Zeefdrukken

Zeefdrukken, also known as screen printing, is a printing technique used to produce high-quality images and text on various substrates. In this process, ink is pushed through a screen with the image or design, creating the printed object. The technique involves a combination of physical and chemical processes to achieve precise ink application and controlled image quality.

The basic setup for zeefdrukken consists of a printing press, screens (one per color), and ink. The screens are coated on the printing side with a lighter-than-the-screen ink called the photo-sensitive coating, which is transparent enough to allow the light to pass through. The image design is projected onto the screen using a negative image, exposing certain areas of the screen to light while leaving others unexposed. The design is thus represented by the masked areas on the screen.

When preparing for the press, the screens are coated with a layer of water or the ink itself, preventing the ink from reaching the areas that are not exposed. The screen is then placed on the object being printed, pulling with it a sheet with knives to push the excess liquid back to the screen's surface while releasing the printable details to the printing material. Once all the colors are printed, the ink can be dried or cured with heat or other types of exposure depending on the ink type.