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Inkjet Vs. Silkscreen Graphics Printing

Silkscreen printing has been in use since the beginning of the 20th century, while the ink-jet process is an offshoot of the computer age. Ink-jet printers are actually the cheaper printing device, often sold as an inexpensive addition to a major computer purchase.
  1. Freehand Style

    • An ink-jet print is printed from a computer visual file, while a silkscreen tends to be more of a hands on process, where the graphic designer can directly manipulate the printing screen in many ways. That's not to say hand drawn images can't be beautifully rendered with the ink-jet process, for they can. It's just that with the ink-jet printer the final image is more removed from the hands-on approach.

    Archival Inks

    • The longevity of ink-jet prints varies widely, but if archival paper and inks are used, a print may last anywhere from 50 to a hundred years. Silkscreen inks also vary in their longevity, but it is usually possible to get an even longer lasting print from the silk screen process.

    Made For Home Use

    • Ink-jet printers are easy to use at home, where you can obtain excellent prints without any clean-up. Silkscreen printing requires a more elaborate workspace, a greater investment in materials and a lengthy and involved clean-up process that might involve working with noxious fumes.

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