Market acceptance of ultraviolet (UV) screen printing technology has arrived in the glass and ceramic container industry as suppliers of equipment and inks have optimized the methods necessary to achieve the durability decorators and their customers expect. The first responsibility of suppliers is to make clear the requirements for achieving durability with UV technology on glass containers, but first a word about expectations.

Screen printing has been a reliable and cost-effective technology for printing on a variety of glass and ceramic substrates for many years.

The annual convention of the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorated Products (SGCDpro) kicks off April 16 at the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore. The conference encompasses three days of educational seminars, networking, and product introductions. SGCDpro Vice President David Stanton of Fusion Ceramics will serve as program chair.

A quality print can only be produced by using a quality fabricated screen. By focusing efforts in three areas—environment, components and processes—quality screens can be made consistently and repeatedly.

Medium, or vehicle, selection is a critical decision in selecting the appropriate product for a glass decorating process.