The screen printing (screenprinting) printing plate is in the form of a mesh. During printing, the ink on the printing plate is squeezed by the squeegee from the through holes of the layout to the substrate to complete the printing operation.
Ink-jet printing (ink-jetprinting) is a non-contact, no pressure, no printing plate printing and copying technology. It has the common features of plateless digital printing and can realize variable information printing.
Brief introduction of two printing methods
1. Inkjet printing
There are many inkjet printing methods. The basic principle is that the graphic information stored in the computer is first input to the flatbed printer, and then through a special device, under the control of the computer, the spray nozzle is sprayed onto the surface of the substrate. The ink droplets are directly imaged on the surface of the substrate according to the charge effect and become the final printed matter.
The basic principle of inkjet printing is to first produce small ink droplets, and then guide them to a set position. According to different inkjet systems, it can be divided into two types: continuous type and on-demand type.
Continuous inkjet printing (CIJ), whether printed or non-printed, is to continuously generate ink droplets in a flowing manner, and then form an image through electric field deflection transfer, and finally recover or disperse the non-printed ink droplets . Drop-on-demand inkjet printing (DOD) produces ink droplets only on the printed part. It is dedicated to printing excellent quality images, suitable for packaging color pictures, textiles and large-format billboards. It is an ideal choice for full-color and high-precision printing. Printing quality is its most important consideration.
According to its printing color, inkjet printing can be divided into black and white inkjet printing and color inkjet printing. Black and white inkjet printing uses a single ink, and the machine structure and ink system are relatively simple, while color inkjet printing is relatively complicated.
2. The screen printing of the screen printing machine
Modern screen printing technology uses photosensitive materials to make a screen printing plate (make the screen holes of the graphic part of the screen printing plate through holes, and the screen holes of the non-graphic part are blocked. ). During printing, the ink is transferred to the substrate through the mesh of the graphic part through the squeeze of the squeegee, forming the same graphic and text as the original.
Screen printing is composed of five elements, namely, screen printing plate, squeegee, ink, printing table and substrate. The screen printing equipment is simple, easy to operate, simple printing and plate making, low cost, and strong adaptability. Screen printing has a wide range of common printed materials, such as color oil paintings, posters, business cards, bound covers, product signs, and printed and dyed textiles.
2. Comparative analysis of the two printing methods
Inkjet printing is another new universal printing technology after screen printing. Like screen printing, it can print on a wide range of materials. It can print on surfaces of different shapes and materials. It has strong adaptability. At present, the technology is developing extremely rapidly. The ever-expanding new printing methods show great development prospects. However, as an old-brand printing method, screen printing has also shown its strong side in the development process, especially the unique advantages of screen printing in circuit board printing. In addition, with more and more new technologies in screen printing The application of screen printing has changed the old appearance of screen printing and still occupies a large market.
1. The competition between the two printing methods
First of all, there is competition in application fields and product markets. Based on the advantages of the two printing methods, it is not difficult to find that their competition in the printing market is becoming increasingly fierce. First of all, some large-format printing fields prepared by screen printing are being impacted by inkjet printing. Nowadays, the inkjet printers used in large-format inkjet fields have a maximum format of 3-5m. They are used in the production of large-format posters and publicity. The role of products and outdoor advertising has become increasingly prominent.
Secondly, because inkjet printing has relatively small restrictions on substrates, it can be printed on a variety of substrate materials. This is the killer feature of screen printing compared to other printing methods. Inkjet printing has this advantage, and it will undoubtedly The application areas of screen printing have an impact. Thirdly, inkjet printing is a fully digital printing, which completely breaks away from the cumbersome procedures of the traditional printing process, and can minimize the time to market for products. This printing method will be the best for those products with high time requirements. choose.
In addition, competition for printers. Inkjet printing has its own unique market, such as lottery printing, personalized printing, etc., which are beyond the reach of screen printing. While defending these fields, inkjet printing has extended its application to the territory of screen printing, and its products are gradually Favored by the majority of printers. As mentioned above, in large-format printing, with the prosperity of the market economy and the expansion of commodity circulation, the inkjet printing of outdoor advertising will show a significant upward trend. The full digitization of inkjet printing, the possibility of personalized printing and off-site printing, will inevitably attract more printers to adopt it. Therefore, it can be said that while competing in the product market, their competition is also inseparable from competition with printers.
2. Complementary advantages between the two printing methods
With two methods, it can save production time and improve efficiency. Even though inkjet printers have the advantages of full digitalization, short job preparation time, and quick response to the market, they are not perfect after all. A big disadvantage of inkjet printing is that it is not suitable for mass printing, but only suitable for less than 1000 The printing of sheets, therefore, the technical advantages of screen printing in mass printing have been revealed to the full. This method can be used when determining the personalized printing of product packaging, that is, first use inkjet printing for small batch printing, and conduct research after it is put on the market. According to the research results, select popular designs and then conduct large batches. Printing, which not only saves costs, but also reduces waste and time to market. The combination described above is just a choice, of course there are other better ways to use it together.