Screen printing has origins as far back as the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) in China. The increased availability of silk mesh in that late 19th century allowed for the modern form of screen printing to take off. In 1907 Samuel Simon patented his screen printing technique in England. In 1914 John Pilsworth of San Francisco patented a multi-color screen printing process. Screen printing became an industry during World War I.
The screen is a porous mesh tightly stretched over a metal or wood frame. The material used for the mesh can be fabric or stainless steel. The image to be printed is created as a stencil. The ink used in screen printing has a paint-like consistency. A squeegee blade is used to apply the ink.
Whether screen printing is done by hand or by an automatic machine, the process is essentially the same. The screen is placed over the substrate material. The stencil is then attached to the screen if it is a cut-out. It can also be created photochemically directly onto the screen. Areas of the screen are blocked as needed to prevent ink from going through. The ink that creates the image is pressed through the unblocked parts of the screen using a squeegee. A separate screen is required for each ink color.