2 Color Screen Printing

Also known as silk screen printing.

• A process that uses liquid ink pushed through a mesh screen to apply color in the shape of your logo to the surface of the gift box.
• Mesh is stretched over a wooden frame under tension. Historically the mesh was silk but nowadays is made from fine nylon.
• Using an emulsion scooped over the screen and exposure to intense light, the logo is burned into the emulsion. This leaves the tiny pinholes in the mesh open for the ink to pass through, while blanking off any areas that are not the logo.
• 2 color screen printing is the same as 1 color but the process is done twice, once for each color.
• Each color element of the logo/design requires a separate screen.
• The gift box is held securely in a jig to prevent It from moving.
• The screen is placed into direct contact with the surface of the box.
• A small amount of ink is flooded into the screen frame reservoir and a flat squeegee is dragged by hand across the screen, forcing the ink through the holes in the mesh and transferring the ink to the box surface.
• The ink is dried by passing the gift box down a heat tunnel.
• This process is repeated for the 2^nd color and the boxes must be fully dried between each color application.
• The advantage of screen printing is it enables specific Pantone color matching.
• It’s a good option if your logo or design covers a large surface area of the box lid, or your logo color is very important to your brand.
• Screen printing uses matt finish inks. Metallic Pantone inks can be used but they do not achieve a true metallic finish in the same way foil does.
• The color of the box can affect the outcome color of the print, so true color matching is best achieved paler color boxes.
• Colors must be solid, no shades, graduations, tints or half-tones.
• Colors must not touch and ideally not overlap.
• Some logos or designs are not suitable for 2 color screen printing and we may recommend digital printing once we see your artwork.
• Screen Printing is a manual process, not automatic. One box is printed at a time and requires a skilled printer to ensure the quality and tension of the screen and to adjust the pressure of the ink application to achieve a crisp and even print on each box.

Liquid Ink Matched to your Pantone

Pantone Matched Print Colors