Recently, one of the big signage producers in South India has revealed that although he does not want to invest in screen printing technology when it comes to the large volume display boards and branding orders, he subcontracts the work to screen printers. He also cited an example of Vivo and Appo campaigns requiring a huge volume of display boards, etc.
So, within the signage industry, digital and screen printing technologies have an important role to play and the question as to what would be the future of these two technologies has been nullified by Michel Caza, France. An analytical document was prepared and presented by Michel Caza, the Guru of screen printing, in the context of manufacturers and suppliers of printing equipment and inks. In this interview, Michel Caza shares his expertise focusing on the world market and tendencies, but he says it is also valuable for the near future of the Indian market.
Tell us about your recent study on the future of screen and digital printing:
Studying the production of ink and the sales of the machines and equipment manufacturers make you aware of the state of the printing market.
As part of this study I was asked several questions:
– What is the future of inks?
– As digital printing is dominating the market, what is the point of continuing to develop
screen-printing inks and press?
– What are the current strategic tracks?
– What is going to happen?
Be cautious that there is a question of the framework of the applications of our processes, more particularly for use of the screen and digital printing. But we do not always know very well what this means. Admittedly, manufacturers also say that there is a struggle for printing techniques and it is not new. Things are slowly getting back into place, and under market pressure, processes are being used in what they are most suited to. I recently wrote for FESPA about the manner to choose either screen or digital in graphics, textile and industrial printing and how to explain this choice to the customer.
Why do some feel that screen-printing will disappear in favour of digital?
It is because the sphere of activity of many of us is that of graphic visual communication and other
graphic applications, of signage and soon. We see in most of the exhibitions what dominates “visually” that is to say precisely these communication items. The reason is simple in the current state of digital printing, it is 80% in these sectors and 20% in general textile (not directly advertising) and industrial applications.
In all the fields of applications of the screen and digital printing, the progression of the quality continues in graphics, textile and industrial applications. On one hand, in all the fields of applications of the screen and digital printing – often used ‘mixed’ – the progression of the quality is tremendous. It also comforts my opinion that various printing technologies, as I always thought, are complementary to each other than enemies and one can find their respective importance and usage, even in visual communication. I also keep in mind the reflection of a friend CEO of a huge company telling me: I do digital printing because I have to… But I make my money with screen-printing! Printing processes are finally starting to be used in what they are most suited to. This simply means that I am optimistic about the future of our techniques in India… as everywhere in the world!
While in screen-printing now, graphics, visual communication is only 20% of the applications of this technique, 35% are textile applications and 45% are industrial applications, which are less “visible”, at least often at first glance.
It is in this global perspective that I studied the problem and discussed it with my friends-manufacturers in the world to have their opinion. And, for example, ink manufacturers believe less than ever that screen printing will disappear.
Please share your thought on the applications of the screen and digital printing:
Graphic Applications: -Screen-Printing
Screen printing is not only stable but is coming back, even in our Western countries, when it
remains in expansion in Far-East countries. We must take into account the whole world. Think about China, India and their 100,000 screen-printers respective to other countries in Asia, Africa, South America. Scores of small companies, certainly, but cumulative consume thousands of tons of inks for technical reasons often, but also for economic reasons.
Pre-press (using digital technologies of course), but productivity and mastery of workflow tremendously
improved (advantage screen-printing), in large comparable formats, the tipping point is now only 100 copies. “Special effect” (spot UV and other luxury printing UV varnishes such as glitter, high emboss, reflective, glow in the dark, sensation UV, etc) have also an exceptional impact in India in packaging, cards, etc. It’s good for ink manufacturers as well as for screen-printers because of a high added value in sales.
Graphic Applications: – Digital
There is more and more diversification in inks and printing presses.
– Due to the diversity of machines (solvents, eco-mild solvents, UV, UV Led, Latex, Water-based, etc.)
– The diversity of the print heads
– The diversity of support
– The diversity of INDOOR or OUTDOOR signage applications.
– The new applications in objects and industrial printing (flatbed digital printers)
Textile printing
In the textile printing sector, the situation is simpler. Screen printing largely retains its dominant
role. See the gigantism in Asia and other countries. On the other hand, Direct to Garment (DTG) digital printers is yet to make inroads. So, there is no big market for digital inks (DTG) because of the volume issue. Under the constraint of major contractors, we are forgetting the plastisols with phthalates and even with PVC only and of course formaldehyde in the discharge inks. In the reel to reel, for fashion and decorative fabrics, it’s a little different. Rotary screen printing dominates large prints (long runs), and digital is an important part of customization, prototyping and small series. In both cases, for digital inks, it is a market in progress but still far from that of textile screen-printing. I know a company in China that uses 5 tons of screen inks per day!
