Silkscreen (also called serigraphy and screenprinting) is based on the graphic principle of the stencil. A stencil is prepared and adhered to a fine meshed screen of silk, polyester, or nylon that has been tightly stretched onto a wooden or metal frame. Ink is forced through the screen with a hand held tool called a squeegee onto a sheet of paper placed beneath the frame. The ink passses only through the open areas of the stencil, thus creating a particular shape or line on the paper. Printing several colors requires a separate stencil for each color as well as an accurate method of registering the paper for the additional colors.

to view an interactive silkscreen demo.