Technique
Screenprint
A printing technique in which ink is pushed through a fine mesh while blocked areas form the image; also called silkscreen.
- Category
- Technique
- Index letter
- S
Understanding the term
Each colour normally requires its own stencil and printing pass, so multi-colour images must be registered accurately. Ink sits as a distinct layer on the support. The method can be used on paper, textile, glass, metal and many other surfaces.
When Screenprint is given as a technique, it describes the process that created the work's impression, structure or surface. Technique and subject are distinct: very different images can be made using the same method.
The process can often be read in edges, lines, layers and surface. It can also explain natural variation between examples and offer useful evidence about workflow, edition and appropriate care.
Related entries
Continue through the glossary with terms from the same field.