Screen Printing is a form of stencilling that is often used in the production of fine art printmaking or to decorate textiles materials or garments. It is a creative process or occupation whereby stencilled artworks or designs are transferred manually or automatically onto a flat surface using a mesh screen, ink and a squeegee. Stencils can be created by either using paper, film, acetate, tape, or ultra-violet photo emulsion.
Screen Prints on paper are often referred to as Serigraphs, distinguishing them from industrialised and automated applications.
Like other printmaking techniques, Screen Printing provides fine artists and designers with a means of producing multiple hand-made original works of art on paper. Screen printing fine art editions has been a tradition niche for the technique and is most commonly applied to high quality hand-made archival papers. Other outcomes on paper include wallpaper, wrapping paper, cards, posters, packaging, paper bags, and books.
Screen printing is also regularly applied to textiles or fabric, and offers artists and designers quality, durability and economies of scale. Behind this popularity is a significant range of commercial outcomes through wearable and usable items or garments including t-shirts, singlets, hoodies, sweaters, tote bags, tea towels, caps, fashion, costume, bed linen, table wear, furniture upholstery, pillow cases and more.
