AOP Design

Development
&
It’s Print
Process

Author:
Md Shawkat Hossain (Sohel)
Manager:- CAD
Unifill Composite Dyeing Mills Ltd.

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Lecture Sheet- 01
 Difference between Rotary screen-printing machine and
Flatbed screen printing Machine with their Function,
Facilities and Limitation.

The term textile printing we can understand that, prints on fabric with a combination of design and
color. Printing is the process of painting a design drawn by an artist and fixation to the fabric or
materials with a mixture of different chemicals and dyes with the help of applying different types of
machinery and technology.

Figure 1: Fully automatic flatbed screen printing machine.

Textile printing can be done in various methods but for that at first, need to develop the design.
That’s why design is called the Heart of Printing. To create a textile printing design, a Designer or
Artist must consistently have a good idea about some process.

A designer develops a sketch of a printing design in the light of his artistic idea and aesthetic beauty.
By adding or eliminating or changing any part of the design, a design makes more aesthetic. In the
case of export design, the screen preparation has to be done by the fabric sample or artwork
(softcopy) which is provided by the buyer.

In our country, there is no specific academy or institute for teaching textile printing design. Our
country has no syllabus or equipment to teach Textile printing design practically in the Fine Art
department or Textile Engineering department.

Only basic ideas are given in theses department. As a result, we are far behind other countries in
textile printing. We are very much dependent on the neighboring country India to develop Local
design.

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To improve the quality of textile printing design in our country, we need to make an institutional
designer or artist. With that need, more design research and also design has to be considered as a
creative art. By this, the quality of printing design will be improved day by day.

To create a textile printing design, a designer needs to have a clear idea about all of these things
given below: –
1. A designer needs to have an idea about that in fabric this design, is it possible/ not possible

to print.

2. Measurement of Rotary screen and Flatbed screen and Measurement Calculation of these

need to know.

3. Designers have to be capable to find out the Repeat of Design and also have to recognize the

exact number of colors in a Repeat.

4. After design print on fabric, due to variation of Viscosity-Squeeze pressure of color and if

Mesh selection is not perfect, what will happen or which problem will arise, a designer must

have an idea about that.

5. A designer needs to know the difference between Chest print and All overprint.

6. Must have good skills in computer operation (basically Graphic software).

7. A designer must have a creative mindset.

8. Designers need to knowledge about the design process.

9. Must have the idea of screen preparation.

10. How many colors can be printed in the various method?

11. The printing method of the design.

12. Need to know about the user classes of the design.

13. Need to know about design according to the season.

14. Need to have an idea for which age person of the design will be made.

15. Which type of design demand is high?

16. Need to know the fabric on which this design will be developed.

17. Usage purpose of this design.

18. What types of design suitable according to fabric types?

19. What kind of design are used in various countries?

20. For which community this design will be used.

21. The difference between Local design and Export design.

22. Clear idea about color matching.

23. Designers need to have artistic thinking and knowledge about technology to create a design.
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 Figure 2: Rotary screen-printing
The garments and textile sectors of our country depend on the requirements of the buyers. Our
export factories produce products according to the 100% buyer’s requirements. Here any changes
aren’t possible. Also, in the case of all overprinting, the design is provided from the buyer and we
just print this to the fabric.

So, in All overprinting, Related- production person, Marketing department and Merchandiser need to
know which Design is Possible to print and which Design is not Possible and why. This knowledge
helps to make a decision faster to the related person, finally, its helps to make production faster.

All over printing (AOP) is a very important sector in the textile sector. Once upon a time, all over
printing (AOP) was done in a few factories in the textile sector of Bangladesh. At that time fabric
was not printed for export quality.

Fabric Print was done for our local market such as sari, Than Kaapor, three-piece, bed sheet, etc. In
the 80’s century, the Garment Industry was gradually established in our country and from this era,
the printing project was also upgraded day by day. After the abolition of Roller printing, the
technology changed and fabric printing started in the flatbed machine.

