Category: Screen Printing

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A Quick History of Screen Printing

Nowadays, screen printing is a well-known part of society. You can find screen printing techniques implemented in art, clothing, and more. However, it’s something that many people have a less than basic understanding of.

The process itself is relatively simple. According to Wikipedia, screen printing is a “printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil to receive a desired image.” A squeegee is used to push the ink through the mesh onto the material that is being printed. It’s an affordable and simple alternative to embroidery that many Las Vegas residents opt into.

The History

To really understand what screen printing is like today, you have to take a look at the history of the process.

Surprisingly, it starts as far back as the Song Dynasty in China around the 10th century. The rough method was improved upon across Asia over the years. Eventually, screen printing is introduced to Europe in the 18th century.

After that introduction, Samuel Simon perfected and patented a screen printing process that involved using silk fabric as the printing screen. Because of the costly materials, this was really a luxury only available to the rich in the early 1900’s. Just a few short years later, John Pilsworth created the multi-color screen process that is often used today.

Screen Printing Today

The screen printing methods that we use today became popularly accepted in the 1960’s. The real reason this process became popular had nothing to do with clothing. Artist Andy Warhol got a significant buzz going about the process when he released a screen printed adaptation of Marilyn Monroe.

In 1960, Michael Vasilantone would change the way screen printing is done forever. This artist / inventor created the rotary multicolor garment printing machine that is used today to screen print company logos and custom t-shirts. With the help of this revolutionary machine, custom screen printing on clothing has taken over more than half of the industry.

The Benefits

  1. It’s cheap. If you need an image printed on an item in bulk, custom printing is the way to do it. Several copies can be made quickly and accurately with minimal overhead.
  2. It’s fast. From start to finish, screen printing is quick and easy. There are only a few minutes between when you load the shirt (or other item) to when the ink dries. If you need a promotional item fast, this is the way to go.
  3. It’s versatile. You can create larger images with more colors without sacrificing strength or quality.

Now that you have a better understanding of screen printing and how it can benefit you, head down to the best embroidery store in Vegas. Whether you are interested in a custom screen printed tee for your business or an embroidered Christmas gift, the pros at American Stitch can help you choose the type of imprinting that will suit your needs best. For more information about custom printing in Las Vegas, call 702.233.8567.

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Are You Choosing the Right Polo Shirt for Your Logo?

A polo shirt with your company logo embroidered on the front can be a great promotional tool, whether you use it as a company shirt or as a prize in a giveaway. However, before you can get excited about how you are going to use the end product, you have to choose the polo that your logo will be embroidered on.

To choose the right polo for your Las Vegas embroidery job, there are a number of things that you need to consider. How are you going to use the shirt? Who is going to be wearing the shirt? Where is the shirt most likely going to be worn?

The answers to these questions are going to be a big factor in the type of polo you choose. In addition to those questions, use these simple steps ensure you are really making the right choice.

Choose the Fabric

First, you want to choose what type of fabric your shirt will be made of. You can choose a shirt that is made 100 percent of a particular fiber or you can choose a blend of multiple fibers. Think about the characteristics of the following fibers when considering the fabric of your polo:

  • Cotton – creates soft, breathable and quality fabrics that tend to shrink
  • Polyester – creates fabrics known for ability to keep the body dry while lasting after many washes
  • Blends – creates fabrics that tend to be wrinkle-free and are less likely to shrink

When choosing the fabric, you also want to make sure you consider your needs as far as performance is concerned. If your shirt is something that company employees are going to wear often during outdoor events, you may want to consider a fabric that is known for its ability to to keep people cool, dry and smelling fresh with anti-odor technology.

Choose Your Color

Once you have settled on a type of fabric, you want to choose a color that is going to make your logo stand out while also supporting your business’s brand. You can choose a polo that is entirely one color or has color blocking.

Next you have to decide the color of the thread that is going to be used to embroider your logo onto the colored shirts you just chose. As a general rule, stick to thread colors that are as close to the color of your logo as possible. Of course, you want to make sure that you are flexible when you are working with an embroidery in Las Vegas expert. A thread may look one way on the spool, but it may look entirely different once it is embroidered into certain fabrics.

Once you’ve settled on the best polo shirt for your company logo, get the job done with the best embroidery Las Vegas offers. Contact the embroidery professionals at American Stitch to make sure you are getting the best quality service at an affordable price. For more information about this embroidery store Las Vegas trusts, call  702.233.8567.

