Screenprinting technique
Screenprinting is the process of pressing ink through a stencilled mesh screen to create a printed design.
The silkscreen is made of a piece of mesh stretched over a frame. Before printing occurs, the frame and screen must undergo the pre-press process: a light sensitive photo-emulsion is scooped across the mesh.
To create the stencilled screen, first Harm makes a 'film'.
Therefore the design is printed with light blocking black ink on a transparant foil.
Harm places the film on the silkscreen. Together they'll be exposed to UV-light that will harden the photo-emulsion.
The image on the foil blocks the UV-light and causes soft emulsion areas.
The soft emulsion areas are washed away using a water spray. The mesh is now a stencil from hardened emulsion with clean areas with the identical shape as the image on the foil. The screen is ready for printing!
With a squeegee, ink can be pressed through the screen. The stencilled area's in the mesh allow the precise passage of ink. Result: a fresh screenprinted image handprinted by Annelot!