Definition and features:

    All serigraphic prints are based on the concept of stencil. The stencil technique uses a thin sheet of impenetrable, durable material design cut into it. This is placed over a receiving surface. Thus the paint or dye applied over the surface of the stencil only reaches the receiving surface where the design has been cut away. A popular method for printing stencil designs is silk-screen printing.

Silkscreen presents pictures with the technique that the ink infiltrate through the meshes on the image part of the board into the paper. The printed image on the paper always carries the imprint of the meshes, which makes it more decorative. This technique can often be seen in industrial print.

The development of serigraphy

    Silkscreen printing developed from the old Chinese art of stencil printing. Early experiments employing silk-screen printing techniques were made in Germany and England during the 19^th century. In 1907 a patent was granted to the Englishman Samuel Simon for a silk-screen process. A similar method was developed in the United States in 1914. Since then, silk-screen printing has been used in industry and in commercial art, particularly for textile design, plastic and glass decoration, and poster reproduction. More recently, however, silk screening has also become a fine art. An original silk-screening has designed by an illustrator or painter is often referred to as a serigraph. Serigraph has been used as an art form by the contemporary artist.

The process of silkscreen

    First of all, needles are used to dig holes on the wax paper. Second, the wax paper is pasted on the web frame. Then, cylinder roller is used to put the ink on the web. The ink will infiltrate through the meshes onto the paper. Unlike the inverse image printed by the gravure printing, relief printing and lithography printing, serigraphy print prints a picture that comes in the same direction as the image on the board.

    The same silk screen may be used repeatedly for additional prints. Allover patterns are created by moving the silk screen to different areas of the printing surface. For designs of more than one color a separate stencil is employed for each color. Silk-screen prints are noted for their clear, brilliant hues. Moreover, the process allow the printer to print light colors over dark ones successfully and to use a wide variety of delicate shades that will not show up with other printing methods.

   The advantages of silkscreen: Inking and printing can be done simultaneously. It avoids invert printing, and is easy to apply, without size limitation. The color of the print is sharp.

Application

    Nowadays silkscreen or screenprint is the most commonly known form of serigraphic printmaking. This technique is used in many day to day objects, such as posters, T-shirts, printed fabrics and wallpaper design.

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