Common to all the companies was an emphasis on teamwork, work ethic and the will to succeed. Often their success is attributed to cheap labour, and while this may have been true in the past, now it is about best practice, the right equipment and effective management. In fact, 90 per cent of production stays in a country that has been relatively untouched by the credit crunch and is growing at a rapid pace. These efforts are supported by government policy in the sub-continent where there are tax free zones for manufacturing and light touch bureaucracy.

Sadly in the west an unsustainable level of public spending and borrowing con­tinues, with the belief that we deserve success and security of employment. To maintain this standard of living, however, we will have to create wealth by making products that people want to buy at a price they are willing to pay. There is no alternative.

So how does this relate to screen printing domestic products. Screen printing exemplifies the changes in the UK and European economy. Screen printing was dominant in its sector, practitioners became complacent, manufacturers lost their innovative spark and digital printing strolled in and very nearly cleaned up. Screen printing hasn't and it won't disappear because there is space for every process in graphics and mass imaging technology markets into the foreseeable future. In fact, in the domestic environment screen printing is everywhere.

Take the humble kettle, for example. Hidden screen printing technology helps the kettle boil faster than ever before, while utilising less space. The screen printed kettle element is actually the flat bottom of the kettle, created using a resistive ink printed onto a ceramic insulated stainless steel. Printed conductive tracks provide the electrical supply and the whole circuit is covered by a protective glaze. The element will heat up quickly and reach temperatures of 250 to 300°C, providing instant energy to heat the water. Screen printed ele­ments are more efficient, space saving and easy to manufacture.

Printed thick film technology can also be used in other industrial heating applications. One of the main suppliers of the materials used in the manufacture of these elements is ElectroScience, which can provide a complete package and offer advice on specific applications.

Making an impact

Another area where screen printing has had a huge impact is in the lettering and branding found on familiar objects such as washing machines. In a retail environment, buying decisions are made in the last seven seconds, which means buyers are heavily influenced by how a product looks, including its branding.

With the washing machine, this role falls to the control panel, which is the attractive face of the machine. Smooth curves and clear lettering communicate flexibility and ease of use, yet that branding must withstand domestic cleaners and abrasive clothes.

Only screen printing, either on the surface or via in-mould decoration, will provide the visual quality and product resistance required in this application. There are times when its sister process pad printing will be needed for extreme contours. For sophisticated images on contoured surfaces it may be necessary to use servo controlled machines to maintain the quality of print. Although more expensive, this is balanced by the considerable cost of reclaiming badly printed moulding.

Bold and beautiful

There are a number of other areas where screen printing holds its own such as in decorative arts and clothing.

In the art world, screen technology still has an important place in creating true, limited edition prints. Unfortunately in high street art galleries, 'limited edition' prints are often created using a  Giclee digital ink jet printing process, now widely used because screen printed work is more expensive. But that's the point: in an analogue screen printing process, the stencils and origination are destroyed after the one and only limited edition print run. The price tag guarantees exclusivity.

Screen printed textiles also decorate the house and clothe its occupants with items such as expensive silk scarves from independent screen printing shops. Despite the demise of companies such as Wedgewood, there are still dozens of small potteries and decorating shops using beautifully screen printed waterslide transfers to adorn their ware.

As large enterprises belonging to multi-nationals are leaving our shores, it is these small, innovative companies that will help create the wealth we need to survive in the future with high quality, exclusive designs that sell at a premium.

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