Want to know what it’s like to use a hybrid machine? Jorge Ferreira of Roq takes us through the process of combining screen and digital printing with some special effects thrown in for good measure
The big advantage to using a hybrid machine such as the Roq Hybrid used here is the time saved. In this design, if it was done purely by screen printing, there would have been 10 screens in use, compared to the five used thanks to using a hybrid system. Fewer screens means less time spent in pre-press adding emulsion, exposing the screens and setting them up on the press.
It also, notes Jorge Ferreira, digital expert at Roq, reduces the likelihood of any registration problems because there are fewer screen to register. And, as the digital print goes on a base coat that has been applied with a primer to allow the digital print to bond to it, there is no need for the usual pretreatment application commonly associated with direct-to-garment (DTG) printing.
Jorge adds: “The pieces that result from the hybrid method have more details, are more authentic, and differ from those that are printed by the traditional method, not only visually but also in texture.”
The puff, foil, glitter and striking colour combination seen here is ideal for high-fashion, he adds.
STEP-BY-STEP: HYBRID PRINTING
(1) Use the laser guide to ensure the piece is correctly positioned on the pallet. This first step is very important as it will determine the correct printing of the design
(2) Glue is then applied using a screen with a 43 mesh, in preparation for the next step when the foil is applied
(3) The special foil is applied using the Roq Foil station, where a pneumatic pressing plate at a high temperature, strictly controlled, causes it to adhere to the garment
(4) A white base is applied using a 77 mesh screen, in order to allow no loss of colour tone in the print, regardless of the colour of the garment. This is then pre-dried with the Roq Dry for between four and eight seconds at 180°C
(5) Another special effect that can be used in hybrid printing is puff. When subjected to a certain temperature, the puff changes to a relief effect, giving greater prominence and extra detail to chosen points of the print. It was applied here using four strokes and a mesh count of 37 to ensure there was enough ink to be able to “grow” in the dryer
(6) Before the digital print, a primer is applied on top of the white base to create a bond between the base and the digital print. The Roq Hybrid process allows you to reduce the number of screens. For example, a design with 18 colours only needs four screens in the Roq Hybrid, whereas 18 are needed if screen printing only
(7) Next the piece is flashed before a top coat is applied to protect it and allow us to be able to work with other special effects without damaging the print. As you can see in the picture, we have used a glitter coating, which was applied using four strokes and a 37 mesh screen
(8) To get the piece ready to be worn and to ensure optimum washfastness, it must go through a dryer. This polymerises (cures) the print so it will not fade easily when washed. We used the Roq Sahara set at 160°C for 5 1/2 mins
(9) The final hybrid screen/digital print