Again, I have not added here about the market of banners and advertising flags. There is a potential new market, half industrial / half textile: the new problems posed by the connection of clothing, flexible printed circuits, batteries … Exciting areas indeed!
Industrial printing:
Industrial printing is a great development area for ink manufacturers, very little in digital but giant
in screen printing … Perhaps less obvious because I recall, less “visible”. Most of the companies using screen and digital printing in their industrial manufactured products – mostly in plants – wish to maintain confidentiality about their process and will never show the techniques they use in so many applications.
Here is the list of industrial applications:
Glass and ceramic printing,
– Sheets (automobile, architectural, etc.)
– Hollow (glass (bottles and phials),
– Ceramics (porcelain, faience, sandstone),
Printed electronic
-Membranes switches,
– Printed circuits, rigid or flexible, with the printing of protective masks for the engraving of the
circuit or its direct printing (silver, carbon, copper, conductive nanoparticle, etc.)
– Computer keyboards, telephone and others
– Soldering pastes, soldering spares, insulation
– The “sensors” and other detectors,
– RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)
– Rigid or flexible solar cells (photo- and thermovoltaic)
– Mobile phones, smartphones and others,
– Camcorders and digital cameras,
– Touch screens
Plastic industries
– Bottles and the plastic packaging,
– IMD (in-mould decoration)
– Plates or front faces of various appliances,
– Lighters and other gadgets.
– Vacuum formed elements,
Pharmaceutical and other medical laboratories,
– Dermal patches
– Portable electronic health checks and other electronic thermometers or dermal
– Blood bags and other types
Automotive industry
– (internal and external parts of vehicles, dials, cars and other equipment, among automobile subcontractors)
Food industry
– Decoration or/and deposit of products in hundreds of big and small industries.
Diverse other applications
– Security items, e.g. the secure “metrics” and others.
– Labels, for external and internal use
– Toys and games (markings and decoration)
– Skis, surfboards,
– Gift or object, advertising or not,
– Liquid crystals and other microencapsulated products
– Markings or decorations of “containers” and industrial product packaging
– Games, pinball machines, slot machines
– Leather (binding, bags, shoes, clothes)
– Wood (furniture decoration and others)
One thinks, and fears, that credit card usage is disappearing gradually and getting replaced by online payment through mobile. So you see, our small but fascinating world is still moving! And this is certainly
quite true in India.
As an expert in the field, what do you think about the screen and digital printing inks future?
We print inks, of course, but often many other products! Those applications are widely spread all over
the world. Still, a majority remains in the Asiatic countries and India, but there is; following the huge problems of manufacturing and shipping, many Western countries “re-localise” their production in Europe or the Americas.
A look at some areas:
– Photovoltaic, fixed and mobile
– Communication
– Flat and hollow glass
– The medical
– Circuits
– The automotive
The most important point that emerges with some Ink manufacturers is that the tendency is to develop more and more “functional” inks. In this area, the “decorative” ink remains a smaller market. Manufacturers are waiting for a market under development. For the manufacturers of the machines, more and more “highly specialized” press for extremely different applications. In France eg, most of the players are “in-plant” in glass and electronics, which makes them even less visible … except for the ink and equipment manufacturers! In these fields, R & D is a formidable necessity.
What do you think about inks chemistry?
Chemists try a lot of things, think about the losses of conductivity when thermoforming, the advantage of nanoparticles in sintering with UV flash, annealed at low temperature, more expensive than the silver ink but more conductive, towards fineness of 15 microns in screen- printing (about 30 μ with ink), we fear the dispersion of inkjet drops with changes in temperature and humidity … One hesitates in the face of RFID that goes everywhere and prefers aluminium, creates super-thermoformable microparticle UV inks for the electronic IMD. Many are thrilled with the electro-luminescent and the dielectric. We know that the market is changing: for example, slowly membrane contact will decrease in favour of touch screens … does not matter for us as it will still be screen-printing both for the screen itself and for the underlying circuits.
Point to be underlined that digital printing with conductive ink, takes X superimposed layers for sufficient conductivity. Or because the print heads are “puffed” by the abrasive pigments – for example in glass and ceramic printing. One is concerned about the resistance over time of soft circuit inks … chalking epoxies… Many engineers tear their hair because the digital inks do not pass the draconian tests in automobiles (physical resistance, chemical, UV, etc.
(**Michel Caza is an international screen and graphics printing expert and a Founder-Member/past President of FESPA. FESPA is not new to Indian digital and signage printers, for in 2005 and 2007 the association had organized an exhibition in New Delhi, covering digital and screen printing.)