Screen printing involves pressing ink through a stencil onto a surface using a squeegee. It is versatile and can be used on various surfaces. Photographic stencils can be used, and the process is easy to perform. Offset lithography is a more complex technique that produces high-quality prints at low cost.
The screen printing process involves pressing ink through the open pores of an impenetrable material called a stencil that is supported on a framed mesh of fabric. The stencil blocks the pores of the mesh in non-image areas, leaving the pores open in the areas to be printed. To start the screen printing process, ink is poured on top and allowed to spread across the stencil. Using a squeegee with rubber or leather blades, the ink is then ‘pushed’ into the open pores of the stencil to print an image. The screen printing process is considered an easy method of hand printing, as it does not require the use of complex printing machines.
For most people, the screen printing process is the most versatile of printing techniques because it can be used to print designs or images onto almost any surface, including paper, wood, and fabric. In addition, the screen printing process can also be used for creating artwork, printing labels on packaging boxes, commercial printing, and even for electronic circuits; this can be accomplished using unsophisticated materials, including a stencil, ink, a squeegee, and a fine woven mesh of synthetic fiber or silk. Unlike other printing techniques like offset printing and lithography or offset lithography, the screen printing process is quite easy to perform. The ink is simply transferred onto a surface using a stencil.
Offset lithography, however, is a slightly more complex technique than the screen printing process. It is becoming increasingly popular because it can produce high quality prints at relatively low cost. Using a water repellent coating, the designs are first made on a metal plate which is then mounted on a cylinder which rotates as the printing equipment operates. Separate rollers then spread water and ink onto the plate. This is followed by the settling of the ink on the coating and the transfer of the ink onto a roller and then onto a surface, particularly onto paper.
The stencils used in the screen printing process can be cut manually or produced photographically, and with this second method are therefore called photomatrixes. Photographic stencils are usually made on an adhesive-backed film, but another alternative is coating the screen with a photosensitive emulsion. They develop in water after being exposed through a positive film. During development, image areas continue to be soluble, but are washed away. The inside of the frame serves as a repository for ink, a liquid that is pushed across and across the screen as a result of the work done by the squeegee.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
