Can we do screen printing on leather?
There are lots of people asking: Can we do screen printing on leather? The answer is yes-but achieving durable, high-quality results depends on choosing the right ink system, preparing the leather correctly, and controlling the printing process. For many applications, silicone ink has become a preferred solution because it offers excellent flexibility, soft touch, and long-lasting durability.
Common Challenges in Screen Printing on Leather
With the advancement of the times and fashion, silicone screen printing has become a major method of garment printing. However, different problems may arise when printing on different fabrics. For example, some garments materials may appear poor adhesion and cracking after repeated flexing. In this guide, we'll explore the challenges of printing on leather, explain why silicone ink is gaining popularity, and show how YRsilicone helps manufacturers improve printing quality and production efficiency.
Generally, leather features a smooth surface. Screen printing with conventional silicone often leads to common defects: poor adhesion, cracking of printed silicone layer, and uneven mixing of silicone ink during printing. To tackle these challenges in leather printing, YRsilicone has developed two dedicated base coat materials for leather: Ink SND-110A and Silicone XG-180A-1. Both serve as primer coats and perfectly resolve the poor adhesion issue on leather substrates.
Method 1: SND-110A(100%) + catalyst 110B(10%)
Method 2: XG-180A-1(100%) + catalyst XG-180B-1(10%)
In addition, to solve the cracking problem of printed silicone layer, YRsilicone supplies flexible silicone such as XG-866AR and other elastic silicone grades to prevent cracking. During mixing preparation, add thinner and stir thoroughly, which can greatly eliminate uneven printing caused by insufficient mixing of silicone compound.
