A Brief History of Screen Printing Supplies
A Brief History of Printing Screens
Screen printing, which started in the 1900s, is the most popular and versatile among other printing styles. It is useful on different materials or substrates like plastic, paper, glass, fabric, and metal. Its versatility is its advantage and makes it a veritable player in the printing industry. Common products produced from this method include posters, signs, textile prints, and labels. Another advantage the method has is its use of simple materials like a screen.
A screen is a measure of finely woven and porous fabric stretched and fitted tightly over a wooden or aluminum frame. A negative overlay or stencil is attached on the screen. Before the First World War, silk was the material of choice in making screens. Samuel Simon patented the process in England in early 1900s. In 1914, an American, John Pilsworth adopted the use of the silk screen and formed differently-colored prints much like today's screen printing process.
There was a boom in the silk screen printing industry during WWI because there was a rush to print banners, army streamers, and flags. Photographic stencils were also used instead of hand-cut ones which made the printing process faster. The use of silk lasted until before World War II. During the war, there was an inflation in the price of silk because it was used in the war effort. The screen printing industry turned to polyester and nylon as substitutes. The printers found that these new fabrics are more durable than silk while giving the same quality prints. At present, screen printing industries still rely on the two fabrics.
Screens are used by blocking sections of it with the stencil leaving open spaces for the ink to flow. Placed over the fabric or paper to be printed on, ink is poured on the screen. A rubber blade or squeegee is used to spread the ink evenly. The ink passes through the open spaces in the screen onto the material below. After this process, the carefully lifted screen is set aside and the final design is allowed to dry. Screens are made of durable material and can be reused after washing off excess ink.
Screen Printing Supplies