Ink shield screen printing assembly and process

A shielded printing screen for use in a screen printing apparatus to print an ink pattern on a substrate, said shielded printing screen comprising:

• a) a first frame member;
• b) a first sheet of mesh fabric mounted on said first frame member;
• c) at least one layer of exposed emulsion formed on said first sheet of mesh fabric to define a pattern of exposed emulsion and open mesh areas in said first sheet;
• d) a second frame member secured to said first frame member;
• e) a second sheet of elastic material mounted on said second frame member and positioned proximate said first mesh fabric in parallel, spaced-apart relationship such that said first and second sheets and said first and second frame members define an ink containment area, said second sheet being non-porous, whereby ink positioned in the ink containment area is shielded from environmental conditions;
• and
• f) an ink dispensing means positioned along an edge of the containment area between said first sheet and said second sheet, said ink dispensing means including at least one connection means extending through an aperture in the containment area to facilitate the delivery of ink through said ink dispensing means to the containment area.

A shielded printing screen for use in a screen printing apparatus to print an ink pattern on a substrate, said shielded printing screen comprising:

• a) a first frame member;
• b) a first sheet of mesh fabric mounted on said first frame member;
• c) at least one layer of exposed emulsion defined on said first sheet of mesh fabric to define a pattern of exposed emulsion and open mesh areas in said first sheet;
• d) a second frame member secured to said first frame member;
• e) a second sheet of elastic material mounted on said second frame member and positioned proximate said first mesh fabric in parallel, spaced-apart relationship such that said first and second sheets and said first and second frame members define an ink containment area, said second sheet being non-porous, whereby ink positioned in the ink containment area is shielded from environmental conditions;
• and
• f) a vapor dispensing means having at least one port extending through an aperture in the containment area to facilitate the delivery of a water vapor from said vapor dispensing means to the containment area.

A shielded printing screen for use in a screen printing apparatus to print an ink pattern on a substrate, said shielded printing screen comprising:

• a) a first frame member;
• b) a first sheet of mesh fabric mounted on said first frame member;
• c) at least one layer of exposed emulsion defined on said first sheet of mesh fabric to define a pattern of exposed emulsion and open mesh areas in said first sheet;
• d) a second frame member secured to said first frame member;
• e) a second sheet of elastic material mounted on said second frame member and positioned proximate said first mesh fabric in parallel, spaced-apart relationship such that said first and second sheets and said first and second frame members define an ink containment area, said second sheet being non-porous, whereby ink positioned in the ink containment area is shielded from environmental conditions;
• and
• f) at least one containment strip positioned in the ink containment area between the open mesh areas in said first sheet and an edge of the ink containment area.