Then simultaneously Rotary screen printing started with the Flatbed printing machine. However,
there are several limitations in fabric printing while using a Rotary screen print and Flatbed screen-
print machine.

Here some Machine name are list out with their origin:
Rotary Flatbed
Brand Name Origin Brand Name Origin
1. Reggiani Italy 1. KUIL South Korea
2. Stork Netherlands 2. INTOMA Taiwan
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 3. Zimmer Austria 3.Reggiani Italy
4. BUSER Switzerland 4. STORK Netherlands
5. MHMS Austria 5.YUJIN Korea
6. Harish Indian 6. ZIMMER Austria
7. Ji- long China 7. CST Germany

Now, Some Comparison/ discussion between Rotary screen printing and Flatbed screen printing
are discussed in below: –
Rotary Screen-Printing Machine Flatbed Screen Printing Machine
01. The screen of Rotary screen-printing machine 01. The screen of the Flatbed screen printing
is Round or Circle shaped and the screens are machine is Flat. Screen are made of polyester or
made of Nickel. bolting cloth which is attached to the aluminum
frame with 100% tension
02. During developing the design for the rotary 02. Any kind of design measurement can be
screen, the developer creates a repeat of the developed in a flatbed screen. For those different
design by calculating the diameter of the screen. sizes of screens are used.
The diameter or Circumference of the Rotary
screen is -641 mm, 820 mm, 914 mm and 1018
mm.
03. The number of color print capacity of the 03. Flatbed screen printing can print more than
rotary screen is 20 colors. But due to the 12 colors.
complexity of Machine Setting, usually, printing is
done no more than using 12 colors.
04. Fabric print speed is faster than Flatbed 04. Fabric print speed lower than Rotary screen
printing. The Fabric Printing rate per minute is 30- print. The fabric print rate per minute is 15-20
60 meters. Fabrics print faster when the design yards.
contains a lower number color.
05. Colors automatically passing to the rotary 05. Color is given manually on the flatbed screen
screen from the drum with the help of a machine during printing. Here, color wastage is lower.
compressor and color wastage is higher in rotary
screen printing.
07. Cost of the Rotary screen is high. Per Screen, 07. The cost of a flatbed screen is less than a
the cost is approximately 5k-6k TK in BDT. It rotary screen. Per Screen, the cost is
depends on the diameter of the rotary screen. approximately 3k-4k TK in BDT.
07. Rotary screen does not have the Possibility to 07. During Printing if the print was 100% body
shows Repeat mark or Join mark during Print. coverage design then the Repeat mark or Join
mark will show.
08. Smoothness or Sharpness of the Design is 08. Smoothness and Sharpness of the Design in
relatively lower. Flat Bed Screen Printing Machine is relatively
good.
09. Rotary screen printing m/c can be printed 09. Flatbed screen printing m/c can be printed
with this color with this color
A) Pigment color A) Pigment color.
B) Reactive color. B) Reactive color.
C) Discharge color C) Discharge color
D) Resist color D) Resist color.

