Historia

Screen printing is an ancient printing system. While there is no accurate data, it is believed to date back to Ancient China, in which according to a legend, people used intertwined women´s hair to which they affixed papers, forming drawings that were later lacquered to be impermeable. Afterwards, the material was substituted by silk, which constitutes the origin of its name, sericum (silk, in Latin) graphe (write in greek).

The natives of the Fidji Islands made some of the oldest templates for printing fabrics. They cut holes in banana leaves and through these they applied vegetable dyes on crusts and fabrics.

In ancient times, decals were made to be applied in articles of daily use, such as plates, glasses, etc. In Europe, it was used to print fabrics; this was called “impression of the Lyons” because it was the place where that system was applied.

The first serigraphs on paper (billboards) appear in the United States on 1916 with a note pending concession. The first patent granted is for Selectasine in 1918.

Guy Maccoy was the first to use the serigraphy technique for artistic purposes. He made his first two serigraphs in 1932; both were about 9 x 11 inches and pulled about 40 copies of each design. In 1938 he had his first solo exhibition; the first of serigraphs in a gallery.

It is in the United States and with the boom of photography and chemical products, where it takes a spectacular impulse. As a very versatile method to be able to print on many materials, thousands of silkscreen-processed items can be distinguished today.

Screen-printing

Screen printing is a printing technique used in the method of reproduction of documents and images on any material. It consists of transferring an ink through a mesh tensioned in a frame, the passage of ink is blocked in areas where there will be no image by means of an emulsion or varnish, leaving free the area where the ink will pass.

The printing system is repetitive, that is, that once the first model has been achieved, printing can be repeated hundreds and even thousands of times without losing definition.

Uses of screen printing

• Textile printing: T-shirts, dresses, fabrics, neckties, sports equipment, footwear, canvas and all kinds of clothes.

• Paintings, drawings, posters and other products.

• In the printing of plastics: canopies, panels, decoration elements, signaling and marking plates, control panels and other materials.

• In the printing of Woods and cork, for decoration elements, furniture, panels, etc.

• In the printing of decals and labels: water and dry decals, labels on complex or self-adhesive materials (vinyl paper and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)), vitrified decals for the decoration of tiles, glass and ceramics.

• Glass decoration for mirrors and material, for all types of arcade and game machines, and in cylindrical for jars, bottles, containers, syringes, blisters, pots and others.

• In all kinds of materials for the decoration of shop windows, counters, showcases, interiors of shops, and, in any scale, promotional and publicity elements of decoration.

• Direct decoration by means of enamels and vitrified of mud, ceramics, porcelain, etc.

• Labelling and marking with conveyors for vehicles and automotive equipment.

• Printing of covers for folders, books, and other articles.