Hand Pulled Screen Print? Trust The Answer

Prints vs. Reproductions by PHIL METZGER

ART TIMES Jan/Feb 2005 Question: When is a print not a print? Answer: If it is a reproduction. Maryland printer Peter Stoliaroff at his Charles Brand etching press. The same press can be used to pull other forms of prints, including engraving, drypoint, and embossing. (Photo credit by Peter Stoliaroff)

Like many words in the English language, “print” and “reproduction” are often misused, sometimes accidentally, sometimes intentionally. Both prints and reproductions are copies of an original image, but they are made in very different ways. Prints are copies that the artist carefully makes one at a time; Reproductions are copies made mechanically, usually quickly and in large numbers, without involving the artist. Because the term “print” has been watered down and made ambiguous, some prefer the term original print to more clearly signal the artist’s involvement in its production. Prints are made in a number of ways: relief prints (e.g. woodcuts, linocuts) are made by cutting away unneeded areas from the surface of a material, inking the remaining areas, and pressing paper against the inked surface. Intaglio prints (e.g. etching, engraving, drypoint) are made by making grooves in a surface, forcing ink into the grooves, wiping the rest clean, and pressing paper against the surface so that the paper squeezes ink out of the grooves. Surface or planographic prints (e.g. lithographs, monotypes) are made by creating an image on a completely flat surface and transferring that image to a piece of paper. Stencil prints (such as screen prints) are made by forcing ink or paint through unprotected areas of a guide or stencil onto a sheet of paper, fabric, or other material. Reproductions have long been made through the process of offset lithography, using large, expensive printing presses to produce copies quickly and in large quantities without involving the artist directly. Today, some artists make copies on ordinary office copy machines – since the artist can use the machine to make the copies, it might sound like this qualifies these copies as prints, but let’s not stretch it that far! A newer way of making copies is the Giclée process using a computer and a special inkjet printer. Giclée copies are most often advertised as prints, but are actually reproductions (admittedly high-quality reproductions). Sooner or later artists will run their own computer printer setups and personally introduce variations from one copy of an image to the next that might qualify those copies as prints – stay tuned. Prints are made in limited editions – meaning a fixed number of images are made and no more. For example, if fifty copies of a particular image are made, the edition will be 50. Usually, the artist will sign and number each copy 1/50, 2/50, etc., traditionally in pencil, which helps signal the signing and numbering were not included carried out by mechanical means. The signing and numbering of each copy gives the buyer the assurance that the artist has personally viewed and approved each copy. It is now common practice to sign and number reproductions in the same way – in this case, signing does not mean that the artist was actually involved in making the copy, just that he or she looked at each copy and that Number specified Copies for sale are limited to the specified print run. The term “open edition” means that the number of copies to be produced is unlimited; in this case the numbering of the copies would be meaningless. Line etching “Upsurge” by Peter Stoliaroff, 4 1/4″ x 4″. Permission from Peter Stoliaroff, whose work can be seen in Phil Metzger’s book The Artist¹s Illustrated Encyclopedia, North Light Books, Cincinnati, 2001

Prints are made one at a time and a meticulous artist checks each to ensure it meets his or her standards before being signed and offered for sale. In a given set of prints there are subtle differences from one copy to the next. Most differences arise because each print involves manual processes such as inking a plate, forcing ink through a stencil, dampening the printing paper, and so on. In addition, the nature of a printing plate can introduce some variables. For example, in drypoint, the original image is formed by lines scratched into a metal plate such as copper, and there are tiny burrs at the edges of the lines. The ridges tend to hold more ink than a clean line, and the resulting print has a distinctive look that differs from the sharper look of an engraving. As successive prints are “pulled” – that is, as the plate is inked and run through a press to make an impression on a sheet of paper – the burrs become progressively worn and the last print pulled looks different from the first. For this reason, drypoint etchings are usually produced in small editions. The artist making the prints will inspect each one and determine when the results are no longer satisfactory. There is no comparable consideration when making reproductions – typically thousands can run from one to the next with no discernible difference. Despite the significant differences between prints and reproductions, “print” has become the word of choice for any copy, and these days at art fairs you’ll find many people selling “prints” that are actually reproductions. Why? 1. Prints sell better. “Reproduction” has cheap connotations, and given a choice, a buyer will almost always choose a print over a reproduction. Much of the buying public doesn’t know the difference between the two. If you label your reproductions “reproductions” and the guy closest to the table calls his reproductions “prints”—other things being equal—who do you think will attract more buyers? 2. Ignorance. Not only does the public not know the difference between a print and a reproduction, but also many so-called artists. I talk about it in my painting classes hoping to do a little bit to educate the next generation of artists, but it’s an uphill battle. It’s better to say print! Which brings me to the next point: 3. Pressure rolls off the tongue more easily than reproduction. Why use a four syllable word when you can use a one syllable word? Sorry, I occasionally catch myself swapping the simple “print” for the impressive “reproduction” in casual conversation. 4. In photography, print is the accepted word for any number of copies of an image, and it is easy to understand how the translation translates from photography to printmaking. Our language is rich and evolving, and as Martha Stewart might say, that’s a good thing. But I think there’s a big difference between decent evolution and just being stupid. Just because most TV commentators say “lying” when they mean “lying” and “that kind” when they mean “that kind” doesn’t mean we have to change our language to accommodate them. Art should be a place where quality and honesty still count, so please let’s at least get our terms right. (Phil Metzger, artist, teacher, and author of several art books, lives in Rockville, MD. Much more about printmaking and specific types of prints can be found in his book The Artist’s Encyclopedia, available from North Light Books, at 1 -800-289- 0963.)

The difference between printed and digital art

The key to creating strong, effective, and visually appealing art lies in understanding the differences and intricacies of the medium used. Today, most designers work with both print and digital media, but few realize that each requires a very different approach.

Today we’re going to look at the key differences between print and digital art, and how understanding these can bring your designs to life – both on screen and on paper!

the experience

The biggest difference between print and digital art is the experience you can provide. Print media involves designing for a personal, tactical experience that people can see up close.

This gives the artist or designer a lot of freedom when it comes to creating the specific handheld product. You have the choice between glossy, matt or structured surfaces as well as print finishes such as embossing or engraving.

