Multi-Image Corporation: Screen Printing and the Economy

Originally reported for NCC News on November 8, 2010.

In Syracuse there are some businesses that have felt less of a pinch during the on going work recession in America. Multi-Image Corporation is a screen printing business owned by Brian Russell that has been around for 35 years. Russell says, “I think Syracuse has been a little bit insulated from the major down turn in the economy. I think that a lot of the major businesses had already left Syracuse for some reason or another. So that the local economy never really got beat up very badly.” Multi-Image Corporation has

actually been more productive this year than in past years.

Screen printing as an independent business is a fairly inexpensive investment. The competition comes and goes very quickly due to the fact that the equipment is obtainable to own. Russell says the key to staying a float in this industry is “Flexibility, deep pockets at times, customer services, and a decent product at a decent price.”

The screen printing process consists of many different steps. First the customer must agree on the artwork used. The art is then produced through an ink jet printer on a plastic velum, which is a semi-translucent film used to transfer images. Then the velum is taped to a screen coated with a light sensitive liquid called emulsion. Once the emulsion dries, the image is burnt through the coating on the screen with ultraviolet lights for approximately 20-minutes. The screen will then be aligned to a pallet on a screen printing press. At this time the printing will begin using squeegees and screen printing ink. The end product is sent down a dryer that heat cures the ink to the t-shirt before it is ready to be sold as a finished product.

According to Russell screen printing is a valuable means of advertising. Everyone from high school sports teams to local businesses can use screen printing to provide uniform designs to identify their team members or employees. However in m

any screen printing operations the work slows down in the wintertime. This does not have to do with the economy but has more to do with the fact that t-shirts are a screen printer’s main commodities. Logistically less t-shirts sell in the colder months of the year than the warmer months.