Silk screen printing and hot stamping are two main methods adapted while designing packages for various products. The major difference between them is that the former provides a glossy image, while the latter presents an appealing highlight.

Silk Screen Printing

This method got its name as a result of the procedure involved. Before the invention of a polyester mesh, silk was used in the process. Since one color can be used at a particular time, several screens are used to produce a brilliant design or image.

A screen is made from a piece of lattice stretched over a frame. For the mesh to be fully effective, it has to be mounted on the given structure, and most importantly, it must be under tension. The outcome of the design on the material can be determined by the different types of mesh size.

Silk screen printing can be described as a stencil method of making prints in which a particular design is imposed on a fine mesh or screen, and the blank areas are coated with an impervious substance. Ink is then forced through the silk, onto the surface. Another term for this method is serigraph printing. It’s more versatile than various other techniques or styles, since the surface doesn’t need to be printed under pressure, or be planar. Silk screening makes it easy to reproduce a logo or other artwork in great detail.

Hot Stamping

This method is more straightforward than its counterpart. Hot stamping involves the treatment of a metallic foil getting heated on the surface of the packaging with the aid of a die. While it is widely used on paper and plastics, this method can be applied to other sources as well.

In hot stamping, the die is mounted and heated, and then the foil is placed above the packaging to be imprinted. With the material below the die, a painted or metalized roll-leaf carrier is positioned between the two of them, and the die pressed down through it. The combination of heat, pressure, dwelling, and stripping time, control the quality of each stamp. The die can be created from any given artwork, which could include a text or even a logo.

Foil stamping is considered to be environment-friendly since it’s a relatively dry process and doesn’t result in any form of pollution. It doesn’t create any harmful vapors or needs to use solvents or inks.

When using the hot stamp method during the design phase of the packaging, the metallic foil is glossy and contains reflective properties which when caught in the light, produces a shimmering image of the desired artwork.

On the other hand, silk screen printing creates a matte or flat image of the design. Even though the ink used has a metallic base, it still lacks the high shine of that of the foil. Hot stamping provides a profligate sensation to every kind of custom design used in the packaging industry. And since first impressions matter a lot in this regard, products that have been foil stamped can be striking to customers who have high expectations.

With more than 27 years of experience in manufacturing squeeze bottles, Sanle can do both silk screen printing and hot stamping while decorating plastic squeeze bottles. Tell us your needs, Sanle expert team will be glad to help you.