Silk-screening is a printing process used to create prints on a variety of materials. It is an inexpensive alternative to other printing methods, and can result in high-quality finished prints. Minimal equipment is required, which makes silk-screening a viable option for individuals as well as businesses.
Etymology
Silk-screening is more commonly known as screen printing. There is currently much etymological confusion surrounding the term silk-screening. This arises due to abandonment of silk as a practical material for use in the trade after the 1960s, being replaced with polyester. Modern businesses, artists and even encyclopedias most commonly refer to the practice as screen printing.
History
Silk-screening was first practiced during the Song Dynasty in China around 960 CE. Other Asian countries such as Japan also adopted this method and developed it further. Silk-screening was not introduced to Europe until the late 1700s. However, it was not widely used.
The first patent for silk-screening was obtained by Englishman Samuel Simon in 1907. It was then typically used for creating expensive wall papers. Today, silk-screening is used to produce large batches of graphic products.
Technique
A mesh screen is pulled taught over a frame, usually made of wood or aluminum. Areas of the screen are blocked to form a stencil, effectively creating a negative of the image to be printed. The screen is then placed on top of a substrate, and ink is poured on top of the screen. A tool known as a fill bar, or floodbar, is used to spread the ink and fill in the unblocked places of the screen. This creates the image on the substrate, which is typically fabric or paper.
Types
There are many different types of silk-screening inks. The most common is plastisol. It is usually used for decorating garments. Water-based inks create a softer feel than plastisol and penetrate fabric more deeply. Discharge inks work by removing color from the fabric rather than actually dyeing it. It is best used for printing on darker backgrounds. Glitter or shimmer is used to create a sparkle effect. The glitter is suspended in plastisol ink. Expanding ink, sometimes called puff, expands the print off of the fabric to create a 3D effect. Other types of ink used in silk-screening include gloss, suede and caviar beads.
Function
Silk-screening is used to decorate all manner of objects. Garments are the most recognized silk-screened products, but the method is also used on decals, clocks, watch faces, hats, CDs, ceramics and posters. Artists often incorporate silk-screening to create their own products, but fine arts and commercial printers also utilize the practice.
