Screen Printing Process

There is a specific process that a printer or artist must follow when screen printing an item. First, a screen must be made as a stencil – this screen, made of porous material, is stretched taut over a frame. Parts that ink does not need to go through are covered with a non-porous substance, creating a pattern. Ink is placed on top of the screen, and the screen printing process continues as the artist uses a squeegee (rubber blade) to push the ink through the screen onto the material being printed. This ink is allowed to dry, and then if another color is needed to be printed, the process is repeated with a different screen and colored ink. Silk screens can be reused repeatedly, as long as they are properly cleaned after each use – this allows for consistency when many items need to look the same. Stencils can be made by hand, or by machine, and the different techniques allow for different looks to the end product.