Printed designs also allow the designer to work with a wide range of unconventional materials including fabric, leather and metal.

On the other hand, digital art and design is all about virtual and interactive experiences. The digital designer has a virtual and digital canvas to work with and needs to keep that in mind.

Digital art is rarely static, in fact it must shift and change with every click or movement of the cursor. Here lies the opportunity for the artist or designer – to make the experience as immersive and seamless as possible.

Most digital designers also use a variety of multimedia tools that print design simply cannot support. This includes sounds, animations and videos – which in turn contributes to the interactive and immersive experience.

place

Another big difference between digital and print is the amount of space artists and designers have to work with. Print designs typically involve well-defined and finite spaces, while digital designs can have an almost unlimited canvas – creating a world of difference.

When working in print, designers and artists must work on pages that are trimmed to final, specific sizes. This means they must pick and place everything within that defined space – there is no other place to place it.

In comparison, digital designs appear on a variety of devices and platforms such as mobile phones, computers and televisions and need to be adaptable enough to fit and function at all sizes.

colour

Not only do print and digital designs use completely different color calibrations (CMYK and RGB colors), the end result is also completely different.

No ultra-high-resolution device can replicate the deep tones achievable with CMYK prints, but when it comes to specific colors, the print result is duller than expected.

In the same way, gradients, transparencies, and visual textures can look incredibly pleasing when created in RGB for a digital platform, but converting them to print can result in a banded and blocky print.

At the end of the day

While these are not the only differences between print and digital art, they are certainly the most important. Knowing which medium to choose is the first step to creating great designs.

Still confused? Do not worry! At Sunan Designs, our team of design experts are always ready and willing to help you. Sign up today and speak to a professional. After that, just sit back and relax as we bring amazing designs to life – just for you!

Photos: Jia Li

I know a lot about la mian.

There are four ingredients in hand-pulled noodles: flour, water, salt, and penghui. Penghui was originally an ash made from burning mugwort, a grass that grows on the arid slopes of northwestern China where La Mian originated. In the 1990s, Lanzhou University identified and refined this essential ingredient of hand-pulled noodles, without which the noodles could not be grown. It’s potassium carbonate and it’s safer than the traditional method no matter what they say in Lanzhou. There are nine Lanzhou la mian when eaten in Lanzhou and I can name them all. Although it seems eternal, the current form of Lanzhou la mian was not invented until 1915. I met, interviewed and ate the noodles of the inventor’s great-grandson, himself an old man. The key to pulling pasta is to align the gluten strands in a single direction so they stretch and don’t break as you pull. You can tell by the chilli sauce whether a La Mian shop is run by a Lanzhou local or a Qinghai impersonator. The flour must have a high gluten content.

I know all this about hand pulled noodles and more.

And yet I’m a pasta school dropout.

On my first day at the Peak Happiness Hand-Pulled Noodle Training Institute, I climbed the six flights of stairs in a drab suburban building in Lanzhou with childlike excitement. I put on the work uniform and humbly entered the practice room. All around me, college students in their orange-lined chef’s jackets and paper hats took turns tearing and kneading large amounts of cream-colored dough. The room smelled vaguely of Penghui eggs mixed with water, an alkaline liquid that relaxes the dough while giving it a distinctive chewiness and distinctive flavor.

Coming here had been a dream since I first saw hand-pulled noodles at a fancy hotel brunch. The cook grabbed both ends of a long tube of inert dough and, in one big, determined movement, pulled it to life. He slapped them on his table and casually tossed them into a pot of boiling water. It was magical.

I have watched the process hundreds of times since that first encounter. I learned the how and why of the process. I’ve seen masters and apprentices and freshmen doing it. And I’ve never felt anything less than awe. I had to study for myself.

Over the next week, I was coached by Master Ding, a man as thin and willowy as a finely drawn noodle, and verbally abused by Master Liu, a burly braggart who looked more like the 50-pound sacks of flour that were stacked on the ground floor. We started with a pound of flour and a bowl of water, made an indentation on our workbenches to hold the water, and then went through the intricate process of kneading, tearing, cupping, and turning the dough until it felt like it did it had given up, like gum chewed too long. Ding sporadically supervised and rescued those of us lost in the maze of steps with a couple of presses of his palm on the dough, leaning hard against the table, left foot stretched back while kneading with his right hand and vice versa . and then holding the batter triumphantly in front of his chest and, in a single graceful movement, stretching his arms to his sides, the batter following him. Liu’s strategy was different. He came in some time after Ding, collected the dough from four or five students and smashed it onto the stainless steel tables with a thud. He kneaded with both hands clenched into fists and pulled as if he were tearing the noodles out of the dough. He was a gruff showman, a noodle shop superstar with all the rough edges of a man who’d worked a physically demanding job for a dozen years.

The days went by like this, flour becoming dough and dough becoming noodles, with varying degrees of success. We took a lunch break – always pasta – and then continued until the early evening: kneading, tearing, spooning, turning, pulling. In the middle of the week, an electric hum went through the classrooms. It was the day of the test and eight of the students would take it. Admission was continuous, with new students arriving every day and older students graduating whenever they could pass both the practical and theory tests. We all ran upstairs to the kitchen, where the worktables had been pushed together and eight heaps of flour arranged on the tabletops.

New friends encouraged students hoping to pass the exam. Some set out like athletes and jumped in place. Others stood in silent fear. A test leader looked at her watch and signaled that it was time to start.

The students had eighteen minutes. During that time, they had to make noodles of four different thicknesses. The girls from the office floated around with clipboards and digital calipers to assess their handiwork. When they finally started, everyone worked at double speed, mixing and kneading as fast as they could, sprinkling a little more penghui here and there to make the dough extra smooth, turning and beating the dough as if it had done something terrible She. Seventeen minutes later, from all this violence, noodles began to emerge. The students placed their fine noodles, their #2 fine noodles, their leek noodles, and their standard spread noodles for all to see. Ding and Liu stood apart, their faces giving nothing away. The rest of the crowd leaned forward, nodded in approval, or shook their heads in disapproval at their classmates’ noodles. The office girls, the stewards, walked counter-clockwise around the small kitchen area, measuring and inspecting and teasing the individual strands apart. “Qualified” they would announce without any formality for those who had passed. “Not Qualified” sent some of the students into desperation as they mashed their noodles and leftover dough into a single mass in silence. Everyone went back to the classrooms. The flour and water came out again and we all started from scratch.

