Industrial Screen Printing Services
Dense, durable, subsurface graphics
Industrial screen printing on flexible and metal substrates, including subsurface graphics printed behind a clear face so the material itself protects the image. Printed, cut, formed, and finished in-house.
U.S. Nameplate Co. screen prints orders to produce high-quality, long-lasting results on both metal and flexible materials. It is a durable solution for indoor and outdoor applications, and on clear substrates the printing goes sub-surface, where abrasion and chemicals cannot reach it. We stock a variety of materials in varying thicknesses in-house, cut and machined to your specification. Quotes are free.
About screen printing
Screen printing lays down a heavier ink film than any digital process, and that extra thickness is what makes the legend last. For industrial identification that has to stay readable through years of handling, sunlight, and solvent contact, it is still the most durable way to put graphics on a part.
We screen print projects of most any size, and because we stock metal and flexible substrates on the same floor, the printed part can be cut, punched, and formed here as well.
-
Custom decals for equipment and machinery
-
-
Industrial signs
-
Metal nameplates and identification plates
-
Graphic overlays and dead-front panel overlays
-
Screen printing durability
Screen printed metal products are durable and resistant to abrasion and solvents. The ink sits on the surface as a genuine film rather than a thin dye layer, so it takes real wear before the legend starts to go.
On clear materials the advantage is bigger. We print on the underside of the substrate, so the graphics are sandwiched between the material and whatever the part is mounted to. Nothing abrasive ever touches the ink. A sub-surface printed overlay can be wiped down daily for years and still read as it did on day one.
It is compatible with virtually all substrates, which is why it remains the default for panel overlays and safety labels that have to outlive the machine they identify.
The screen printing process
Screen printing uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The stencil leaves open areas of mesh that pass ink through to the material below. A squeegee moves across the screen, forcing ink into the mesh openings and transferring it onto the substrate.
Each color is a separate screen and a separate pass, which is why screen printing rewards volume: once the screens exist, every additional part is fast. For a part with one or two spot colors running in production quantities, nothing else comes close on cost per piece.
Screen printing materials
Vinyl
Flexible, conformable, and economical. Suits interior decals and short-life labelling.
Polyester
The workhorse flexible substrate. Dimensionally stable, chemical resistant, and the usual choice for overlays and safety labels.
Polycarbonate
Used for overlays and faces that take repeated finger contact and need to resist cracking.
Aluminum
.005″–.187″ in bright, foil, mill, and brushed finishes. Temperature resistant, excellent chemical and corrosion resistance, and it machines and forms well.
Anodized aluminum
Sapphire-hard surface with roughly 20-year exterior life. The most widely used material for industrial metal nameplates.
Brass
.020″–.032″ brushed, UV coated and non-sparking.
Stainless steel
.010″–.035″ in 2B mill finish, roughly 20-year exterior life.
Screen printing or digital printing
Both run here, so we will quote whichever costs you less. The choice comes down to colors, quantity, and whether every part is identical.
Screen printing suits
One to four spot colors, production quantities, maximum durability, sub-surface printing on clear stock, and exact spot-color matching.
Digital printing suits
Photographic imagery, many colors, short runs, variable data such as serial numbers, and prototypes where no screens should be built.
A practical rule
If the artwork is a few flat colors and you are running hundreds or thousands, screen print it. If every piece carries different data or the artwork is a photograph, print it digitally.
See digital printing for the other half of that comparison.
How a screen printing order runs
- 1
Send your artwork. Our seasoned art department turns a blueprint or artwork into a press-ready proof at no charge, and quotes are free on every order.
- 2
We confirm colors and material. Spot colors, substrate, thickness, and finish, chosen against where the part mounts and what it has to survive.
- 3
You approve the proof. Graphics, color, and finished size are signed off before any screen is made.
- 4
Production. Most jobs finish 7–10 days after the proof is approved, in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility. Rush work runs 3–5 business days for an additional fee.
- 5
Finishing and delivery. Printed stock is cut, punched, or formed here as needed, and orders ship within a 10% over/under quantity standard.
Screen printing RFQ checklist
-
Artwork, with colors identified if you have specific spot-color targets
-
Finished size and shape, and any holes or cutouts
-
Material and thickness if specified, or a description of the application so we can recommend one
-
Where the part mounts and what it is exposed to in service
-
Whether the part is clear and should be printed sub-surface
-
Quantity, and whether this is a one-time run or a repeat program
-
Your timing, including the date the line actually needs parts
If you do not have all of that yet, send what you have and call 319-895-8804. Customer service is open 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM–3:30 PM CST Friday, and you will always reach someone in person.
Since 1946
Family-owned and operated in Mount Vernon, Iowa
3,000+
OEMs supplied across the U.S. and abroad
25 years
Outdoor exposure, some products guaranteed longer
7–10 days
Typical production after proof approval
$0
Tooling fee on in-house equipment
Why U.S. Nameplate Co.
Why manufacturers bring screen printing work to U.S. Nameplate Co.
One partner, one roof
Metal identification and flexible labels are produced under one roof in Mount Vernon, Iowa, so a single supplier covers plates, tags, overlays, decals, and safety labels instead of three.
No tooling fee on in-house equipment
U.S. Nameplate Co. does not charge a tooling fee for any in-house equipment. A one-time charge applies only when a tool has to be created for your order.
You reach a person
Customer service representatives are available 8:00 AM–4:30 PM CST Monday through Thursday and 7:00 AM–3:30 PM CST Friday. You will always reach someone in person.
Built to outlast the equipment
Metal nameplates are built to withstand up to 25 years of outdoor exposure, with some products guaranteed for 25 years or more. Safety labels are UL authorized and OSHA compliant, produced in an ISO 9001:2015 certified facility.
Family-owned since 1946
Supplier of choice to more than 3,000 original equipment manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad, with team members averaging 10+ years of service.
One piece or one million
The 55,000 sq ft climate-controlled facility is equipped to handle orders from a single plate to production volumes, on repeat release schedules.
Request a quote for screen printing
We offer free quotes on all screen printing orders. Send the drawing, artwork, quantities, application, and timing you have today — our art department turns a blueprint into a press-ready proof, and we will tell you what is still open.
Most jobs finish 7–10 days after the proof is approved. Rush orders can be produced in 3–5 business days for an additional fee. Orders ship within a 10% over/under quantity standard.
Request a Quote or call 319-895-8804 and you will reach someone in person.
