DIY wood printing, how to do it

How to Printing on Wood for a Durable Finish.

Screen printing on wood represents an interesting opportunity to expand your market with products like wooden wine boxes, skateboards, musical instruments, display stands, clocks, and much more. Thanks to specific machinery such as the economical K-SER zero series and high-performance inks, it is possible to obtain resistant and long-lasting results.

Wood Preparation and Machinery

For a quality print, it is important that the wood surface is smooth and uniform. Even varnished wood can be printed with excellent results thanks to the perfect adhesion of the inks. The machines in the K-SER series by Keygadgets, designed to handle prints on objects with thicknesses up to 4.5 cm, are ideal for working with wooden supports, ensuring precision and practicality during printing.

For printing on wood, Keygadgets offers two specific ink lines:

   
• SERITEX: Water-based inks designed to guarantee a resistant and long-lasting print even on difficult surfaces.
   
• ECO PLASTIGLOSS: Glossy vinyl inks, ecological and high-performing, ideal for achieving excellent coverage and resistance to scratches and water.

Both types are formulated to ensure durable prints, perfect for products intended for daily use or display.

Printing Technique and Practical Tips

Printing on wood is performed using the off-contact screen printing technique, a slight separation of the squeegee from the substrate to ensure homogeneity in color distribution. It is recommended to use screens from 77-100 T to optimize adhesion and the chromatic result on wood, which tends to absorb less color compared to other materials.

To increase productivity and maintain constant quality in series production, it is useful to apply positioning references such as self-adhesive felt pads on the printing base, thus facilitating the alignment of the pieces. In this case, we have a position register for the object to be printed.

     

Step-by-Step Procedure for Water-Resistant Screen Printing on Wood

   
1. Surface Preparation        

   Carefully sand the wood to obtain a smooth, uniform surface free of imperfections.

          

   Clean the surface from dust, residues, or grease to ensure good ink adhesion.

      
   
2. Choice of Frame and Screen Mesh        

   Use screens with a mesh count (77-100) to allow for a more defined print, as wood absorbs less color compared to other materials.

      
   
3. Ink Preparation        

   Use SERITEX inks (water-based with excellent adhesion) or ECO PLASTIGLOSS (glossy and ecological vinyl inks), mixed with pigments if necessary to obtain the desired color.

      
   
4. Positioning the Piece     

   Fix the piece of wood on the K-SER machine table, using any positioning references such as self-adhesive felt pads to ensure precise alignment in series productions.

      
   
5. Machine Setting and Printing Technique        

   Adjust the screen printing machine for objects up to 4.5 cm thick.

          

   Perform a print with a slight separation of the squeegee (off-contact) of 2-3 mm from the surface for uniform ink distribution.

      
   
6. Drying and Curing        

   Allow the print to dry for a few hours in optimal temperature and humidity conditions. The SERITEX and ECO PLASTIGLOSS formulations already guarantee good resistance to scratches and water after just a few minutes.

      
   
7. Quality Control        

   Check the uniformity of the print and correct adhesion, performing water and scratch resistance tests on representative samples.

      
   
8. Optional Protective Finish        

   If necessary, apply a protective clear coat to further increase durability and resistance to external agents.

   This approach allows you to make the most of the potential of the screen printing kit and machines, as well as SERITEX and ECO PLASTIGLOSS inks from Keygadgets, to offer high quality and durable screen printing on wood.

   

FAQs about DIY Wood Screen Printing

1. Which screen printing inks are best for wood?

For wood, we recommend two ink lines: SERITEX (water-based) for good adhesion and durability on challenging surfaces, and ECO PLASTIGLOSS (glossy vinyl) for excellent coverage, water, and scratch resistance. The choice depends on the desired finish and whether the item will be used outdoors.

2. Which mesh count should I use for screen printing on wood?

A mesh count ranging from 77T to 100T is recommended. Since wood absorbs less ink than other materials, these meshes ensure a more defined print, optimizing both adhesion and colour results.

3. What is the most suitable squeegee hardness (Shore) for wood printing?

For printing on wood, a medium-high hardness squeegee (around 75 Shore) is recommended. This ensures uniform pressure and the slight off-contact necessary for homogeneous colour distribution on a surface that is not perfectly flat.

4. Is it necessary to sand or treat the wood before printing?

Yes. To ensure a quality print and optimal ink adhesion, it is essential to carefully sand the wood to obtain a smooth, uniform surface. The surface must then be cleaned of dust, residue, or grease.

5. How is the durability of screen-printed wood guaranteed?

Durability is ensured by using high-performance inks (SERITEX or ECO PLASTIGLOSS) that offer good resistance to scratching and water. If further protection against external agents is needed, a transparent protective varnish can be applied as an optional finish.