What is screenprinting?

Screen printing is a form of printing using mesh screens coated in emulsion. An image is exposed onto the screen then washed out leaving the mesh clear where the image had been.

A pool of ink is then pulled across the the image on the mesh with a rubber bladed squeegee and the pressure forces the ink through the mesh and onto the substrate, producing the printed image.

Versatility is the major advantage in screen printing - as long as a surface is flat it can be printed!One of the characteristics of screen printing is the thickness of ink on the printed image.

This is many times that of a litho print and is usually opaque in that a printed colour will cover an underprint.Although fully automatic, relatively high speed machines can be used for long run paper, board and garment printing, much of the work is carried out on hand operated presses.