Screen Printing Process

At Three Rivers Screen Printing and Embroidery the whole process begins with great artwork. Whether you have your own artwork, or you need us to create something for you, we can get the job done! Before your design goes to production, we will send you a proof via email for your approval.  When your artwork is approved by you, your screen printing project will be sent to production. Our production artists will separate the artwork into each color needed for your design. Next, each color will be printed to a separate film positive. After drying, each film positive will be cured onto a screen.

Each screen needs to be prepared to receive the artwork. This process begins with coating each screen with emulsion. Emulsion is a thick liquid substance that is light sensitive. After coating the screens with emulsion, they are left in a dark room or cabinet to dry. When the screens are dry they are ready for use. Each film positive is placed on the dried screen and cured in UV light for a specific amount of time based on screen mesh size, emulsion type and design. This exposure “burns” the image for a single color into the screen creating a stencil. The designs in each screen are sprayed out with water and screens are left to dry. After the screens are dry and quality inspected, they are prepped for the press.

At Three Rivers Screen Printing & Embroidery we use a manual screen printing press. Each screen is loaded into the press and adjusted for specific measurements and placement. Each garment or accessory is different so this is a key step in the process. After the initial measurements and setup, we will do a test print and make adjustments as needed. When we get a perfect test print we will begin producing your order.

Each garment or accessory is loaded on the press individually and printed by hand. Depending on the design, the item could go through several stages on the press. When the design is completed, the item is removed from the press and put through a dryer that looks a little like a pizza oven. Each type of fabric and ink has to be cured at a specific temperature. This will cure the ink onto the garment or accessory ensuring a long lasting print. We check the temperature of our dryer before and during each order being processed.

Each and every item we print is visually inspected for quality and accuracy. We inspect for manufacturing flaws in the items being printed on. We inspect for even ink coverage, bleeds, blowouts, registration of the design, and more.

We want to ensure that you get a quality finished product from us! When your items pass inspection, during and after the production process, we will then package your items to be shipped or picked up.