Screen Print  Today's print with yesterday's technology. The first form of screen printing was used by the Polynesian Island natives. They would cut designs into banana leaves and forced dye or ink through the leaf openings. They printed on bark cloth or what they called "tapa." It was thought they developed this process by watching insects eat through leaves and seeing the rain run through the holes. In 960 -1280 AD in the Sung Dynasty, the Japanese used screen-printing and were extremely skilful in cutting the stencils. They would hold the pieces of the stencils together by gluing human hair to the stencil. These were called "ties." This was very tedious and time consuming but was very strong and it let the ink pass through it. The screen printing process that we know today probably stems from the patents taken out by Samuel Simon of Manchester at the turn of the century. He used silk stretched on frames to support hand painted stencils, a process also used by William Morris. During the First World War in America screen printing took off as an industrial printing process; it was mainly used at first for flags and banners but also for 'point of sale' advertising in the chain stores in America, which were appearing around that time. The invention of the photographic stencil revolutionised the process; in the following years, obviously improvements were made in the presses, inks and chemicals used, but apart from the introduction of computer technology in the 1980's - in the pre-press side of screen printing - very little else has changed since. Often overlooked as part of the advertising and promotional mix, screen printing offers a fantastic degree of flexibility - unmatched in any other media. From intricate to bold and striking, it can shout your message from the most unlikely places - underfoot, overhead, hanging off walls and stuck to windows. Walk down any High street and you will see examples of screen printing everywhere. If you come up with the idea, we'll help you to realise it.
Elliott Group, Alchorne Place, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO3 5QL |
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