supplies specialised umbrella pallets as seen in this picture If you're printing multiple colours, they cannot be printed wet-on-wet and so must be dried on press carefully with a heat gun or hairdryer As umbrella fabric tends not to be as absorbent as standard fabrics, the ink can be printed successfully with one pass and does not require flashing off Stand the printed umbrellas in an open area and leave to air dry for about 12 hours. Flash dryers can be used if you have a controllable unit such as the M&R Red Chili that allows you to go 'low and slow' The umbrella is likely to need more aggressive gluing to hold it in place than a T-shirt would need. Ensure the pallet is clean and free of threads and little imperfections, as this will affect the print quality 1 4 2 5 3 TIPS & TECHNIQUES www.images-magazine.com 68 images NOVEMBER 2020 Screen printing When screen printing onto umbrellas, Dave Roper, managing director of Screen Print World, warns that these products are usually made from water-resistant fabrics such as nylon that require special attention. "Umbrella fabrics do not like heat, can burn easily, and cannot be printed as one would traditionally print T-shirts," he notes. In this step-by-step, the Quadra Pro Golf Umbrella (QD360) was used. This is made from polyester pongee fabric (turn to page 69 for more product details), which should be treated in a similar way to nylon. The best ink to use for this type of job is a nylon ink. This is solvent-based and so will air dry rather than requiring heat, explains Dave, who uses Printylon by Amex in this example. "Most nylon inks have a catalyst that aids bonding of the ink onto fabrics with a high silicone content – this will ensure the print is highly resistant to abrasion and cracking and will not come off the umbrella." As these inks are finely milled they can be printed through finer meshes than those required for printing opaque textile inks. "Meshes up to 90T will still give adequate results, especially on the non-porous fabrics used on umbrellas," he says. "Finer meshes usually offer better control and faster drying as they let less ink though. You will need a good solvent- resistant emulsion such as the Amex Screen Sol QT." Due to the nature of these inks, and the speed at which they can dry if left unattended in the mesh, it is always better to be completely ready to begin your print run without interruptions, recommends Dave. "Ensure you have everything ready to print one after the other and you’ll keep your screen open and the ink moving," he adds.