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Silk-screening, which is also referred to as serigraphy or screen printing, is a centuries-old process that originated in China, It is, in essence, a refined version of a hand stenciled process. The image is divided, as it were, by a color, with a screen corresponding to each shade of ink that will appear on the final surface-paper, canvas, fabric, etc. The ink is applied to a screen, transferring to the paper only through the porous segments. A separate screen must be created for each color. On average, it takes 80 to 100 screens to create a serigraph. The elements are hand-drawn onto Mylar and photographically exposed onto each screen. Inks are matched to the hues of the original and custom mixed. Each edition takes approximately eight weeks to complete: four to five people handle the several stages of the process, and 80 to 90 percent of the production time is devoted to making color separations and the screens.
The serigraphic process incorporates the use of fine mesh screens to hand separate the colors of the image. Originally, these screens were made of silk, hence the name by which this process is also known silk screening. To produce a serigraphic print, a separate stencil-like screen is made for each area that is to be printed in one color of ink. The ink is then squeegee through the screen onto the paper. The inks sit on top of the heavy paper on which the final serigraph is produced. Because the ink is not absorbed by the paper as in other processes, the final serigraphic print actually looks like a painting on paper.
Serigraphy is a color stencil printing process in which a special ink is forced through a fine screen onto the paper beneath. Areas which do not print are blocked with photo sensitive emulsion that has been exposed with high intensity arc lights. A squeegee is pulled from back to front, producing a direct transfer of the image from screen to paper. A separate stencil is required for each color and one hundred colors or more may be necessary to achieve the desired effect. A serigraph, also referred to as a screen-print, differs from other graphics in that its color is made up of thick oil based ink rather than translucent 4 color process printing inks. This technique is extremely versatile, and can create effects similar to oil color, transparent washes as well as gouache and pastel.
Also referred to as a silk screen or screen print. This is a stencil process of printing where silk, nylon or polyester is used. The stencil is made by blocking portions of the screen with a non-porous material. One way to do this is with a photographic stencil method in which the screen is made from a light sensitive film. This allows the artist to reproduce any image that exists photographically. A separate screen is prepared for each color that is used. Ink is squeezed through the screen and transferred to the paper below. After each color application, the paper is allowed to dry. The process was invented in England at the beginning of the century. It gained commercial popularity after World War I.
A silk screen printing process using stencils adhered to silk or nylon mesh through which ink is pushed by a squeegee. The ink is laid down in a separate layer for each color. Some serigraphs have many layers, while others have only a few. Some inks are transparent, others opaque, resulting in very different effects. |  |
