By Alice
4th April 2019
Screen-printing was popularized in the 1930s when it became a vehicle for social and political commentary.
There are numerous variations on the technique however in each, some form of stencil is fixed to a mesh screen stretched over a frame. Originally the screen was made of silk, hence the other common name ‘silk-screen’ printing. The frame is then placed on the printing surface and ink applied to the top of the screen.
Screen Printing's Process
A ‘squeegee’ (a specially adapted rubber blade) is pulled through the ink, down the length of the screen and is distributed evenly and squeezed through the cut away portions of the stencil design. An artwork can be layered with different colours and the image developed by repeating this process.
Nelly Duff currently holds the world record for the highest number of screens used to produce a hand pulled screen-printed edition, on the Shutter A-Z with Ben Eine.
