Silk screen printing, quick and easy
Silk screen printing is a very old form of printing. It originated in China during the Song dynasty (960 – 1279); and the Japanese soon adopted the process to their own block making techniques. The silk mesh screen was patented in 1907 by Samuel Simon of England. Originally, silk (which is itself a Chinese discovery) was indeed used to make the screens; but nowadays, synthetic material is used instead, so the term “silk screen printing” is pretty much a misnomer and many prefer to call it simply “screen printing” or even “serigraphy.”
Whatever it is called, the technique requires, among other things, a porous mesh screen stretched over a metallic or wooden frame; glitter; metallic; mirrored silver, suede, and water- based inks; caviar beads and glue; and nylobond ink. The first thing to do is to “pre- press” the screen, using an emulsion until an area the shape of the image to be printed is visible, and taping off the edges of the screen. Next, use a non- porous substance to “mask off” the areas where the ink will not be placed. The screen is placed on the surface to be printed, the ink put on, and a squeegee rolled over the ink to transfer it to the surface. After the work is done, clean off the screen with a mixture of water and dishwasher soap. It is also possible to print by stenciling, nowadays usually with the “photo emulsion” technique.
Screen printing can be used to transfer print to balloons, T shirts, medical devices, and other things, because it does not require a large amount of printing pressure.
For those who would like to learn more about silk screen printing, refer to Youtube for more in depth information and a video tutorial.