Silk Screening Compatible Powder Coating

Question:

We have been screen printing for 16 years in the industrial and commercial fields. In the industrial market there has been an increasing demand for powder coating. We have no problem with providing our customers with a quick response quote, imprint and ship for all other finishing methods except for powder coating. I have spoken with both the ink and powder coating suppliers and most of the technical help is “try it and see what happens.” This is just and understood, but these days my customers demand quick response and processing, so it is difficult to use a “wait and see” type effort. Any other suggestions? B.P.

Answer:

You and your clients would be much better served if you and they specify that these powder coated parts will be silk-screened before a powder coating is selected. Then the person coating them can contact the powder company to recommend a material that will accept the silk-screening ink. In some cases, the powder company may also specify a particular type or brand of ink that has worked in the past with its specific powder formulation. Certainly some powder formulations are more compatible with silk-screen inks than others. So, selecting a powder coating that has this compatibility inherent in its formulation is imperative for silk-screening success. If I were you, I would insist that all powder coated products that are sent to you for silk-screening be coated with a silk-screening ink compatible coating. Otherwise, you’ll be forced to “try it and see” if it works on a case-by-case basis.