How To Print On Mylar Bags At home: An Easy Step by Step Guide

Mylar bags are very useful bags and often people use this type of bag for their business. They print on Mylar bags and sell their product under their brand’s hood. And also people use Mylar bags for their decoration shops and other purposes.

You can try this for your brick-and-mortar or Online business. But if you don’t know how to print on Mylar bags then this article will help you. Also, here, I’m going to explain to you how to print on Mylar bags at home.  So read on until the end.

How To Print On Mylar Bags At home: Step By Step Direction

At the beginning of this task, make sure you have a simple inkjet printer, wooden pad, ink, squeegee, screens, and transparency positive for the printing of screen over Mylar bags. Let’s jump into it.

Step 01: Print Your Desired Design Over Transparency Film

You might use software of product design Coreldraw or Adobe Photoshop for preparing your design.

Now, use an inkjet printer so that you can print your design on a transparent film. To achieve the right printing format you have to ensure that you reflect the image. It is very important to consider the printing quality, it should be high-quality so that it doesn’t fade easily.

Step 02:  Silkscreen Making

In this step, you may choose a frame of wood or aluminum. As you want to print on Mylar bags at home, you should avoid expensive materials. I think it is better for you to choose a wooden frame. It will be a suitable as well as a cheaper option.

Now, I going to explain how you will prepare the silkscreen. Then follow the steps as follows:

1. Firstly, you have to attach your silkscreen to the frame of wood. The screen should be of 100 mesh. You have to attach the two sides of the screen, which are adjacent so that you can secure or firm the screen on the frame of wood. After that, attach the other remaining sides. Attach the screen to the frame by using a staple gun, which is normally used.
2. In the meantime, use your index and thumb finger to pull or drag the screen. And at the same time, the remaining fingers should be pushing the frame of the wood.
3.  When you will complete this, then trim the additional screen that remained along the frame borders.

Step 03: Apply or Exert Photo Emulsion

You have to mix photo emulsion with the diazo activator or sensitizer before applying it to the screen. A sensitizer or activator is added because it makes the photo emulsion sensitive to the light. 

The emulsion ratio towards the activator or sensitizer ought to be 9:1 i.e. photo emulsion 90% and activator or sensitizer 10%. Production requirements, to some extent, determine the quality. You might prepare a cup for 2 or 3 Mylar bags. The mixture is given below, follow the steps:

1.  Firstly, you have to fill your activator container with tap water. You should be careful about powder least it may get in the air.
2.  After filling the activator container close it with a lid and shake it.
3.  Pour your diazo activator into the emulsion after mixing the diazo activator with water.
4.  Use a stick by which you can mix the activator with the emulsion. You have to mix it until it becomes greenish.

Follow the instructions below to apply or exert the emulsion mixture towards the screen:

1.  Before applying the scope coater over the screen, you have to pour a sufficient amount of emulsion mix on it.
2.  Now, you have to tilt the screen backward about 45 degrees. Then use the scope coater’s thin size and after that press it towards the mesh. Until the emulsion makes contact along the screen let it gradually drip. You have to push the scope coater against the screen though it has made contact along with the screen. And pull up until you reach the top.
3.  Finally, flip the screen over and apply the same process towards the backside of the screen.

Now, let your emulsion-coated screen dry and try to keep it in a dark place. After that, you have to set up the design over the screen.

Step 04: Prepare The Screens To Print

In this step, you will print the screens without an automatic or manual printing press. The steps are as follows:

1.    You have to put a soft platen or pad which is suitable to print the Mylar bags.
2.   Pull the bag by the pad for that you might attain a printable surface that is flat.
3.   Next, you have to center your design positive over the Mylar bag. After that, you have to locate it over the screen with a ball pen.
4.  Now, you need to stick this design positive over the screen with cooking oil. You have to use your hands to apply it evenly. This cooking oil can make the paper’s unprinted part transparent.
5.  In this step, you have to put off the screen towards the LED light of 40 watts for six-minute. A timer can be used for that. However, after exposing the screen for six minutes you have to wash it. Then it will clean the additional photo emulsion over the design. You should check for emulsions or scums that are disturbing the design. Finally, you will get a screen stencil. After that remove the extra water over the stencil by the cotton rug.

6.  Let the screen stencil dry. A photo hardener (Tulco or similar) must be applied to your screen stencil in order to make it durable and tough. Again you have to wait until the photo hardener dries. To prevent leaks of the paint you have to put or set packing tapes on your screen stencil’s edges. After taping your screen stencil you can take the final task to complete.

Step 05: Start Printing 

1.  As I mentioned previously, you have to bring a soft platen or pad to print your Mylar bags. Now, insert a soft platen or pad into the bag. If you do that then the bag folds may not bulge while printing.
2. You can take a plastic squeegee of 70 Durometer. And also you can use a water-based ink of Jacquard which is very solid.
3.  Now, you have to put or place the ink over the screen. After that push the squeegee and wield the ink by the screen. By doing this you have completed printing on Mylar bags at home.
4. Make sure you are not using any sublimation or other types of ink.
5. Finally, let the printed bags dry.

 

Conclusion

In this article, I have discussed step by step regarding how to print on Mylar bags at home. I have tried to mention every little step that you may need when you are printing on Mylar bags at home.

You can do this at home although it might be time-consuming since you will use LED light or sunlight to dry while curing process instead of a conveyor or other professional equipment. It is a budget-friendly strategy to do at home.