"The beginning is the most important part of the work"
Plato
Screen Printing
Establishing new skills...
Early Silk Screening
Silk screening can be traced to the China where forms of screen printing using stencils were seen as early as the 10th century - using silk! This was about 400 years before Guttenberg operated the first printing press in Europe. Europeans started to use screen printing techniques in the 18th century. This was dependent on silk screen mesh becoming more widely available internationally.
An Ancient Art Form
Developed by the Chinese
Screen printing is an ancient art form. An early version of the technique was first pioneered in China, around AD 950, as a method of printing patterns onto fabric. Several centuries later, Japanese artisans adopted the practice to transfer designs onto paper and fabric, using a stiff brush to push ink through a mesh screen woven from human hair.
Screen printing arrived in Europe in the 18th century, but it was slow to catch on as a fabric printing method owing to the high cost of silk mesh at the time. Once the Silk Road made imported silk more affordable, screen printing gradually became a popular — and profitable — way to print fabric. By the early 20th century, printers had developed photo-sensitised emulsions, allowing artisans to create complex stencil designs much more easily.
In the 1930s, artists began experimenting with screen printing as an artistic medium, naming their new-found form 'serigraphy' to distinguish it from industrial printing. By the 1960s, artists such as Eduardo Paolozzi and Andy Warhol were using screen printing to create fine art. Dubbed 'pop-art', the artist used screen-printing to create multiple copies of a single image, essentially questioning what constituted fine art. Warhol's famous Marilyn Diptych is perhaps the best-known example of screen printing as an artistic form.
Nowadays, screen printing is used both as an artistic medium and as a commercial printing process. One stencil can be used to reproduce the same design hundreds — or even thousands — of times, so it’s a brilliant technique for producing large orders of custom clothing.
Silk screening was developed by the Chinese
Screen printing, also called silk screen printing, is a distinct printing technique where ink is transferred onto a substrate (e.g., a t-shirt) using mesh and a squeegee. It’s considered a method of stenciling as it is produced by imposing the design on a screen with blank areas of the design coated with a substance the ink cannot pass through. Then, the printer forces the ink through mesh openings with a squeegee and transfers the design onto the print surface.
Many assume that because this design technique is so prevalent today, it must be contemporary. However, screen printing originated in the Song Dynasty in China between 960 and 1279 CE. The Song Dynasty – credited with being the first nation to issue paper money – stands as an era that witnessed advancements in painting and other forms of artistic expression.
The Chinese were known to stretch human hair across a wooden frame to serve as the mesh screen for printing. For stencils, they used leaves. Years later, the Japanese modified the practice, using silk as the screen, thus the term “silk screening."
Screen printing finally hit Western Europe in the 18th century but didn’t catch on right away since it was difficult to find silk mesh at the time. As such, the method was used mostly to decorate clothing, walls and other objects.
Technology Leaps
In the early 20th century Englishman Samuel Simon patented the screen printing process. His patent referred to the use of a silk screen, which guaranteed a higher tensile strength and better size stability. He also used rubber blades, or squeegees, to push the ink through the screen, a tool that is still used today. Initially, Simon’s method was employed to print high-quality custom wallpaper or to print on silk or linen material, more suited to the period’s affluent folks.
Several years later, screen printing would undergo further adjustments as printers began experimenting with photo-reactive chemicals that reacted to light and combined them with gelatin to create a more defined look to their applications.
It was in this period that artists coined the word “serigraphy,” derived from the Latin word seri (silk) and the Greek word graphein (to write) to describe the medium to distinguish it from commercial screen printing.
In the 1930s, the National Serigraphic Society was formed to help signify this difference between screen printing in industrial applications and screen printing as art. An American artist, Guy Maccoy was credited with creating the first original work of art using screen printing as a legitimate format rather than just using it for reproductions.
During the New Deal era, the WPA helped create thousands of silk-screened posters depicting different areas of the country, enticing people to visit various states, national parks, and other landmarks. They also displayed public health messages, federal programs, as well as theater and musical performances.
