Screen Printing

By Anita Sung

Screen printing is one of the initial methods used in printing process. In this process, the ink or any other printing medium is passed through a screen or 'mesh' that has been fixed on a frame, and a stencil has been applied to it. The image that needs to be imprinted is determined from the stencil openings. For the different colors, different screens are prepared and the process is repeated.

Silk screening or serigraph also involves screen printing. In this, the stencil method of the print making imposes a design on the screen of silk or any other fine mesh and the empty areas are covered with an impermeable substance while the ink is put on the printing surface through the mesh. The silk printing was the traditional method but now it has been replaced with the polyester for screen painting.

Screen painting is the technique developed by the Chinese almost 2000 years back and the screen was made of human hair stretched across a wooden frame. The Japanese developed it further by using the woven silk as mesh and lacquers as stencils. Europe adopted this technique much later as it involved silk which was not available in the Europe.

In the United States, the screen printing was popularized by artist Andy Warhol, he screen printed actress Marilyn Monroe in'62. A rotary machine was patented by Michael Vasilantone in'60 to print logos and team information on bowling garments but shortly, started printing on t-shirts. It was soon licensed by many manufactures for screen printing of garments making the rotary garment printing machine as a popular device for screen printing. In the United States, screen printing on garments account for almost half of the screen printing activity.

The screen printing business flourished and became a profitable industry. It was adopted by the artists to express and they used it to duplicate their works and they have been using it before '00s. Currently, it is popular both in the commercial printing and fine arts industry. It is commonly used print images on the T-shirts, CDs, DVDs, hats, glass, ceramics, polyethylene, paper, polypropylene, wood and metals.

Currently, graphic screen printing is used in creation of mass or large batch production graphics such as posters or display stands. The screen printing is more suitable for printing on non-porous surfaces like ceramics and metals, curved surfaces like bottles and cups and also for short print runs.

The Corporate have well utilized this option and have started giving their employees and clients corporate gifts that are screen printed with different ideas and also corporate logos. This is a good way in which the corporate can increase their presence. The Corporate gifts are usually given once or twice to the employees. The screen printed corporate gifts are like t-shirts made in different sizes and styles keeping in mind the different employees. The corporate gifts can also be in form of mugs, beer and wine glasses, and many corporate give their best employees fully paid vacations.

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