The world of screen printing is yours to explore

You may believe you understand what screen printing is … but do you really?

Here’s some background:

Images, text, and patterns may be printed using the screen printing process on a variety of materials, such as fabrics, ceramics, wood, metal, and plastics. The initial uses of this technology may be traced back to China thousands of years ago, and Japan has improved it through the years using stenciling techniques. The 18th century saw its first appearance in Western Europe, particularly in France. In the start of the 20th century, an Englishman created a patent for the method of using a silk-mesh screen and a squeegee to force the ink through the screen, which led to the process evolving into what it is today. This method is still in use today.

Here’s how it works:

First, you need the right tools:
• Artwork
• Screen
• Squeegee
• Ink

The artwork is then transferred to the mesh of the screen using a photosensitive liquid and UV light. A squeegee is used to force ink through the screen once the stencil has been made. When the screen is raised, the picture will stay on the surface below (i.e – t-shirt). There are several processes required, thus this has been considerably simplified. It’s a pretty hands-on procedure, which adds to how wonderful it is to have a gorgeous screen printed item at the end of it.