Over View: Digital thermal screen making is a fast, chemical-free, computer-to-screen (CTS) process that uses heat to create stencils for screen printing. It bypasses traditional emulsion, darkrooms, and washout steps by using a thermal head to perforate a heat-sensitive mesh in minutes. It is ideal for high-detail and on-demand screen printing.
History of Thermal Screen Making: Its origin lies in the original Thermofax technology whereby a carbon master (usually printed off of a copy machine) was then inserted into the Thermofax machine. The image was scanned and the data was sent to a Thermal head that was used to print on Thermal paper. But for screen printing purposes a sheet of mesh laminated with a proprietary PET coating was substituted and the Thermal head removed the areas for ink to pass through.
2nd Generation: While the Thermofax technology remained in the market, newer Flash Technology came along but was Analog instead of Digital. It used a very similar PET laminated mesh but how it created heat was by a chemical reaction of high-powered Xenon Bulb activating carbon and producing heat. This heat is what opened the PET coating in the image area.
3rd Generation: As the world was moving toward less ink, Thermal printing started gaining strength again as receipt printers dominated the marketplace. Riso took this technology and capitalized it by using the existing technology and making it better. Introducing higher definition Thermal Print Heads into their equipment while refining the PET/Mesh manufacturing to achieve better detail than conventional emulsion screen making. The new Thermal Heads offered 600 DPI resolution (GP100, QS200) and an FM print driver to go with the equipment. This made 60lpi line screens easily achievable on Riso 120 Master Film.
4th Generation: Riso unveiled its flagship QS2536 boasting an incredible1200dpi resolution. In 2018 Riso redesigned the laminate glue to move it over into the solvent, UV and discharge ink market. And in 2025 it developed the Premium Master which significantly improved on-press durability.