Desde la serigrafía hasta la impresión digital y la impresión frita, hay varias técnicas utilizadas en Boyd para imprimir en vidrio.
Para garantizar el éxito de cualquier aplicación de impresión de vidrio, hay numerosos factores que se consideran, como el tipo de vidrio, el tinte inherente del vidrio, el tipo de tinta, el color de la tinta, el proceso de curado y las condiciones ambientales. However, one crucial factor that needs to be determined is the print method. Glass can be printed on using one of the three techniques: screen printing, digital printing, or frit printing. While all these methods support different shapes, sizes, thicknesses, types of glasses, and allow the use of multiple colors, there are unique pros and cons that distinguish them.
Screen Printing on Glass
El primer paso es definir específicamente para qué se utilizará el dispositivo, ya que esto puede dictar qué pantallas táctiles son factibles. Por ejemplo, ¿se utilizará su pantalla para una aplicación militar donde puede estar sujeta a condiciones difíciles, o la pantalla está destinada a un juguete económico donde la durabilidad puede no ser una gran preocupación? Ambas situaciones requerirían tecnologías de pantalla con diferentes funcionalidades, durabilidad, registro de entrada y precios. Una vez que haya reducido el uso previsto para la pantalla, el siguiente paso es averiguar qué funcionalidades son necesarias.
Digital Printing on Glass
Digital printing on glass functions like a regular inkjet printer, where the only requirement is digital art file to print. It affords greater flexibility in terms of changing designs at the last minute. Unlike screen printing, where any design variation requires the construction of a new screen, modifying an art file for digital printing is quick and easy. This makes it a great choice for prototyping and achieving faster time-to-market products. But it is important to note that the inks utilized for glass digital printing are thinner compared to the inks employed in screen printing. Hence, while working with light or pastel shades, multiple layers may be required to achieve a sufficient level of opacity. This can lead to an increased thickness and can pose challenges in the optical bonding process. In contrast to screen printing, where one color is printed at a time, digital printing also allows the printing of all the different colors at once. Digital printing on glass is currently undergoing continuous developments to accommodate more types of inks.
Frit Printing on Glass
Frit printing is similar to screen printing with the exception of the ink utilized and the curing process. A unique powdered-glass ink is screen printed onto the glass and cured during the heat tempering process. The heat fuses the ink to the glass, offering strong adhesion and making it difficult to remove or scratch the ink off. Since frit printing offers the highest durability out of all the techniques, it's ideal for applications where the glass is regularly exposed to challenging environmental conditions commonly found in the defense, industrial, and eMobility sectors. However, it is also the most expensive printing method and therefore, not as frequently employed. While frit printing can be done on heat-tempered glass, it generally cannot be utilized for chemically-strengthened glass, as the glass thickness has to be greater than 2mm for the frit printing process. Frit colors are also limited to black, white, and some grays.
Bringing together the right mix of functionality and durability for your custom application, the experts at Boyd can not only help you select the most suitable printing technique for your glass application, but also support your glass printing and bonding needs from prototyping through production. To learn more about Boyd’s bonding solutions, schedule a consultation with our experts. 