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E) Burnout E) Burnout.
F) Glitter F) Glitter.
In Flatbed screen printing (Discharge, Glitter,
White paste and Apson) print Smoothness and
Sharpness shows relatively good then the Rotary
screen.
10. The more the color of the design, the fabric 10. The fabric wastage is lower during setting the
wastage is more during setting the design in design in fabric printing.
fabric printing.
11. Many types of machinery are used to expose 11. In, Flatbed screen exposing uses a few types
the rotary screen. E.g.: – of machinery.
A. Exposing machine-Inkjet or Laser
B. Cool dryer machine/Climatizer
C. Coating machine.
D. Polymerizer machine.
E. Light stand and developing stand.
F. Water tank/ Screen developing tank.
G. Endring fixer/ Endring gluing machine.
H. Unpacking Machine.
I. Screen checking stand.
12. All kinds of the design can’t be printed on a 12. Flatbed screen printing machine can be print
rotary screen-printing machine. any kind of design. Such as – Sari, Three pieces,
Bed Sheet, Then Cloth, etc.
13. Any types of fabric can be printed. 13. Any types of / kinds of fabric can be printed.
But, in Knit fabric the sharpness and print quality
is good.
14. There is a possibility to break the screen while 14. There is no possibility to break the screen
the machine running while the machine running.
15. For color penetration, various sizes of 15. Fabric print is done automatically by
stainless steel rollers or blade squeegee are used pressurizing of rubber Squeegee on the frame.
inside the screen.
16. Due to the machine runs very fast, screen 16. Fabric print is done by ups and downs of the
rotation is also fast, so, after printing done certain flatbed screen and fabric is printed slowly. So the
times some pinholes come out on the screen, for possibility of coming out Pinholes on the screen
this reason, remove the screen from the machine is lower than the rotary screen machine.
and to remove the pinhole by re-touching is
required. Then the machine starts again for
further production.
17. Screen preparation process is complicated. It 17. Screen preparation process is easier.
takes more time to expose and develop the Approximately every screen takes 20 to 40
screen. Approximately every screen takes 25 to minutes to expose.
35 minutes to expose.
18. After developing the screen and before 18. After developing the screen and before
setting on the rotary machine need to harden the setting on the flatbed machine coating chemicals
coating chemical of the screen, for that each are harden by using the Hardener chemical.
screen curing is done by setting on the
polymerizer machine for 20 to 30 minutes.
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19. Need to coating the screen by using Photo 19. Need to coating the screen by using Photo
Emulsion RS-100 and RS-1203 before exposing Emulsion SP-1300-HV and TXR before exposing
the screen. To coating, each screen has required the screen. To coating, each screen has required
approximately 200 grams of Chemical. approximately 200 grams of Chemical.

20. CMYK’s Design can’t be print perfectly on a 20. CMYK’s Design can be print perfectly on a
Rotary screen-printing machine. Flatbed screen printing machine.
21. Rotary screen-printing m/c is unprofitable for 21. Flatbed machine printing m/c is profitable for
short quantity production. short quantity production.
22. The initial installation cost of the Rotary 22. The initial installation cost of the Flatbed
screen-printing machine is very high. So, this is screen printing machine is low. So, this is
expensive. inexpensive.
23. Vertical stripe easily can be done by a Rotary 23. Vertical stripe easily can’t be print by Flatbed
screen-printing machine. No Join mark or Repeat screen printing machine because the Join mark
mark is shown. or Repeat mark is shown.
24. Disperse or Reverse printing is goodly done 24. Disperse or Reverse printing is not goodly
on a Rotary screen-printing machine. done on Flatbed screen printing machine.
25. Color separation can be done within a short 25. For color separation it takes more time.
time.
26. Critical design in laser exposing machine 26. In Laser exposing machine, critical design
such as 1-pixel line, 1-pixel dot, or spray, the such as 1-pixel line, 1-pixel dot, or spray, open
screen does not open perfectly on the screen. As perfectly on the screen. As a result, after
a result, sometimes the development screen developing the screen, the type of line or dot in
design doesn’t fully match the main design/ the design are fully matched to the buyer design/
buyer design. main design.
26. If the fabric is printed in the rotary screen- 26. If fabric print on a Flatbed screen printing
printing machine, there is a possibility of failure in m/c, there is no possibility to present metal
the heavy metal (Nickel) test of the fabric. (nickel) in fabric. So, surely the Nickel test will be
passed.
26. Rotary screen-printing machine has a 26.There are no limitations of squeegee pressure
limitation of squeegee pressure. in Flatbed screen printing m/c.
29. After production, the screen needs to wash 29. After production, the screen needs to wash
perfectly with water, either, the open area of the perfectly with water, either, the open area of the
screen becomes blocked and Production can’t be screen becomes blocked and Production can’t be
done next time. done next time.
30 A screen can be reused 3/4 times. 30 A screen can be reused 3/4 times.

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