How is silkscreening plastic done?
- Thread starter Sulla
- Start date
Great_Bizarro
Sr Member
Much the same way, but the ink is more of a paint and the scrimm of the screens are coarser.
trekprops.de
Well-Known Member
Doing some Isochips, are you? Or large scale isolinear circuits for your replicator perhaps? 
Doing some Isochips, are you? Or large scale isolinear circuits for your replicator perhaps?
Both... if I can figure something out. I was just going to use transparency printings on my ink jet with clear acrylic panels for my replicator. But If I can get this worked out I think it'd be better looking. And yes I'd hope to extend this method to ISO chips.
Right now I am doing a ton of research on professional and DIY silk screen printing, art transfers, small order taking business, the works!
Will do Gregg.
Silkscreening inks need to be heat cured so keep that in mind. I have a buddy with a full screenprinting shop. I will ask him tonight about printing on acrylic and lexan. I thought about making some custom small screenboxes and having him burn the iso images on the screens for me. Not something high up on my list of to do items but i will check it out for ya.
ZK
ZK
Wow, thanks ZK. I was wondering about that. I have read about watered down heat treated inks, photo-emulsion inks, even stamping with special vinyl and metal stamps.
Another problem with at-home screen printing on plastic I recently found in a google search in relation to Jacuard's inks is the ink drying with the screen in place anchoring in the ink and sticking to it causing a none-too-smooth printing.
But a mention of 'artwork being transfered' to the acrylic in an older related post on Jose's forum earlier this year got me wondering if there were an easier if not totally accurate way to do this?
I need to find more info on these methods and then I need to sort through it all.
Another problem with at-home screen printing on plastic I recently found in a google search in relation to Jacuard's inks is the ink drying with the screen in place anchoring in the ink and sticking to it causing a none-too-smooth printing.
But a mention of 'artwork being transfered' to the acrylic in an older related post on Jose's forum earlier this year got me wondering if there were an easier if not totally accurate way to do this?
I need to find more info on these methods and then I need to sort through it all.
Well speak of the devil , i must have made his ears ring. My bud just called. I ran the project though his head and this is what i found out. The inks he uses cures at 320 degrees for 8 seconds but he said it should be OK with multiple shorter durations. He said it was fine to print on Lexan and acrylic but to use the finest screen to eliminate bleed through. He said if i want to make some small screen boxes he has extra screens that are ripped on the edges that i can rob the screen from and attach to my boxes. Then he coats the screen with a photosensitive "goop" and lets it dry. The image is printed on a transparency so it can be burned onto the screen on his vacuum light table. Once burned the screen is sprayed with high pressure water to remove the unwanted goop (the image) Some kind of jig would need to be made to hold the chips in place and hold the screen while the ink is applied. Luckily i have done this a little so i am not totally ignorant on the process, when he gets in a bind i help him out but i don't know all the details of it. It is the busy season right now with baseball and softball shirts but he is willing to help me once things slow a bit. Usually in the winter. Do all the iso chips have the same image on them? If not how many images are we talikng about. Also do you have the dimensions of the chips and the iso circuit you need. I'm trying to figure out what sized jig would be needed. Let me know if there is anything you want me to ask him next time i talk to him. PM me if you want.
Edit. Ok did a little investigating. The images are all the same just the # at the top is different. That should probably be a white sticker.
Edit. Ok did a little investigating. The images are all the same just the # at the top is different. That should probably be a white sticker.
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:lol yeah, that's a little white sticker. There are a bunch of different types of iso chips out there but the 'classic' is the little 1" x 3.25" rectangular one with the print on both sides (or sometimes just one side) and the white sticker.
I'll PM you after work. I have artwork, extant images and material ideas. I really appreciate your looking into this for me.
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Found these,
http://christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=4780086
They are getting 7/8 x 3 1/4" . Send me a pic of the replicator circuit you need. Is it the one from Quarks bar?:lol
http://christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=4780086
They are getting 7/8 x 3 1/4" . Send me a pic of the replicator circuit you need. Is it the one from Quarks bar?:lol
I don't think you could cut the center lines with a vinyl cutter. They are too thin. I will double check as my friend has a vinyl cutter also.
Edit , my bad exoray. I was thinking the center lines were thin.
Looking back at that christies auction there are at least 2 different images. One with 3 center detail strips and one with 4.
Edit , my bad exoray. I was thinking the center lines were thin.
Looking back at that christies auction there are at least 2 different images. One with 3 center detail strips and one with 4.
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wannab
Sr Member
Ok, I do screenprinting (most forms). Apparel printing uses a liquid plastic (liquid polymer) that cures at 320 degees can be printed wet on wet (if done properly). Printing on plastics usually use a vinyl ink (high solvent) (there are different types for certain plastics) and they air dry and you have to print and dry each color separate so re-registration is important. Other rigid painted and metal surfaces use enamel inks (solvent based). All of the above use a water based emulsion for the sceens. Paper/card stock printing usually use a water based ink (air dry as well) but you need to use a different (solvent based) emulsion for the screens so they don't desolve.
It is important to get the proper mesh screens for each type of job. The proper emulsion is also important. Your "film positives" have to be good as well. There are many little things to keep in mind for each type of printing and many ways to accomplish them -- from home-made set ups to real equipment -- heck I've used the sun to expose my screens when my exposure unit broke down.
Hope this helps a bit. Any specific questions feel free to post them up.
btw silkscreening isn't accurate terminology so your google searches may do better using screen printing.
Doug
It is important to get the proper mesh screens for each type of job. The proper emulsion is also important. Your "film positives" have to be good as well. There are many little things to keep in mind for each type of printing and many ways to accomplish them -- from home-made set ups to real equipment -- heck I've used the sun to expose my screens when my exposure unit broke down.
Hope this helps a bit. Any specific questions feel free to post them up.
btw silkscreening isn't accurate terminology so your google searches may do better using screen printing.
Doug
Firefoxm31
Sr Member
I believe a laser cutter could do these fairly easy. Now that I see what you are talking about , I think I had one of these years back , a gift from Jack Meyer, a star trek prop collector in Florida
Will
Will
From Christies
Yes, the ideal ISO chip would be laser cut. And many ISO chips were screen printed on both sides, but not all of them were. Heck some of them (the non-hero chips) were unprinted colored acrylic with printer paper glued around the top, often then only with a colored dot or two printed on the paper label. I'll try to dig up some pix if anyone wants to see them.
I don't know if printing up a whole bunch of chips on a single sheet of acrylic and then laser cutting them would be optimal, or laser cutting a bunch of chips and then having them silk screened would be the better choice. I'll have to ask the person who normally does my laser cutting. Or perhaps ZK's silk screening buddy could shine some light?
I don't know if printing up a whole bunch of chips on a single sheet of acrylic and then laser cutting them would be optimal, or laser cutting a bunch of chips and then having them silk screened would be the better choice. I'll have to ask the person who normally does my laser cutting. Or perhaps ZK's silk screening buddy could shine some light?
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