 Screen printing is more
durable than hot stamping, but also more expensive. The reason for the added
expense has to do mostly with labor and time. Screen printed lanyards are
typically printed one at a time using manual labor. After the material is
printed heat must be applied to dry the wet ink. Whereas, hot stamped lanyards
are typically run on an automated printing machine with minimal labor and since
the imprint is transferred from a color film there is no drying step.
The
durability of screen printed lanyards make them great for everyday use in
business, schools and security services. With screen printing the imprint is
transferred to the material by squeezing ink through a very fine “screen” mesh
which embodies the imprint information. The enhanced durability of this type of
imprinting method is due to a greater amount of color applied to the material.
Even greater durability of a screen printed imprint can be achieved by using a
curing agent or catalyst mixed in with the ink which acts to harden the ink even
further when dried.
The most common
lanyard materials used for screen printing
are nylon and cotton from 3/8” to 1.0”. the most common width is ¾”. Smooth
surfaces allow for finer detail to show up and work best for all printing
methods. Woven Soflex nylon has the smoothest surface. For cotton a twill
construction is most commonly used.
Screen printed lanyards are typically
printed in one or two colors on one or both sides. Single-sided printing is
most common and more cost effective.
Lanyard Imprinting Methods
Hot Stamping |
Screen Printing |
Dye Sublimation
Full Color |
Laser Engraving |
Embossing
|
