Incorporating Technology Into Screen Printing – A Spotlight On The Lumityper App

Screen printing involves the transfer of ink to a piece of material in a specific pattern set by a stencil.

This is one of the most common methods used to transfer images onto cloth or similar material. It is a pretty simple process, only complicated by the type of material that the ink is being transferred to and the details of the pattern of the stencil.

There are several sites that realized that there was a gap in the T-shirt industry with regard to personalization based on individual creativity and they bridged the gap by providing custom screen printing services. The trouble with these is that the cost of production was significantly higher for those clients who only needed their images transferred to one or two pieces of clothing. This option was therefore not economical for individuals unless they were printing shirts for soccer or bowling team or a group of individuals greater than five people.

Times have changed since those days, thanks to the increased dependence on mobile phone applications, making it easier for individuals to make custom screen printed clothing for cheap. One such app that has taken the mobile industry by storm is the Lumityper app.

What is it?

Simply put, this is an app that uses water based, inkodye and dilutable dyes to transfer photographs to clothing and other materials.

Starting the process

Once you download the Lumityper application on your phone, take a picture using it and it will convert it to a negative which you can have printed at any photo lab. This printout can then be placed over the material you want to print the image on and will act as the stencil. Then, a specialized dye is applied. Once applied, the garment is exposed to the sunshine for a while until you notice that the dye color has changed. The process is complete. All you need to do now is launder it with a special detergent provided to clean out the garment without removing the dye and ruining all your good work.

Why it is loved and embraced by many

This revolutionary technology can be used on several clothing materials such as cotton, silk, wool, linen and even wood. As long as the fiber is natural, it can be used. The texture of the materials does not hinder this process from working. Rough materials will produce great results just like smooth materials. It requires minimal skills to apply and the process is simple to use. The quality of the imagery produced is high and almost lifelike. It also uses natural sunshine and is therefore an environmentally friendly option.

Some caveats

There are a few disadvantages to this technology is that it only comes in three colors that is; blue, red and orange. It is also only available on apple gadgets such as iPads and iPhones. The developers are however working on an android version due to growing demand for the application and the proliferation of android users in the market. Another disadvantage is that this technology may not be used on synthetic or artificial fiber. But all in all, its strengths more than outweigh its weaknesses!

This article is written by Jules Mattel. When he is not busy working, he enjoys surfing and partying with his friends. He also likes reading in his spare time. He tells everyone to buy printed stickers in CT because they are just awesome.

Image courtesy of Idea Go / freedigitalphotos.net