This is how the days went by for most of the students, alternating practice and testing, always with fingers crusted with dough and a faint scent of Penghui. I was lucky. Principal Li, a young-looking man in his early 40s who originally founded the school to fill a shortage of trained chefs for his own chain of over 300 noodle restaurants, had arranged some special trips for me. Already a big company, Peak Happiness was looking to expand its control across the supply chain. Li arranged for a driver to take me the three hours outside of Lanzhou to the company’s cattle ranch and then, in a surprising and gory twist, to the company’s halal slaughterhouse where we observed the operation. Back in Lanzhou, Li took me to Wumule, one of Lanzhou’s more famous noodle shops, on the north bank of the Yellow River, for their famous beef.

Other days, I went on my own field trips, interviewing government officials, noodle shop owners, and La Bingnan, a philosophical master chef in his 50s, who described working at the noodle-making station as feeling like being in a waterfall with noodles flowing through your hands like water. Secretly, I would sometimes walk out of the school and down the street to Chen Ji, a seedy institution in Lanzhou, where customers would grab their bowls of noodles and then squat on the street to eat.

I still failed. I failed, not because I couldn’t believe it. The process of making hand-pulled noodles is complicated and demanding, but no secret; In all their experience, neither Ding, nor Liu, nor Principal Li had seen a student who couldn’t grasp it given the right time. Time. And patience. I missed that.

In ten days, I had learned more about hand-pulled noodles and the lamian industry in Lanzhou than I ever needed to know. But the Lanzhou suburb is a boring, boring place to while away the time, even for a noodle freak like me.

The day I dropped out, I walked into Director Li’s office with a few bottles of his favorite craft beer and told him I had to go. He wasn’t surprised. No non-Chinese has ever completed the full course and received the state qualification, and he clearly didn’t expect me to be the first. I went to the practice rooms. Students knead a 50-pound pile of dough and practice using the amounts they would expect at a restaurant. They bent over the dough, hands balled into fists, feet planted firmly on the floor. I turned and walked down the stairs, back to Shanghai.

A fine art print (like a serigraph) will always have value, in fact high quality prints made by leading printmakers sell for thousands to millions of dollars. Collecting prints is a great way to start an art collection.

In the past, the screen printing process used a stencil to create the print of an image or design. Stencils have been used in the Orient for centuries to make art prints, as well as handicrafts, fabrics, garments, writing, and various decorative items. In Europe, the stencil technique was adopted by artisans for mostly useful purposes. Stencils were also used to color playing cards and religious images printed with wood blocks. In the 17th century the technique was used to print ornate wallpaper. And by the late 18th century, stencil printing had made its way to the New World, but it wasn’t until the early 20th century that screen printing was employed as an artistic medium.

What is screen printing?

The creation of a serigraph is a very labour-intensive manual artistic process that takes many weeks. Before printing begins, the artist who created the original image is consulted. Sometimes artists like to make changes when they print the output and treat the print as an original rather than a reproduction of an existing image. Sometimes just a few changes in the image or the emphasis on certain colors or design elements can create a dynamic new image.

After these decisions are made, the screen printing process begins by breaking down the image into individual colors that are printed one at a time until the print is complete. The process of color separation involves analyzing the original painting, selecting one color at a time, and creating a black ink representation of that color. Color separation was originally a process done by hand with brushes and black ink on sheets of clear plastic film. Computers have gradually become part of the process, which has made color separation less of a chore and also increased the accuracy of the image. However, the eye and experience of the chromist (person who separates the colors) is still valuable and complements the computer-generated separations, bringing in the subtleties of color and texture.

Screenprints are created by forcing ink through a series of fine mesh screenprints. Each screen print is stretched tightly over a solid wooden or aluminum frame and is usually coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, although adhesive film is sometimes used to create a mask. The chromist creates a separation by painting an opaque medium onto a clear piece of mylar or acetate. This film is then transferred to a photographic emulsion coated screen print and then exposed to intense light. The emulsion exposed to the light is “hardened” or hardened, and the areas blocked by the opaque release on the mylar remain soft and unhardened. The areas of the screen print that have not hardened are then washed out with a high-pressure spray gun.

silk screen painting process

After the screen has been exposed, washed and dried, it is gently touched with the hand to remove specks or “pinholes” that may have been caused by stray dirt or overwashed areas. The screen is then set up on a press that is calibrated to move the screen up and down with consistent registration. This allows the printer to feed a print into a series of guides, place the screen over the print, print the color, and then lift the screen back up to feed the next print into the guides.

Before a run is printed, a color mixer carefully prepares the ink. The color mixer and chromist communicate about what is required to achieve the desired effect. The opacity/transparency, viscosity, hue and intensity are considered the maximum mileage on each separation or screen.

For example, transparent or translucent inks can produce a variety of colors and effects when printed over several different color patches. Opaque inks can cover unwanted areas or create physical texture. The chromist takes all of these factors into account when separating the colors to minimize the number of separations or screens. In the same way, the printer has a lot to consider as well, one important factor being the mesh size of the screen.

Separations that require large patches of color or heavy textures require coarse mesh screens to achieve greater coverage, while separations with fine detail require fine mesh screens. In addition to the screens, the printer can control print quality with different types of squeegees. Squeegees come in different hardnesses and materials to adapt to a variety of technical situations. Angle, pressure and stroke also contribute to a number of effects.

This is followed by printing – color by color, starting with the base color and ending with the top layer. After each color run, the prints are air dried on racks before the next screen is set up. All color runs are done in this way over a period of several weeks or months.

Ganesh by MF Husain; Serigraph on paper in 16 colors

Once all of this is done, the artist meticulously reviews and verifies each print and then signs and numbers the prints to be released to the galleries. The 1/100 notation means that this particular print is the first of 100 in the edition. By signing and numbering the screen prints, the screen print artists guarantee that there will never be more than the originally labeled screen prints of this edition.

