Promotional Wristband USB Flash Drive

Screenprinting is a stencil process which is also known as silkscreening or serigraphy. A screen is made by tightly stretching a fine mesh of material on a frame. Areas of the mesh are blocked with a stencil, and then a squeegee is used to pull ink through the unblocked areas.

An image, usually up to four colours, is printed within a given area directly onto the body of the item colour by colour. Each colour has to dry before the next one is applied in order to prevent smudges.

There are limitations with this process and it is primarily used for the low budget side of the promotional market. A screen printer can print several thousand items a day, in contrast to the slower, hand decorated transfer process.

Ideal for: simple, cartoon style logos and designs. / Not for: complex half-tones.

Transfer Printing is a printing method by which the pattern is printed onto an intermediate medium such as plastic film or paper and then applied to the final product to be printed by pressure and/or heat or other treatment that makes the pattern leave the transfer medium and deposit permanently on the product to be printed. When applied on some items, e.g. mugs, the printing is transferred by hand so the process is slower and more labour intensive than direct screen printing but is more flexible with colours able to be built up with precision and control.

Transfer printing is used when larger than average print is needed, the item is highly shaped, or cases where more than four spot colours, very fine detail or tight registration is required.