What is a silk-screen printer?

A silk-screen printer is a simple apparatus for making copies. It prints using a fabric screen and a stencil through which ink is pressed.

• Base (optional)
• Screen frame
• Applicator.

Here are some diagrams of a silk-screen printer and applicator:

• Open silk-screen printer
• Closed silk-screen printer

A silk-screen printer works as follows:

• A prepared stencil is attached to the underside of the fabric screen.

  • The printer requires a prepared stencil with the desired design or text cut out of it so that the ink passes only through the part of the stencil that has been cut.
• Ink is applied to the top side of the fabric screen.
• The applicator is used to force the ink through the fabric screen and the prepared stencil onto the material to be printed.

• Silk-screen printers with the screen frame hinged or otherwise connected on one side to the base
• Silk screen printers with a separate screen frame and base

• Silk-screen printers which allow printing on cloth

• Other styles of silk-screen printers
• (More information and diagrams will be included in future versions of the Literacy bookshelf)

• Stringer and Faraclas 1987

• Concept module: silk-screen printer
• In overview module: Glossary (Literacy): S
• In modular book: Glossary of literacy terms
• In document collection: Reference materials
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 25 October 1999

© 1999 SIL International