What is screen ink?

Printing is applied to various things around us. Many of these materials have uneven or curved surfaces that are difficult to print using standard printing methods.
Screen printing is used for applications that are difficult to print using other printing methods, such as commercial products such as posters and POP, daily necessities such as clothing and ceramics, and industrial products such as name plates and printed circuits, and in particular those that require beauty or functionality. is widely used.

スクリーンインキ（解説書）

紫外線（UV）硬化スクリーンインキ（解説書）

• Features of screen printing
• Features of UV screen printing
• Applications of screen ink
• Features of our products

Features of screen printing

Screen ink is an ink used for screen printing.
Screen printing has the following characteristics compared to other printing methods.

Feature 1: Excellent cosmetic and functionality

Screen ink has a relatively high viscosity and requires a large amount of ink to be applied, resulting in the formation of a thick ink film on the surface of printed matter. By controlling this thickness, it is possible to print with vivid colors and excellent weight.

Feature 2: Can print on various materials and shapes that are difficult to print with other printing methods.

Screen printing is characterized by the use of elastic plates and the ability to apply any drying method.
These features allow screen printing to print on a variety of shapes, including uneven, curved, and hard surfaces. Additionally, depending on the drying method, high film performance such as heat resistance, abrasion resistance, and chemical resistance can be ensured.

Typical ink drying methods

• Evaporative drying type: Ink is fixed by evaporation of solvent.
• Oxidative polymerization type: Ink is fixed by oxidation.
• Two-liquid reaction type: Ink is fixed by chemical reaction.
• Ultraviolet curing type: Ink that causes a chemical reaction and becomes fixed when exposed to ultraviolet rays.

Feature 3: Simple plate making and printing methods, requiring less equipment and costs

Screen printing is possible as long as you have a frame and a squeegee. Since no large-scale equipment is required, costs are also low.
In addition, we can handle everything from small areas to large areas.

Features of UV screen printing

UV screen printing is a method of screen printing that uses ultraviolet (UV) light as drying energy.
In recent years, it has attracted attention as an environmentally friendly ink because it is a solvent-free ink and can shorten drying time.
UV screen printing has the following characteristics:

• Shortened drying time: Usually cures in a few seconds to tens of seconds, making it possible to downsize drying equipment.
• Improved print stability: UV-curable inks do not contain volatile organic solvents and their composition does not change unless exposed to UV light. Therefore, if you set constant printing conditions without changes in viscosity or clogging on the plate, you can stably obtain a homogeneous printing effect for a long time. Even when printing is stopped, printing can be resumed without the need to wash the plate, reducing ink loss.
• Improved printing work environment: Since it does not contain organic solvents, there is no need for large exhaust equipment to exhaust solvent vapors. It also greatly reduces the risk of fire.
• Excellent film properties: Because the film does not dissolve in solvents, it has excellent physical properties such as heat resistance, blocking resistance, friction resistance, and chemical resistance.

Applications of screen ink

Screen printing is widely used for printing items that are difficult to print using other printing methods, and is also used for applications that require cosmetic or functionality.

• commercial products
  Paper cartons, book covers, posters, signboards, POP, displays, flags, signs, etc.
• Livingware
  Cosmetic containers, toys, stationery, bags, T-shirts, lacquerware, ceramics, glassware, stickers, etc.
• industrial supplies
  Nameplates, instrument scales, printed circuits, thick film ICs, liquid crystal displays, smartphones, etc.

Features of our products

Our company offers screen inks that take advantage of the characteristics of screen printing to achieve high functionality and high design.
In particular, we are focusing on the development of functional inks for electronics-related applications, and promoting the development of environmentally friendly products such as UV screen inks that do not contain organic solvents and biomass inks that use plant-derived resources as part of their raw materials. I am.