The images that are printed come from ink being forced through the untreated parts of the screen, and onto a sheet of paper. The stencil can be made of paper, which permits no ink to penetrate, while the use of tusches painted onto the screen allow gradations of tone and color. Also, light-sensitive emulsions can be applied which allow the transfer of photo images onto the screen. For each color, there must be a separate stencil and inking. Stencil prints can be recognized by the thickness of the ink which seems to lie on top of the paper surface, by the bold flat colors, and sometimes by the mesh texture of the silk impressed into the ink on the paper.
Artists often combine several printing methods.
A paper may be preprinted with colors using silkscreen or woodblock techniques, and then run through a press with an engraved plate. A lithographer might add silkscreened details to his work, or a woodcut artist might find it desirable to put the woodblock through an etching press to get an embossed impression as well as the inked image. The experimental opportunities are endless, and innumerable combinations are being attempted by artists around the world. Return to Top Proper Care of Original Prints Never cut or trim the edges of paper. Use two hands to grip the paper in order to avoid inadvertent bending.