TESLIN® Substrate Synthetic Paper Printing Guide: Screen Printing

Screen Printing

Teslin substrate is compatible with screen printing—a technique that uses a mesh-based stencil to apply ink to a substrate—due to its excellent layflat and ink holdout. Unlike typical polyethylene film materials, inks on Teslin substrate will set by absorption.

Ink Recommendations

The surface tension of Teslin substrate is broad, since its surface contains both hydrophilic and hydrophobic sites. This means that dyne level is not a concern when specifying inks. Conventional inks are preferred to "aggressive" polyethylene inks. It is also recommended that inks are low VOC (less than four percent), especially if the print is going to be laminated afterwards to prevent bubbling/blisters. Job set-up should include testing of inks and drying temperatures to ensure the best screen printing results.

The following is a limited list of ink suppliers who have prepared inks meeting the guidelines for printing on Teslin substrate. Other ink suppliers may also be able to supply correctly formulated inks to successfully print Teslin substrate.

Conductive Inks

Conductive inks can be printed on Teslin substrate. It is recommended that inks have a high solid content and low VOC (<4 percent).