Textile printing is the name given to all woven fabrics and the art of ornamenting such fabrics by printing designs or colorful patterns. This form has been practiced in India and China since times immemorial. Textile printing may be regarded as a form of dyeing, where one or more colors are applied to certain parts and in sharply defined patterns. There are various ways of textile printing like hand blocked, block printing, engraved plate painting, engraved roller painting, stenciling, digital textile printing, screen painting and others.
Screen textile printing technique is a relatively new and advanced form of textile printing.
Screen textile printing technique was previously known as silk screening. It was pioneered by Guy Mc Roy . The greatest advantage of screen textile printing technique is that it possesses greater versatility than other mediums. It spread mainly during the First World War and during this period it was used mainly to make flags and banners. The screen textile printing technique is relatively cheaper and has the ability to print on many media that makes it popular in commercial printing and fine arts.
The screen textile printing technique involves the application of the printing paste through a fine screen placed in contact with the fabric to be printed. A design is created in reverse on the screen by blocking areas of the screen with a material such as an opaque paint. The screen is then placed over the fabric and the printing paste is forced through the open areas of the screen using a flexible synthetic rubber or steel blade known as a squeegee.