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Embroidery Vs. Screen Printing

Whether you are creating a company shirt, a promotional item or you just want to add a unique image to a shirt, you can head to to the embroidery store Las Vegas trusts to get the job done right. Before you do that, however, there are some things you need to consider.

Probably the most important thing to think about is whether you will choose embroidery or screen printing. To help you make the right decision, here is a brief explanation about both of your options from the experts in screen printing and custom embroidery Las Vegas businesses love.

Embroidery

There are many benefits of choosing to have your products embroidered. First, embroidery lasts much longer than screen printing. It also takes less time to have an item embroidered because the image is digitized for fast turnaround service.

You also get many more options for the colors and dimensions of your image. You can chose from an array of different threads including luxurious golds and silvers that add a higher quality to the item you are having embroidered.

Embroidery is a good choice if you want to place your logo or image onto materials or surfaces that need a more durable image. You can use embroidery on baseball caps, thicker shirt pockets and uniforms that get washed a lot. Embroidery is even good to imprint images on rough, thick or fuzzy materials like fleece.

Just remember that embroidery is more expensive than screen printing. That is because the cost is dependent on the number of stitches used to create the image. So, larger or more complex images will cost more to create. Unless you have a large budget, embroidery is better for use on a small amount of items. If you’re unsure where you stand, visit this trusted embroidery store Las Vegas offers to get a quote.

Screen Printing

There are also many benefits to screen printing or silk screening. Generally, it is less expensive to have items screen printed, especially if you are wanting to have a large amount of items printed.

Screen printing is a wise choice if you are wanting to print an image onto fabrics like cotton, polyester, plastic, leather, glass and even metal. Because of that, you have many more options as far as what you can print your image or logo on. Screen printing is also a better, more cost effective choice if you need a larger image to be printed.

Unlike with embroidery, the cost of the screen printing is determined by how many colors you want to use in the image. So it will be less expensive to have an image with one color printed then it will be to have an image that is printed with three or four colors.

Now that you know the difference between the two main types of custom printing options available to you, head down to the best embroidery store in Las Vegas. The pros at American Stitch can help you choose the type of imprinting that will suit your needs best. For more information about this embroidery store, call  702.233.8567.

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DIY Screen Printing

If you want to try and do screen printing on your own, there are a few things you need to know.

The artwork you want on your T-shirt needs to be prepared properly. If you creating the artwork yourself, you need to be sure that it is the current size. If the artwork is getting printed from an image on the computer or a camera, it is imperative that the resolution is correct. A low resolution jpeg will result in poor quality screen printing. A minimum of 300 ppi at print size is best for screen printing.

You will want to double and triple check that everything is spelled correctly. Once it is printed on your shirt, it’s there for good. You don’t want to waste your time or money doing it again because of a simple mistake.

Once you are in the process of the actual screen printing, there are many problems you could possibly encounter. One problem could be the emulsion not going onto the screen smoothly. If the mesh loosened or the tension was not even, the emulsion will not go on properly. This will likely happen if you are using older frames. You need to be sure that the emulsion you are using has not already expired. When you are not using it, keep it in the refrigerator and keep the container clean. This can ensure a longer shelf life.

You could also be experiencing the emulsion washing all over the screen. This could mean a variety of things. You may not have left your screen exposed for a long enough time. This may take practice to figure out the right amount of exposure time. If the emulsion was applied too thickly, this could need a longer exposure time. You need to check the lights you are using for exposure. If they are starting to lose their potency they won’t work properly for your screen printing.

Burning screens is a huge problem to have when screen printing. It can results in a variety of unpleasant mistakes that you certainly do not want your screen print to appear. If you burn the screen the most common issue is losing the fine detail of your artwork. This wouldn’t be good. Your beautiful mermaid you drew out could turn into a big blob without the finer detail shown.

It is important that when you are exposing your screen to the lights, it is done at the proper angle. The light source needs to be hitting the screen print straight on at a 90 degree angle. This will ensure that the entire piece of art is getting evenly distributed in light. If this is not the case, the picture is likely to turn of spotty.

Screen printing can be a challenge. Many people do not have the talent to create beautiful screen prints. Of course, there are always professionals that can do the work for you. American Stitch is one of the valued Las Vegas screen printing companies you can trust. For more information about pricing and services, contact 702.233.8567.