The main printing processes on the surface of PVC baseball are as follows:
Screen printing
Screen printing is an ancient and widely used printing method. It can be classified into various types based on the different materials of the printing objects, such as fabric printing and plastic printing. In the surface printing of PVC baseball, it falls within the category of plastic screen printing.
Plastic screen printing adopts different methods for plastic products of different shapes. Flat screen printing is used for sheet materials and flat objects, curved screen printing is used for curved objects that can be unfolded into a flat surface, and indirect screen printing is used for irregular-shaped products.
The basic principle of its printing is that some of the mesh holes of the screen printing plate can allow the ink to pass through and leak onto the substrate. The remaining mesh holes on the printing plate are blocked, preventing ink from passing through and creating blank Spaces on the substrate. The traditional plate-making method was manual. In modern times, the photochemical plate-making method is widely used. With a screen as the support, the screen is taut on the screen frame, and photosensitive adhesive is applied to the screen to form a photosensitive plate film. Then, the positive image base plate is closely attached to the plate film for exposure. After exposure and development, the parts of the printing plate that do not need ink are exposed to light to form a cured plate film to seal the screen holes, preventing ink from permeating during printing. The part of the mesh that needs to be inked is not closed, allowing the ink to pass through during printing and form ink marks on the substrate. When printing, ink is poured into one end of the screen printing plate. Without external force, the ink will not leak onto the substrate through the mesh by itself. When the ink is scraped with an ink scraper at a certain Angle and under pressure, the ink is transferred through the screen to the substrate beneath it, achieving image reproduction.
Screen printing has many characteristics in the surface printing of PVC baseball: it has strong printing adaptability and can be printed on substrates of different materials and surface shapes, without being limited by the size of the printing area, and is also known as the universal printing method. Low cost and quick effect; The screen plate can adapt to the printing on the surface of irregular substrates. It is elastic and can be printed not only on flat objects but also on curved surfaces, spherical surfaces or uneven and irregular objects. It has strong adhesion and good ink retention. The ink directly adheres to the surface of the substrate through the screen holes. According to the material requirements of the substrate, it can be printed with ink or various coatings, color pastes, glue pastes, etc. The ink layer is thick and has a strong three-dimensional effect. Among the four major printing methods, the ink layer of screen printing is relatively thick, and the texture of the graphics and text is rich. It has strong lightfastness and good color fineness. In terms of the color fineness of the printed matter, even when printing the same color printed matter with relatively light colors, the texture and color of screen printing far exceed those of offset printing. The materials for printing objects are extensive, including paper, cardboard, wood, metal, textiles, plastic, cork, leather, fur, ceramics, glass, decal paper, transfer paper, and various combinations of materials. They are not only applied in the printing industry but also widely distributed in dyeing and printing, clothing, signs, radio, electronics, ceramics, and packaging decoration industries. The printing format is large. Offset printing, letterpress printing, gravure printing and flexographic printing are all limited by the size of the printing format, while screen printing can be used for large-format printing. With the development of the advertising market, the proportion of large outdoor advertising printed products printed by screen printing in the advertising market is increasing day by day.
2. Heat transfer printing process
Heat transfer printing is a process that transfers printed patterns to the surface of PVC materials through heat and pressure. It is suitable for mass-produced PVC products and features clear patterns and bright colors.
This process consists of two steps: printing and transfer. Printing involves printing the pattern on transfer paper and then transferring the pattern onto PVC material through a hot press. In the surface printing of PVC baseball, this process can be used to transfer exquisite patterns onto the surface of the baseball.
3. Digital printing technology
Digital printing technology is a modern printing method that directly prints on PVC materials through digital printing machines.
This process is highly flexible, capable of printing a small number of personalized orders, and has precise color management, making it suitable for short-run printing. Digital printing technology can also achieve customized printing of one person, one machine and one plate, meeting personalized demands. In the printing of PVC baseball surfaces, it can meet the personalized customization requirements of different customers for the patterns on the baseball surface.
4. Pad printing
If the spherical printing carrier is relatively sturdy, pad printing can be adopted. For instance, it can be used for printing on the surfaces of ball games such as table tennis balls and golf balls. This process can also be applied to the surface printing of PVC baseballs.
5. High-speed UV printing technology
The high-speed UV printer has no plate-making or printing molds. Once fixed, it can print directly. This technology has obvious advantages for PVC baseballs with irregular shapes. Just place the baseball on the special fixture, and the printer will automatically rotate the baseball and print out exquisite patterns at the same time. This not only saves time and effort but also ensures that every detail is perfectly presented. Whether it is the head or the tail of the bat, a seamless printing effect can be achieved. For enterprises or individuals who need personalized customization, this technology is an ideal choice. Whether it is the personalized pattern customization of sports goods or the customized pattern of gifts, they can all be easily achieved through this technology, while improving printing efficiency and reducing costs.