Legendary references point out to the fact that silk was discovered in Asia. In Silkscreen printing, screens were originally made of a piece of absorbent fine silk. Silkscreen printing originated from simple Japanese stenciling art forms. The modern Silkscreen process has evolved from ideas adopted by John Pilsworth in 1914 in San Francisco, California. This is known to be the first reference material on how to use a Silkscreen to form multicolor prints. It is a source of information that is applied even today.
Screen printing, also known as Silkscreening or serigraphy, is a printing method that usually creates a sharp edged single color mage using a stencil and a porous fabric. An image created using this technique is called a screen-print or serigraph. In electrical terms, silkscreen refers to the writing on a printed circuit board. This method maybe used in etching copper wiring on a circuit board.
This technology gained its popularity from the "Pop Art Movement" of the 1960s. At present, this method is increasingly being used in fine arts and small-scale commercial printing. Silkscreening gained popularity during the First World War. The industry flourished in response to the increasing demand for printing flags and banners. Consequently, the use of graphic stencils also increased.
There are several ways to create a pattern for screen printing. The simplest way to create a silkscreen pattern is by hand. One can acquire a desired shape by cutting a piece of paper or plastic film and fasten it to the screen or by creating an illustration on the screen itself. A more artistic method involves painting a picture with drawing paint. After it dries, it is coated with screen filler. This is again dried and then, water is squirted on it. This washes away all the material leaving behind a stencil spray. This method permits the artist to stay true to the portrayal technique and yet create multiples.
Silkscreen printing is most commonly used for t-shirts, garments and other fabrics. It is also used on ceramic objects, metal, wood, paper, glass, and synthetic items. This technique is essential and ideal to represent bold and graphic designs. Today screen printing is more flexible than conventional printing techniques and is being increasingly used in a wide variety of industries.
