Swimming caps

[Jason]

I've been asked if I could do printed swimming caps, anybody know how these are done are they nomally screen printed

[Ian M]

Jason,

They are usually screen printed & I used to print them many years ago when I was a screen printer. We used to get a special ink from Marler that was for printing on rubber. I have no idea if Marler are still going these days as it was the mid 1980's when I last worked in screen printing. We only ever printed them in a single colour as registration was a bit difficult on these. John G is the screen printer on here so, might be worth giving him a shout.

Ian

[Jason]

Thanks Ian, thats as i expected, unfortunately they only want a few so it not really viable just wanted to check first, I hate having to say no to stuff, especially when it's a new customer.

[Ian M]

No worries Jason. When I think back we could only buy the ink in 5 litre cans at the time which was very expensive then.

[John G]

Cannot see them being screen printed as the print wouldn't be flexible enough - might be wrong though. Think they might be printed in the same way they do footballs/rugby balls/basket balls whereas the print seems to be in the material not sitting ontop. Don't now what the process is though!

[Kaz]

John, can they be screen printed via a cap press, to keep the shape of the cap? (knows nuffink about screen printing)

[Ian M]

John, we used a special rubber ink that Marler supplied & we used a thickish plastic insert in the cap & printed them on a handbed. The ink that Marler supplied was flexible when dry. I have no idea how they would be done now but, we could only print them in a single colour.

[John G]

Sorry Ian, I didn't read your 1st post correctly - was a bit worried that the ink would stretch too much! it would have been one colour as registration would be a total nightmare.

I should have thought really as years ago we printed inflatable swimming armbands and the ink we used was standard Sericol's Polyplast!

Cap press would be awkward - its the type of ink that needs to air dry by leaving it in racks, not heat pressed.

[Ian M]

No worries John, I remember using Polyplast ink really well, was one of the best inks we used. The insert we used was like a half round shape which was the same shape as the caps when laid flat on their side. We made the insert ourselves after many trials using bits of card to get the shape right. We would print one side then leave them in the drying racks overnight & print the other side the next day.