Bharat by HH Raza; Serigraph on paper in 39 colors

Difference between serigraphy and lithography

If you’ve been wondering what the difference is between a serigraph and a lithograph, we’ll help you understand. A lithograph is made on a stone slab, while a serigraph is made using the screen printing process. However, lithographs are usually more expensive than screen prints.

As a buyer, it’s important to understand the difference between the two, as you may end up paying more for an artwork that doesn’t justify this type of investment.

A few other differences to understand what the difference is between a lithograph and a serigraph:

Lithographs are made with a suitable surface, oil-based ink, water, paper and a printer. A picture must first be drawn on the space provided for this purpose. The image is drawn with oil-based ink or bold crayon. In addition, because the water and oil do not mix, water is applied to the surface, so the area covered with the oil-based ink repels the water. After that, the expert uses more oil-based ink to effectively cover the surface so that it sticks to the previous spots where the ink was applied earlier. After that, the replicated image is printed on a piece of paper and sold to collectors.

Serigraphs, on the other hand, require some kind of roller or squeegee, a screen, ink, a stencil, and paper. The process starts with the screen being pulled tight, placing the piece of paper under the screen. The stencil is placed over the screen and when everything is placed and checked for correct position the ink is poured over the screen. This ink is pressed through the squeegee. The product obtained as a final result is called serigraphy.

Screen prints have a higher texture and color density compared to lithographs due to the way they are made. These significant differences matter to buyers.

What is a serigraph in art?

The art of screen printing has a long and fascinating history as a printing art that is more versatile than any traditional printing technique. The use of screen printing as a modern artistic medium began in 1938 when a group of New York artists experimented with screen printing under the auspices of the Federal Art Project. This group coined the term “serigraphy” and later formed the nucleus of the National Serigraph Society, which actively promoted the graphic form.

As an original fine art, screenprints were accepted by both collectors and galleries in the 1960s, when artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselmann, and Robert Rauschenberg began creating significant works in the medium, experimenting with color and texture , which were not available in other media . Silkscreens have sold for tens of thousands of dollars at Christie’s and Sotheby’s art auctions and have also been included in prestigious art museums around the world.

In the earlier years, artists did not have access to the sources and people who had the know-how and experience behind the screen printing process. But today, with screen printing gaining such widespread acceptance, artists have a number of ateliers available that specialize in it. These studios have the expertise to work with the artists and produce higher quality prints.

Fine Art Print vs. Reproduction: There is a great deal of confusion between prints and reproductions. If you were to invest a large sum of money in an Andy Warhol print, you would want it to be genuine and not something of mass-produced poster value. A reproduction print is simply a color image of an existing work of art produced through photography and mechanical methods.

A fine art print (like a serigraph) will always have a screenprint value, in fact high quality prints made by leading printmakers sell for thousands to millions of dollars. Collecting prints is a great way to start an art collection.

women in gossip | 30×40 inches

Limited serigraph printed in 57 colors by Thota Vaikuntam

There are several ways an art print can be produced, but they follow a set process of professional artist involvement. The artist conceived the work as a print and is personally involved in its production. The artist signs, titles and numbers each print and then destroys all stencils (therefore absolute edition limitation).

Lithography has been around for more than 200 years after a bright spark in Germany named Alois Senefelder invented this form of printing. The term comes from the Greek words for “stone” and “to write”.

The process involves oil and water, applying an image to a stone surface using a crayon or pencil or other instrument. The stone is then covered with water. Ink is applied to the stone and the ink is attracted to the artwork’s oil-based surface. The image is transferred from rock to paper and voila – you have something exciting. The process can be relatively simple for a pen drawing or complex for an elaborate painting.

For most people, the printing process doesn’t matter (although you should always look at the quality of the print itself). Importantly, lithographic prints offer the opportunity to own a beautiful work of art, printed by a craftsman and reproduced in small batches from an original image.

Joan Miró Derriere le Miroir, No. 151-152 Lithograph

An original work of art by a famous artist is expensive. A lithographic print is more affordable but still carries a mark of exclusivity, quality and value as there will almost certainly not be many copies. It’s not mass produced. Possibly a lithograph print will have a limited quantity, maybe numbered and even signed by the artist. It is possible that in some cases the artist printed the lithograph himself.

Look out for the term “original lithography” – this is an original art concept delivered via lithography for the first time. It is not a reproduction and an original lithograph may command higher prices.

1965 Jean Capdeville Derriere le Miroir lithograph

In the 19th century, after a period of experimentation and learning, the lithographic process became mainstream, but lithography really took off in the 20th century, with Paris leading the way. Leading artists collaborated with leading printers and it became a staple of fine art printing. Many of the great artists created lithographs, including Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Edvard Munch, Edgar Degas, Joan Miró, Francisco Goya, Eugène Delacroix, Grant Wood, Jasper Johns and David Hockney.

As always with books, instead of collecting for money, buy and collect the prints you love. The choice is huge – abstract art, birds, animals, portraits, pen drawings.

Research the artist – did they allow for the creation of numerous lithographs or just a handful? This affects price and scarcity. Visit museums and galleries and look for important prints. read biographies. Learn why one lithograph is more important than the other.

Think beyond the big names – many unknown artists produce unforgettable art using this method.

A signed and numbered lithograph may be more expensive, but – just like a book – it’s exciting to own a signed work of art by an artist you admire. It’s not often that a #1 becomes available when it comes from a big name. It is possible that prints of 10 or more will be more expensive than a print run of 300.

1961 Ellepol Cesar XXe Siecle no. 16 lithograph

Understand the purpose of lithography. Is it designed as a work of art in its own right or as an illustration for use in a book? It may even have been separated from a book to become a work of art in its own right.

Understand its history and condition. Who did it belong to before? Are there pinholes? Stains aren’t necessarily the worst thing for a hand-printed product. Inquire about the quality of the print and paper. Can a 100-year-old print stand up to centuries of admiration from multiple owners? Prints are fragile – look for acid damage. If a print has been framed, check for damage from tape or even the frame itself. Prints can be framed but are often hung unframed.

Happy hunting.

The answer is more than a yes or no. I would like to approach the answer to your question assuming you don’t have much information about the difference between hand lithography and offset lithography. That way I can give a more complete answer.

