WHAT IS, AND WHO DOES, SEROGRAPHIC PRINTING?

Published by: mike 2010-03-16

IF AN ARTIST PAINTS, WITH ACRYLICS, ON CANVAS AND THEN WANTS TO HAVE THAT REPRODUCED FOR ABOUT 850 PIECES, ON FINE PAPER STOCK, IF HE IS USING A PROCESS CALLED SEROGRAPH, WHAT IS THAT, HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM (HAND) SILK SCREENING AND WHERE CAN I LOCATE PEOPLE THAT DO SEROGRAPH PRINTING? I AM IN THE BOSTON AREA. THANK YOU.

Hi shish, Thank you for your very interesting question. You ask what the difference between serigraph and hand silk screening is. Actually the two terms have the same meaning. Following are excerpts explaining what exactly serigraphy is and describes the process. - What is a Serigraph? - “Also known as a silk-screen or screenprint. "Seri" from the Latin means silk, and "graph" means to draw or write. Each color (from one to hundreds) is added to the paper individually as it is pressed through silk stencils (or a man-made simulation) with a squeegee.” Sports Art etc http://www.sportsartetc.com/saemisc/faq.html - Serigraph - “A serigraph is a reproduction process using various screens through which the colors are pressed onto paper or canvas. Like a lithograph, the various images on the screens overlap the colors which mix on the paper or canvas, reproducing the color fidelity of the original. Generally, the inks or dyes are thicker for serigraphs than for lithographs, coming closer in consistency to paint, thus giving serigraphs a look and feel that is closer to the original (especially if the original was a oil painting).” Picture Framing, Prints and Posters http://www.metronet.com/~tmiovas/prints_posters.htm - Serigraphy - “Serigraphy is a color stencil printing process in which a special paint is forced through a fine screen onto the paper beneath. Areas that do not print are blocked with photosensitive emulsion that has been exposed with high intensity arc lights. A squeegee is pulled from back to front, producing a direct transfer of the image from screen to paper. A separate stencil is required for each color and one hundred colors or more may be necessary to achieve the desired effect. A serigraph, also referred to as a screen print, differs from other graphics in that its color is made up of paint films rather than printing ink stains.” Art Space 2000 http://www.artspace2000.com/artspace_II/Directories/glossary/s.htm - Serigraph/Silk Screen - “A serigraph is a print made by transferring ink to paper through the openings in a mesh material which has been stenciled to produce an image. Each color is applied one at a time. The final product is a layering effect of all the colors. Serigraphs can consist of as many as 50 different colors. Also referred to as a Silk Screen.” Gallery of Sports Art http://www.camdensportsart.com/about/glossary.asp - Serigraph - “A serigraph is produced by the silk-screen or screen-print printing process. For each desired color, a photographically-prepared or hand-cut stencil is created indicating where the color will be applied. Then the stencil is adhered to a silk or nylon mesh screen, and paint of that color is forced through the screen onto the paper. The resulting process creates a luxurious, vibrant and often-textured image.” Christ-Centered Art http://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art/definitions.htm - How a Serigraph is Made - “...the production begins with the original image being separated by color. A thin sheet of Mylar is placed over the image. Everywhere color appears it is blocked out by hand to match the original artwork. The step is repeated for each color. The Mylar sheets are transformed to silk film to form a screen. The screen is placed onto an inking frame; the appropriate color ink is hand applied to each sheet of quality paper registered to match the screen. The image must fall into place flawlessly. The serigraph process enables the Unique Quality of an original artwork to exist in a multiple format, because it is a 'hands on' method of reproducing the original image.” The Studio of Artist Nan Rae http://www.nanrae.com/serigrap.html ***************************************** Following are the places I found in Boston which do different kinds of art printing. Boston Graphic Arts/Printing 174 North St Boston, MA (617) 635-3700 Color Circle Art Publishing 791 Tremont St # 104n Boston, MA (617) 437-1260 Graphic Arts Personnel Svc 43 Kingston St # 4 Boston, MA (617) 482-0495 Images & Frames Inc 1089 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA (617) 782-4408 Silk Screen Printing Company 105 Kingston St Boston, MA 02111 (617) 426-4500 Chillybear Boston, MA 02110 (617) 330-7933 Flipside Designer Group 25 Kingston St Boston, MA 02111 (617) 542-3547 Silk Screening USA 94 Prince St Boston, MA 02113 (617) 720-1263 Sources: Switchboard http://www.switchboard.com/ Yellow Pages http://www.yellowpages.com/ Smartpages http://www.smartpages.com/ Search words used: serigraph serigraph on paper serigraph screen printing serigraph silk screening serigraph difference silk screening hand silk screening I hope the information I gave you is helpful. If you have any questions regarding my answer please don’t hesitate to ask before rating. Best regards, rainbow-ga