Rotary screen printing is a popular method for printing on cylindrical objects. It offers large print areas and can accurately match specific PMS colours, especially on lighter products. Here's a deeper look at rotary screen printing, its advantages, limitations, and artwork requirements.
What is Rotary Screen Printing?
Rotary screen printing is a technique that transfers designs onto cylindrical or curved products by forcing ink through a fine mesh screen with a squeegee. The ink is applied directly to the product's surface, creating a vibrant, durable print. It's an ideal method for branding items like drinkware, pens, and other cylindrical products.
Advantages of Rotary Screen Printing
- Large Print Areas: This method allows for large print areas on cylindrical products, accommodating a range of designs and messaging.
- Close PMS Matches: Rotary screen printing can closely match Pantone Matching System (PMS) colours on white or light-coloured products, ensuring brand consistency.
- Quick Drying: Most screen print inks dry quickly, allowing products to be shipped immediately after printing.
- Metallic Colours: Metallic gold and silver colours are available, offering more design options.
- Multi-Colour Registration: Many products can be printed with up to five colours (including white) with tight multi-colour registration, providing versatility in design.
Limitations of Rotary Screen Printing
- PMS Matches on Dark Products: Close PMS matches are more difficult on darker products and will only be approximate. In some instances, a white base will create a better print.
- Variable Data: Rotary screen printing is unable to print variable data such as individual names.
- Setup Charge: Each colour requires its own setup charge, which can increase costs for multi-colour designs.
Artwork Recommendations for Rotary Screen Printing
- Vector Format: Artwork must be supplied in an editable vector format (such as EPS, AI, or PDF files).
- Fonts: To avoid potential font conflicts, we recommend that fonts be converted to outlines or objects.
Should you need assistance in preparing your artwork according to these recommendations, our in-house graphics team is ready to help.
In conclusion, rotary screen printing is a versatile and reliable printing method that is well-suited for cylindrical products. Despite some limitations, its ability to print large, vibrant designs make it a popular choice for many branding applications. Feel free to reach out to us for any further queries or to discuss your rotary screen printing needs.