Fun Fact
The first promotional t-shirt was printed for the movie “The Wizard of Oz.” The shirts were distributed in 1939 and featured a simple design with the name of the film and the iconic text font.
Source: https://eventcity.wordpress.com/2015/08/15/the-power-of-the-t-shirt/
Screen Printing as Propaganda
The use of screen printing grew during the Second World War for the common practice of wartime propaganda and continued as a popular form of print and media once the war ended.
However, nearly every screen printing technique was kept confidential and protected as a “trade secret” for much of the twentieth century. It wasn’t until the early 1960s that the technologies would come into the public’s eye.
The industry now credits Pittsburgh native Andy Warhol for bringing screen printing into mainstream art with his famous screen printed depiction of Marilyn Monroe in 1962. Ironically, in the same year, the National Serigraphic Society closed its doors due to a lack of interest.
But there was still another major issue that had to be addressed before screen printing would experience a “boom”: the screen printing process was too slow to implement on a mass scale.
Andy Warhol Untitled from Marilyn Monroe1967
The Modern Era and the Boom in Screen Printing
Printing and t-shirts initially came together in the early 1950’s when several companies in Miami, FL, began decorating t-shirts. Names of local resorts, restaurants/bars, and various mascot characters were the most popular designs. An All-American icon, Mickey Mouse, was one of the first to be featured on a printed t-shirt. An early personification of the cheerful rodent can be seen on mass-produced tees of the 1950’s.
Screen printing itself became very fashionable in Western society during the 1960’s. As mentioned in Part One of this blog, Screen Printing – A 1,000-Year Old Art Form, artist Andy Warhol is known for popularizing the technique in the U.S. He used screen printing as an artistic technique and is particularly identified with his 1962 depiction of actress Marilyn Monroe, known as Marilyn Diptych, screen printed in garish colors.
A Revolution in the Screen Printing Industry
One of the more important events during this period occurred when American inventor, artist, and entrepreneur Michael Vasilantone was granted a patent for his rotatable multicolor garment screen print machine. The original device was made to print logos, and team information on bowling garments but soon was directed to the new fad of printing on t-shirts. The patent was soon licensed by a number of manufacturers in a boom in printed outwear, making the rotary garment screen printer the most popular device for screen printing in the industry. Simply put, Mr. Vasilantone revolutionized the industry.
Eventually, the printed t-shirt became an extension of the wearer’s personality. Considered classic designs, round-neck t-shirts featuring the likes of Mickey Mouse, Coca-Cola and even the face of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara flew off the shelves.
In the late 1960’s, the United States and other countries also experienced various social movements, including the Civil Rights era, women’s rights, and antiwar activities. Sharing these ideas that motivate such movements requires media, and silkscreen printing provided a method to create stunning graphics.
Digital Printing
Soon, printed t-shirts were being worn by every demographic. From promoting the most recent holiday destination to advertising a favorite brand to even the preferred pop band. The 1970’s witnessed t-shirts printed with brightly colored album covers while in the 1980’s, plain white t-shirts with clear black font told the public to either Relax, Choose Life or Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. Movie and TV-based shirts developed as well.
In the early 2000’s, humorous, political and “statement’ t-shirts became the rage, especially after pop celebrities started taking them on. They also became popular for charity causes and local businesses.
The Introduction of Digital Technology
Prior to digital technology, printed t-shirts were mainly produced by traditional screen printing requiring a screen for every color featured in the design. This would result in a somewhat costly process. Today, it’s quite cost effective for companies to use a Direct-to-Garment (DTG printer). DTG printing enables the printing of high-quality images on to a t-shirt. Plus, the ink is cured into the fabric, images are soft to the touch and do not lose vibrancy.
Records now indicate that printed t-shirts are more popular than ever, selling more than two billion in one year, worldwide. The most popular t-shirt material is traditional cotton, as it is easy to work with and lend beautifully to accurate, detailed screen-printing possibilities.
Though it’s most common in the garment industry, screen printing is also accessible in producing product labels, pinball machine graphics, printed electronics, snowboard graphics and more.