When producing a hand lithograph, the artist draws directly on the printing element. (stone, aluminum, mylar, etc.) From this drawing, the prints are inked and drawn. A drawing for each other color. Each print records the unique mark of the artist and his hand.

When printing using offset lithography, a template (painting, drawing, watercolor, etc.) is taken to a commercial printer. The printer photographs the original and then converts all the colors into a combination of 4. (Red, yellow, blue and black) A negative is made for each of these colors and a photo plate is prepared for printing. They are usually processed all at once on large, high-speed presses. The artist’s handwriting is lost in the translation from the original to the photograph and then

color separation. Depending on the printer, colors can vary greatly from the original.

A common way to tell if a print is hand lithographed or offset lithographed is to look at the print under magnification. Markings from a hand lithograph show a random dot pattern created by the dent of the drawn surface. Inks can be placed directly on top of others and it will have a very rich look. Prints from an offset press show a mechanical dot pattern from the color separations. Each color creates a separate dot pattern that when combined makes a very small circle or “rosette”. The dot patterns look like the dots from the newspaper comics, but are smaller. You can easily see these dots at low magnification or sometimes with the naked eye. All dots line up in neat little rows. If you can see these dots, it’s a sure sign of camera and commercial involvement. If the dots are random and you bought the print from a reputable dealer, it is most likely a hand drawn lithograph.

Creating fine art reproductions has long been popular with artists, as well as critics and enthusiasts. Lithography originated in the 19th century as a method of making prints that developed into an art form in its own right. For many decades, lithography was a process used to create prints of popular works as well as original pieces by artists of the era.

Despite the differences in the processes used to produce lithographs and prints, the finished product of either can produce results that appear similar. A closer look at the steps taken in each method reveals some of the distinct differences between lithography and printmaking.

Lithography vs. Printing

The difference between a lithograph and a print is that a lithograph is a handmade original copy, while a print is usually a reproduction made through various printing processes.

Difference between lithography and printing

Lithography is the process of using stone or metal plates to create prints through a delicate process of using oil based inks or other material which are then pressed onto a tablet to create the final product.

Printmaking is a more streamlined process that uses mechanical equipment to create drawings and representations. Prints are often produced in much larger numbers than lithographs, with some manufacturers producing thousands of prints at a time from a single work.

When it emerged in the 19th century, lithography became a form of graphic art unique to any other process that existed before it. Unlike prints, lithographs are original works of art made by a single artist and usually signed.

Artists can draw or paint their works directly onto the printing plate during the lithography process, leading many art critics and historians to consider the process of lithography to be more delicate than printmaking.

Some of the most celebrated artists of the 20th century used lithography as a medium to produce works. Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol are perhaps the two most famous artists known to have created works through lithography.

One of the main differences between lithography and printing is that lithography is a process of forcing ink into the stone tablet whereas printmaking is simply transferring ink onto paper through the use of a carved tablet. Printmaking can be more accurately described as ‘stamping’, while lithography usually requires much more work to produce images, especially when multiple colors are involved.

What is a print

Printmaking is a process that uses a raised portion of a carved panel of wood or other material that prints ink on paper. Few people, including art connoisseurs and critics, are able to discern the subtle differences between lithographs and prints. Prints are generally made from wood or metal materials that are used to create an image by pressing these tablets onto the paper.

The print is said to have been made around 255 BC. in China. in making seals. At the time, printmaking could be described as stamping, or the basic transfer of an image using a stamped medium to imprint ink onto paper.

Artists could create prints by carving wooden panels. The artist carved away the areas of the image that needed to be blank or white, while the most darkened parts stood higher than the rest of the wood surface. Modern artists often use linoleum material to create relief prints.

Etching is another printing method in which artists use a needle to carve an image onto a metal plate covered with wax. By lengthy immersion of the plates in acid and other means, artists can create highly detailed prints using this method.

Screen printing is a process that can be accurately described as stencil printing an image onto paper or plastic film. Ink was forced through the stenciled parts of a work to make impressions on paper.

What is a lithograph

Lithography comes from the combination of two Greek words: “lithos” meaning stones and “graphein” meaning to write. The method of lithography was invented in 1798 by a German dramatist and author named Aloys Senefelder, who wanted to develop a new method of publishing many copies of his plays in a short period of time.

Lithography involves the manipulation of oil-based materials and water to create an inked impression on paper. Artists first draw the image they want to print on a polished limestone slab using a wax crayon or oil-based ink material. Modern artists are able to produce lithographs using metal plates made of zinc or aluminum.

After the drawing is complete, the artist coats the stone with a powdered rosin material and talc. The artist then wipes a layer of gum arabic over the stone, which is able to bind the oil-based ink or crayon to the stone. This gum arabic material allows the stone to repel ink in voids while the colored part holds the substance and can make an impression.

The artist then wipes the image with a solvent called lithotin before applying a layer of asphalt to the stone surface, which is dried. The stone is now ready for printing after being dampened with water. An artist applies ink with a roller, as the stone now repels the ink in areas where the image is blank or colorless. Using a simple press, the ink contained in the stone is applied to a sheet of paper, creating a perfect duplicate of the image originally drawn by the artist.

Artists can create colored lithograph images using multiple stones on which the artist will draw any color desired. The orientation of each image is critical to creating an accurate image. A single stone can be used for many years to duplicate a single image and create many prints of a given piece of art. Machines are used to create so-called “offset lithographs”.

What is more valuable?

A lithographic print is not necessarily an exclusive image created by an artist, but it still has value as it was created by the artist himself. The process of making a lithographic print for a simple black and white image is very simple, but making a lithographic print for a color painting is very complex.

Art critics can usually tell the difference between lithographic prints and other traditional forms of printmaking by examining them carefully with a magnifying glass, as it is often difficult to discern differences with the naked eye. A lithographic print still conveys a sense of exclusivity, while an ordinary print does not.

Lithographic prints are often numbered as there is usually a limited amount produced. The most valuable ones are signed by the artists themselves. Lithographic prints are generally considered the most valuable as they usually involve a higher level of interaction with the artist. This is not always the case because there are silkscreens and etchings that are very valuable depending on the artist.

June 9, 2021

Today, screen printing is the heart and soul of many mass printing operations. It first became popular in the 18th century when it became easy to import silk fabric – a key component of screen printing – from the East. In the 19th century, screen printing caught on in the advertising world and has since been widely used in many industries including retail and electronics due to the ease of customization it offers.

