Screen Printing on Glass & Ceramic
Screen printing remains essential in glass and ceramic production. It allows decorators to print on oversized, 3D, and uneven surfaces while applying thick, opaque inks—often containing glass frit or precious metals. Choosing the right emulsion is essential for success. This guide breaks down common ink types and offers our top picks for each ink.
Which Emulsion Should I Choose?
Screen printing on glass provides vibrant, opaque colors and durable, long-lasting designs that resist fading, scratching, and environmental wear. The method supports a variety of ink types—such as ceramic, UV-curable, and epoxy inks—allowing for heat and chemical resistance and precision detailing. This makes it ideal for products requiring both visual impact and durability, like branded drinkware, cosmetic containers, and automotive glass. Additionally, screen printing allows for efficient high-volume production with consistent quality, making it a popular choice for commercial applications.
Contact Chromaline’s experienced Technical Specialists to help you find the optimum stencil system for your unique or challenging application on glass and ceramic. With years of product research and development, Chromaline has assembled a comprehensive product range, with solutions that will fit your screen printing needs.
Ceramic Inks
These are traditionally used for high-durability prints on glass, as they can be fired at high temperatures (around 500–600°C). Firing bonds the ink to the glass surface, making it resistant to wear, heat, and chemicals. This makes ceramic inks ideal for high-quality labels on premium glass bottles, like spirits or wine bottles, that need to withstand washing and handling
TOP PICKS: UDC-ACE Dual-Cure Emulsion | Magna/Cure® Dual-Cure Capillary Film
Type: Solvent or Thermo-plastic
UV-Curable Inks
Cure instantly under UV light, allowing for high-speed production lines. These inks adhere well to glass, offering vibrant colors and good durability without the need for high-temperature curing. They are often used for cosmetic bottles and beverage containers with simpler designs or high-volume production needs
TOP PICKS: DTS Z1 Photopolymer | Razor® Photopolymer* Capillary Film
Type: UV
2-Part Epoxy Inks
These inks consist of a resin base and a hardener or catalyst, which chemically bond with the glass surface, creating a durable, permanent print after curing. Epoxy inks are popular for printing on glass items such as drinkware, bottles, and containers that may experience frequent handling and washing.
TOP PICKS: UDC-ACE Dual-Cure* Emulsion | Magna/Cure® Dual-cure Capillary Film
Type: Solvent
Conductive Silver Paste
Conductive silver paste is popular for printing on glass items such as automotive heated rear windows, antennas, wiper heating and ceramic cook tops. These inks contain fine particles of silver or other conductive materials, allowing them to form heating elements when printed on the glass surface. The ink’s conductivity allows electricity to flow through it, creating heat to deice the windshield efficiently.
TOP PICKS: UDC-ACE Dual-Cure Emulsion | Razor® Photopolymer* Capillary Film
Type: Solvent
What To Expect From Chromaline Emulsions
Excellent Build-up
The ability to achieve a thicker stencil with fewer passes, reducing labor and material costs while ensuring a consistent coating
Wide Exposure Latitude
Predictable, repeatable imaging that offer forgiving exposure times, making it easier to dial in the perfect image with both LED and traditional exposure units
Fast Drying and Exposure
Ability to dry quickly and expose rapidly, reducing the time spent in the screen-making process and minimizing downtime
Easy Reclaim
Easy, stain-free reclaim for quick turns and to extend the life of your screens by reducing the need for harsh reclaiming and dehazing chemicals
Excellent Price-Performance Ratio
Delivers professional results at a cost-effective price, designed to meet the demands of this highly competitive industry
Product Support
A knowledgeable support team for troubleshooting assistance, product recommendations, or advice on optimizing your screen-making process