Custom Pre-Burned Silkscreen | Wood Frames for Fine Art & Textile | Hellcat NYC

Screen printing, or serigraphy, remains one of the most accessible yet versatile reproduction methods in the graphic arts. Characterized by minimal initial infrastructure, the medium has nonetheless benefited from significant industrial refinement over the last half-century. While the fundamental mechanics remain unchanged, advancements in chemistry and synthetic textiles have transitioned the process from a rudimentary craft to a high-precision industrial application.

At its core, serigraphy is a sophisticated evolution of stencil printing. It involves the controlled migration of ink through a porous mesh. By integrating a stencil directly onto a fine screen, the printer achieves a level of detail and structural integrity impossible with unsupported paper or plastic stencils. Unlike traditional stencils, which degrade rapidly under repeated use, a well-tensioned screen can maintain image fidelity over hundreds of impressions.

Historically reliant on natural silk and hand-cut lacquer membranes, the modern industry has shifted toward high-performance synthetics.

• Substrates: Monofilament polyester has largely superseded silk due to its superior dimensional stability and cost-effectiveness.
• Aperture and Mesh: Mesh counts are selected based on substrate requirements—lower counts facilitate heavier ink deposits on textiles, while higher counts provide the resolution necessary for fine-line graphical work.
• Application Tools: The squeegee, once a simple rubber blade, is now available in specific durometers (hardness levels) to calibrate ink shear and deposition thickness.
• Ink Chemistry: Modern formulations offer accelerated drying profiles, improved rheology, and ecological advantages, such as water-based cleanup and precise Pantone matching.

While manual block-outs and lacquer films remain viable for rudimentary applications, the industry standard is the photo-emulsion process. This light-sensitive technique utilizes a film positive to selectively harden emulsion on the mesh.

1. Coating: A thin, uniform layer of emulsion is applied to the screen in a light-controlled environment.
2. Exposure: The screen is exposed to a UV light source through a film positive.
3. Development: Unexposed areas (protected by the image on the film) remain water-soluble and are rinsed away, creating an open aperture in the mesh that corresponds precisely to the original design.