While screen printing can be done manually – particularly when only short runs are required – it is very often automated using advanced inks and materials combined with computer technology for mass printing. One of the biggest advantages of screen printing is that it can print on almost any surface, be it fabric, paper, glass, wood, cardboard, plastic or leather. In this article, we will discuss the screen printing process, its uses, types, and benefits.

What is screen printing?

Screen printing, also known as screen printing or screen printing, involves transferring a stenciled design onto a surface using a mesh screen, ink, and a squeegee (a rubber blade). The basic process of screen printing is to create a stencil on a mesh screen and then press the ink to create the design and print it onto the underlying surface. The most common surfaces used in screen printing are paper and fabric, but metal, wood and plastic can also be used. It’s a very popular technique for many reasons, but the most compelling reason is the wide range of colors that can be used.

How does it work?

Screen printing can be done by hand or with a machine, but the basic process is always the same. The differences can lie in the type of ink used, its rendered effect, and the printed surface. Below is the screen printing process step by step:

Step 1. Design creation

The first step in the screen printing process is to create the design. Once a design has been decided it is printed onto a transparent acetate sheet which is then used to create the screen or stencil.

Step 2. Screen selection and preparation

With the design complete, it’s time to select the screen and mesh count. Mesh count is the total number of fibers in a square inch. The number of stitches you need depends on the design to be printed:

A higher mesh count can print finer details while maintaining an even ink layer

Smaller mesh screens allow paint to flow through wider openings

After the mesh screen has been selected, it is coated with a photoreactive emulsion layer.

In general, there are three main types of emulsions:

Diazo: Cheaper, requires longer exposure times, not suitable for detailed prints. SBQ-based: No mixing required, cures extremely quickly, expensive, suitable for detailed work. Dual-cure emulsions: combination of diazo and SBQ, requires mixing, total cure time is shorter than diazo, price is lower than SBQ.

Step 3. Exposure of the emulsion

The transparent acetate film is carefully placed onto the emulsion-coated mesh screen under a bright light, causing the emulsion to harden and develop. It should be noted that in the case of multicolored designs, separate screens must be used for different colors.

Step 4. Template creation

If you expose the screen for a certain amount of time, the uncovered areas of the screen will harden and the remaining unhardened emulsion, if any, will wash away to leave a clear imprint on the screen. The screen is then dried and if any touch ups are required these are made by the printer to match the print as closely as possible to the original design. Now the template is ready to use.

Step 5. Preparation for printing

The material to be printed is laid flat on the printing plate and the screen is placed on the material in the desired position, ready for printing.

Step 6. Apply theme

This step brings the printed design to life. The screen is lowered onto the printing plate. The desired color ink will be added at the top of the screen. A squeegee spreads the ink evenly over the length of the screen. The ink is forced through the open areas of the stencil and transferred to the underlying silk, printing the design onto the product.

The template has served its purpose when all items are printed. A special washing liquid is used to remove the emulsion in order to reuse the screen for making new stencils.

Step 7. Heat Curing and Finishing

Finally, the printed product is heat-set by a dryer, resulting in a smooth design. This is done so that the design does not fade.

6 main types of screen printing

There are six different types of screen printing processes. Because different techniques produce different results, it’s important to understand the different types.

1. Spot color screen printing

The most common screen printing technique is spot color screen printing. Spot color screen printing uses the base color of the ink by printing it through the screen’s stencil. This technique creates a vibrant, solid patch of color. It is much easier to use compared to other screen printing methods. For example, it can be an excellent option for printing on t-shirts, jackets and hoodies.

2. Halftone printing

In halftone printing, individual colors are printed in gradients. The whole process uses a single color of ink, and that color is halftoned, resulting in a different hue when viewed from a distance. This technique is best used to give the look of multicolor printing without actually doing it. It’s also a low-cost process because only one color of ink is used.

3. Grayscale Printing

Grayscale printing is an excellent method of printing full-color images as monochrome grayscale or halftone. The print looks more detailed when there are more dots in the halftone. It’s not a black and white technique; Instead it just pulls out the CMY or RGB or color scales, but in grayscale. Grayscale printing is one of the most affordable screen printing techniques, commonly used to print black and white designs onto fabric.

4. Duplex printing

Duotone printing uses the combination of two halftones to print the same image in two colors. First, a black halftone is printed with black ink, and then a second halftone is printed with color ink. This technique is similar to sepia printing in photography. It offers a sophisticated and artistic effect.

5. CMYK (4-color printing)

It is the most complex screen printing technique. The four basic colors are cyan, magenta, yellow and black. These four colors are combined to create the required shades. This can be done manually but should preferably be done automatically for best results.

6. Simulated process pressure

The simulated printing process combines four-color printing with spot-color printing. Because this technique works for both lighter and darker tones, it is versatile and popular with people who want to create photorealistic print details.

Advantages of screen printing

When considering the use of screen printing technology, it is worth considering the benefits, of which there are many. Some of these benefits include:

versatility

One of the main benefits of screen printing is its versatility. It can be used on any type of fabric, plastic, wood, glass or even metal. In addition, multiple colors can be used. With screen printing, there is almost infinite freedom of design.

durability

Compared to other printing processes, screen printing can apply heavy ink coverage, resulting in a long-lasting design. In addition, certain coatings and additives can make the ink resistant to UV rays, scratches, moisture and chemicals, allowing screen printed products to be used outdoors and in harsh environments without fading.

Ink color vibrancy

The vibrant and bolder colors produced by screen printing are quite difficult to replicate using other techniques. Multicolored designs use separate layers, allowing each color to retain its intrinsic brilliance.

cost efficient

Screen printing is a cost effective method in the long run. Once setup is complete, it’s relatively quick and easy to print articles in bulk. So it’s safe to say that the more you print, the cheaper the unit cost will be.

Exceptional speed and efficiency

Screen printing is one of the most efficient and fastest printing techniques once a screen has been created. It’s an excellent option when you want to print the same design over and over again.

