The method for screen printing on glass is similar to screen printing on other materials. For screen printing on glass you use glass pigments or frits. It is important to mix the pigments carefully and sift them if necessary. Especially when using transparent colors. With screen printing on glass you need to pay more attention to the fitting then with paper.
The burning in of the pigments happens according to the prescribed temperatures. Low burning in between 580 – 620 and high burning in between 685 – 780 degrees Celcius. In this we follow the manufacturer’s instructions or personal preferences.
Sometimes burning in can be combined with a molding technique like bending or slumping. This can save time and money but also but also cause unexpected problems.
Materials
Screen printing works well on float glass and colored flat glass. Glass with a structure (figure glass) gives a distortion of the image. Glass has sharp edges that can tear the screen. Therefore, glass is often PP polished or sanded in advance.
For screen printing on glass you use glass pigments or frits. We do not have these in stock in the workshop, but we can order them on request. You can also purchase them yourself elsewhere.
Screen printing on glass can be done with high- and low-burning pigment. These are made with a suiting medium for glass (there are different kinds). Usually an aqua-friendly screen-printing medium is sufficient. Printing is usually done with mesh size 77T. It is also possible with other mesh sizes such as 43T or 90T, depending on the desired result.
Timeline
Prior to your project, discuss the timeline with one of our advisors.
* During the drying of the screen you can do other things such as degreasing the glass, mixing the pigment and preparing the screen-printing table.
Preparation
We would love to meet you, to see what we can do for you and your project. If we can help you, we will discuss your process further. With screen printing on glass you make a black-and-white design on transparent film. This can be done by hand with non-translucent black paint, ink, paper or chalk on transparent or translucent material. The design can be printed digitally too, up to A2. Want to use a bigger size? Please contact the workshop.
Investment
To see the up-to-date prices for the use of our workshop, please download the price lists. Prices for materials can be requested at the workshop.