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The term "screen printing" is derived from
the words "silk" and "to write". In this ancient technique, a fine network of silk (today synthetic)
fibers is stretched across an aluminium screen. Areas of the mesh corresponding to negative parts of the design are blocked, while the rest is left open,
allowing the color to transfer to the paper. The ink is forced through the mesh onto the paper with a tool called a "squeegee", which is made of wood with a rubber blade attached.
This simple yet popular technique offers countless applications and allows one to print on a wide variety of materials with an unlimited range
of vibrant colors that maintain their intensity over time.
It is possible to print on a wide variety of materials such as paper, cardboard, wood, metal, plastic, fabric, leather, etc... And the choice of colors ranges from the standard
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pigments to fluorescents, transparents, metallics, glow-in-the-darks, uv-fluorescents, glitter inks and many more.
Screen printing allows one to print large formats at affordable prices, which is one of the reasons why so many artists utilize this technique.
Along with all of the benefits of screen printing, however, there are a few challenges, and new-comers to the art should be forwarned.
Drawbacks
Screen printing is not as precise and fast as offset. Multiple-color registration can be very difficult in some cases.
Screen printing requires a great deal of manipulations, from the degreasing of the screens to the enduction, printing and reclaiming. All of these steps have to be completed thoroughly
and manually, which makes it a very time consuming and energy intensive method.
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Don't be scared off though...
Advantages
Screen printing provides a thick layer of ink, that gives the colors a brightness and opacity that is often difficult to attain with other techniques.
It is an economical method for production of small quantities of prints (under 500) or large formats.
Finally, in contrast to the traditional offset technique, screen printing can be used on virtually any flat-surfaced material, making it a highly versatile technique.
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