Straightforward process

The screen printing process is fairly straightforward, whether automated or done manually. In addition, the tools required are not difficult or expensive to replace either.

screen printing applications

Screen printing is more versatile than other printing techniques as it can apply a design to materials of any shape, size and thickness. As a result, screen printing has found uses in many different ways, including:

designs on clothing

Medical equipment

decals and stickers

balloon

product labels

signage

To sue

fan shop

Textile fabric designs

sports products

We use roll-to-roll screen printing to produce extremely cost effective displays

At Ynvisible, we design and manufacture ultra-low-cost, high-volume smart displays using roll-to-roll screen printing processes. In addition, our displays offer endless design freedom, so you can create exactly what you need, right from the start. Discover our capacities for volume production here.

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The term textile printing is a combination of printing on fabric with 1 to 20 colors depending on the design and colour. Printing involves painting a design drawn by an artist and fixing it onto the fabric or materials with a mixture of different chemicals and dyes using different types of machines and technologies.

There are different processes for textile printing, first comes the development of the design. Design is therefore also referred to as the heart of printing. To create a textile print design, each design must be converted into a 100% vector image using graphics software.

Depending on how many colors are used in a design, each color will require a separate file. A separate rotary screen is used for each color to develop the design. Then each separate color file must be transferred to the separate rotation screen. Various machines and chemicals are used for this.

Here is a list of machines and chemicals given below:-

Chemical machine Universal emulsion exposure machine. A- Inkjet B- Laser Sensilax Sensitizer Cooling Dryer/Conditioner Retouch Coating Machine Ferrule Remover Polymerization Machine Ferrule Glue (35-55cc) Light Stand & Development Stand Degreaser Water Tank/Development Tank Acetone Ferrule Fixer/Ferrule Gluer Chromic Acid Unpacking Stripper – NTS ETC Carbolic Acid Oxalic Acid

The steps of rotary screen preparation are given below:-

Rounding and degreasing the screen: The new screen is taken out of the packaging and the clamping ring is carefully fitted to both sides of the screen, which can be easily removed from the screen or reconnected.

After installing the clamping ring, the screen must be kept in the polymer machine at a temperature of 160/160 degrees for 40-60 minutes. The amount of fat applied to the sieve hardens the sieve through the fat impact and perfectly rounds off the sieve diameter. And this process is called screen rounding.

After rounding off the screen, the screen must be degreased. A degreaser is a type of soapy water that can remove the grease or oily substance on the screen. The screen is degreased with foam by mixing one part water with four parts degreaser and placing the screen in the processor rack.

Alternatively, after soaking in a degreasing tank for 15/20 minutes and washing with water, the screen becomes a screen degreaser. After rounding the shade, the shade must be placed in the light stand and checked by turning on the light.

No matter the mesh hole is closed or there is dirt on the screen, if there is a hole closed or there is dust on the screen, it should be cleaned with an air compressor or water gun machine. Then the mesh is polymerized at a temperature of 40-120°C for 20-30 minutes or at normal humidity with water for 4-6 hours to achieve a suitable coating shape.

The steps of rotary screen preparation are given below:-

1) Round and degrease the screen: The new screen is taken out of the packaging and the clamping ring is carefully attached to both sides of the screen, which can be easily removed from the screen or reconnected. After installing the clamping ring, the screen must be kept in the polymer machine at a temperature of 160/160 degrees for 40-60 minutes. The amount of fat applied to the sieve hardens the sieve through the fat impact and perfectly rounds off the sieve diameter. And this process is called screen rounding.

After rounding off the screen, the screen must be degreased. A degreaser is a type of soapy water that can remove the grease or oily substance on the screen. The screen is degreased with foam by mixing one part water with four parts degreaser and placing the screen in the processor rack.

Or after soaking the screen in a degreasing tank for 15/20 minutes and washing it with water, it becomes a screen degreaser. After rounding the screen, you need to put the screen in the lighting stand and check it well by turning on the light. No matter the mesh hole is closed or there is dirt on the screen, if there is a hole closed or there is dust on the screen, it should be cleaned with an air compressor or water gun machine. Then the mesh is polymerized at a temperature of 40-120°C for 20-30 minutes or at normal humidity with water for 4-6 hours to achieve a suitable coating shape.

2) Screen Coating: The screen is to be coated in a light yellow light room. Excessive light dissipates the heat of the emulsion. In order to keep the temperature of the emulsion perfect, AC should be installed in the screen preparation room, if the emulsion contains minute sand particles or other dirt or dust, however, during the screen coating, these sand particles will form a pinhole on the screen or appear in the form of a pinhole.

The screen preparation space should always be reserved to prevent the fine hole in the screen from being caused by sand particles entering the screen preparation space.

For this purpose, the screen preparation room should be maintained at all times so that no sand particles can get into the room from the outside.

There are generally three types of chemicals used in screen coating

Universal emulsion 2. Sensilax sensitizer 3. Water

200 grams of chemicals are used to make a screen coating. In 100g of emulsion, 10% is water, 5% sensitizer and the rest is photographic emulsions.

Often the chemical percentage has to be changed depending on the thickness and sharpness of the design… In this case 20% water has to be used and at the same time an imagesetter uses his practical experience to do this. Many new chemical companies are currently marketing readmission emulsions. It is usually used to make emulsions according to design variations.

For best results, the blend emulsion must be mixed very well by stirring with a stick.

Filter 2/3 times using high mesh polyester or screw mesh. It is more convenient to carry out screen coating after filtering the emulsion. Since then there is foam in the emulsion, you will have to wait 4/5 hours for this foam to dissolve. Because coating the screen with foam mixed emulsion does not penetrate the screen perfectly.

Screen coating is done in two ways

Coating machine Manual process

Coating machine: 200 g of the prepared emulsion is placed in a clean scraper ring and applied to the clean screen at a speed of 10-12 min. then dried at 350c – 400c and 60% relative humidity in a circular air oven and at more than ± 20c temperature differences. Apply the binder evenly to both surfaces, smash the screen and notched screen together with a scraper and remove the excess binder.

Advantage:

Uniform and smooth coating. Variable speed for coating. Coating pot runs up and down on massive beam. Easy to use.

Manual system: If there is a problem in the coating machine or there is no coating machine, the imagesetters will coat based on their manual skills. Manually coating the screen does not make the emulation penetration on the screen 100% perfect, leading to various problems, but not so much the local design problem. Moreover, in the case of export design, this manual system is not acceptable because the manual screen coating is not perfect and time is wasted, because of this, the screen coating is no longer done manually. Exposure devices often solve many screening problems by reducing or increasing the viscosity of the emulsion, for example by making emulsions depending on the exposure or sharpness of the design. After coating the screen, the screen must be kept upright for 15/20 minutes to allow the emulsion coated on the screen to fall off by rolling. Then the sieve must be kept in the emulsion machine for 20/25 minutes at a temperature of 30/35 degrees Celsius. This dries the emulsion applied to the screen. If there is no clematis machine, it can be dried in a light-dark room with normal fan air, in this case it will take longer, about 2/3 hours. If the emulsion screen is not exposed within 4/5 hours the emulsion temperature will be lost. However, in a dark room with air conditioning, the coated screen can be used for up to 18 hours.

3) Screen exposure: After screen coating, the screen must be exposed. The device with which the screen is exposed is called a rotary screen exposure machine. There are also three types of exposure machines,

Manual exposure machine Inkjet exposure machine Leasing exposure machine

When designers created manual design, they exposed it in a manual exposure machine.

There were various problems with manual exposure, but even after this manual exposure, the main material for manual exposure is design film. Part by part exposure was given with this film and the cost would be lower.

With the change in technology, the CAD exposure process began instead of the manual one. First the inkjet, then the leaser exposure system is started. Any critical design can be perfectly exposed in inkjet and laser exposure machines.

In this case, there are some conditions, the coated screen must be inserted into the rubber tube of the exposure machine. Then, with the help of the automatic air system, you need to air-tighten the screen and tap both sides of the screen to prevent air from escaping.

Comparison between manual exposure, inkjet exposure and lease exposure:

Manual exposure Inkjet exposure Leasing exposure 1. The first tool of manual exposure is the film that exposes the design by winding the film onto the screen. 1. Filming process is not required. Ink is used instead of film. It must be uncovered by computer operation. 1. Filming process is not required. Leaser is used instead of a film. It must also be revealed through computer operation. 2. Manual system needs to be partially exposed with film. 2. Inkjet must expose the entire screen at once. 2. The entire screen must be exposed by computer operation. 3. In a manual system, sometimes a movie connection mark or a repeating connection mark may appear on the screen. 3. This problem does not occur when the ink jet is exposed. 3. This problem does not occur during lease suspension. 4. To remove the oily surface, you need to apply powder to the coated screen before film wrapping. 4. Inkjet does not need to be powdered. 4. Laser also does not require powder. 5. The screen is opened in the emulsion part or black part of the film and the rest is hardened. This means that the negative part is hard and the positive part is open. 5. With inkjet printing, the design is printed on the screen with black ink, and after the screen is washed, the black part will open. 5. In the case of a renter, the negative part of the design is hard, and after washing the screen, the design area is open. 6. The area of ​​the design will not be bloated when exposed. 6. The area of ​​the design will be inflated during exposure. 6. The area of ​​the design remains unchanged. 7. It takes 80-90 minutes to expose the screen. 7. It takes 20-25 minutes to uncover the screen. 7. It takes 20-25 minutes to uncover the screen. 8. A separate film must be made for each color. 8. You must create a separate file for each color. 8. You must create a separate file for each color. 9. The cost of a film is high. 9. Ink cost is low. 9. Film and ink are not required. 10. Lighting is required to cure the coated chemical. 10. After printing black ink on the screen, the remaining coated area is exposed to cure it. 10. The design is exposed by curing the screen with direct light. 11. The setting mark is indicated on each sieve in the manual system. 11. Setting mark is given by computer operation. 11. Setting mark is given by computer operation. 12. Before exposure, the screen needs to be fixed with the exposure machine, and the coated screen will be cured by the automatic air system. 12. Inkjet machine attaches automatic air system Coated screen is difficult to print by ink. 12. By attaching the screen to the leasing machine, the screen is tensioned by the automatic air system and exposed with a laser.

4) Screen development wash: after the screen has been exposed, the screen must be developed within 10/15 minutes. If you wait a long time, the screen emulsion will harden, so there will be a screen cleaning problem.

The exposure screen must be gently immersed in water in the developing tank. Be careful not to let the screen rub against the body of the developer tank. Because if the tank is rubbed hard, the screen emulsion will likely blow up. Below the processing tank are two semi-circular stands over which you gently soak the screen in water for 10/15 minutes. The screen should be removed from the developer tank and the outside and inside of the screen should be cleaned with high pressure water through a shower. And sometimes lightly rub with foam. In this way, the design area is opened when the water is pressed from the screen.

Then insert the screen into the light stand and examine each motif of the design. If a motif is not fully opened, it must be opened with the help of a water gun machine. At this time, it is very carefully noted that the additional area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe design will not open. Therefore, the exposure screen must be developed through the water very carefully.

After that it is necessary to remove the water from the screen, for this take the screen off the light stand and keep it upright for 10/15 minutes. Then the emulsion on the screen surface should be kept in the polymer at a temperature of 120 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes to harden it.

5) End ring bonding: In order to remove the screen from the polymer, an end ring bonding is carried out. And before that, the end ring gluing should be cleaned well.

After that, the end ring glue should be manually applied to both sides of the end ring (front and back) of the screen. After applying the glue, the glue should be dried for 10/15 minutes.

Then, with the help of the ferrule gluing machine, put the ferrule in the strainer and beat it for 10 minutes. After hitting, the end ring is firmly connected to the screen. If the ferrule does not fit perfectly, opening the ferrule during fabric manufacture will destroy the screen. To do this, the closing ring should be put on very carefully.

After inserting the end ring, the screen must be checked by inserting it into the test bench. If a pinhole or an additional area of ​​​​the design surface opens on a screen, then it should be closed with a brush with photo emulsion.

This way the screen has to be checked several times before it is suitable for production.

The process of rotary screen preparation can be described as follows:-

Acknowledgments: My special thanks to my dedicated student who is always trying to learn about textiles, Md. Mubashwir Moshwan, Textile Engineering Student, MBSTU, Santosh, Tangail-1902

For his collaboration in writing this article in various ways, I wish him success in his career.