WHAT IS SILK SCREEN PRINTING?

Screenprinting, silkscreening, or serigraphy is a printmaking technique that creates a sharp-edged image using a stencil. A screenprint or serigraph is an image created using this technique.

It began as an industrial technology, and was adopted by American graphic artists in the early 1900s. It is currently popular both in fine arts and in commercial printing, where it is commonly used to print images on T-shirts, hats, CDs, DVDs, ceramics, glass, polyethylene, polypropylene, paper, metals, and wood.

Graphic screenprinting is widely used today to create many mass or large batch produced graphics, such as posters or display stands. Full color prints can be created by printing in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black). Screenprinting is often preferred over other processes such as dye sublimation or inkjet printing because of its low cost and ability to print on many media.

A screen is made of a piece of porous, finely woven fabric (originally silk, but typically made of polyester or nylon since the 1940s) stretched over an aluminium frame. Areas of the screen are blocked off with a non-permeable material—a stencil—which is a positive of the image to be printed; that is, the open spaces are where the ink will appear.

The screen is placed on top of a piece of dry paper or fabric. Ink is placed on top of the screen, and a squeegee (rubber blade) is used to push the ink evenly into the screen openings and onto the substrate. The ink passes through the open spaces in the screen onto the paper or fabric below; the screen is lifted away and then the squeegee is pushed back across the screen, with the screen lifted, "flooding" the ink into the screen. The screen can be re-used after cleaning. If more than one color is being printed on the same surface, the ink is allowed to dry and then the process is repeated with another screen and different color of ink.

While the public thinks of garments in conjunction with screen printing, the technique is used on tens of thousands of items, including birthday cake designs, decals, clock and watch faces, and many more products. The vast majority of silk-screen printings are monochromatic.

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How work affects Graphic Designers’ Lifestyle

If we compare any regular 9-5 job with a graphic designer’s job then many differences will be seen. Designer’s job does not have a particular time like all other jobs. In fact, a designer can give time to work whenever he/she likes. But this work has to be given more attention than any other job as it involves creativity as well a great set of mind skills. Moreover, working with colors and graphics is not a piece of cake and he/she have to train well to become a professional.

The biggest issue designers have is of time. As said earlier, there is no time limit, a designer can work in the night, stay awake all the time like an owl or sleep at a time when the world’s awake, and vice versa. Moreover, a designer’s job timings are not of a regular 8 hour job. In it, the more time is given, the more he/she can earn.

For all these reasons, the lifestyle of a graphic designer is completely disturbed. The work and life are both different ends and can never go along with each other. A designer might not realize it but his/her life could be negatively affected by work.

Family Life is disturbed

The foremost affect is on the family. Who does not want to live a comfortable life with wife and children? Designers are so per-occupied in their work that they stop paying attention to their close relations. Wife is one with whom things are shared; children demand love and time which designers are not able to give. This is because they do not get time for it. Many times the work’s deadlines are hovering on their heads and all they can think about is their client and their design. Kids, parents and wife are left behind.

Disputes between Husband and Wife

Then another serious impact of this problem is on relations. There could be a distance between designer and his/her children. Disputes between husband and wife can occur resulting in more family fights. These fights could end up in a divorce!

Social Life/Gathering is disturbed

A designer is also not able to join the family in shopping, picnics, family occasions, festivals, holidays etc. This is because the designer has many tasks left to be completed. Thus, the life becomes boring. There isn’t any enjoyment. The mind becomes compact and rusted sitting at home. It could be disastrous for work. It is very essential for designers to keep travelling and going to different places because they have to come up with different ideas. Without these, their creativity would diminish.

No Time for Loved Ones

Even if a designer has taken out time from his hectic schedule to take his date for watching a movie (pressure from his girlfriend), he might take a laptop or IPhone with him and be occupied in work, finding new design concepts. The girl would want to break his nose just then!

Graphic designer’s time = No time

Many times, the designer does not take out time in the first place and even if he does, his would talk about clients, graphic design, due dates etc. His valentine would be expecting something romantic but instead she would get to listen to the most boring talks ever. :p

Worry about Clients more

It is many times more important for graphic designers to listen to their clients rather than worry for the family. They might be sacrificing their family time for clients and everything that matters to them is their clients work. This would negatively affect his family relations.

Health is disturbed

Lifestyle is also affected because a graphic designer only think, only dreams, only talk about his design work and about clients and forgets his health. He forgets taking meals on time. He forgets to exercise. When food is not eaten properly, health can deteriorate. On the other hand, when he will not exercise and continue doing work all the time, this will make him lazy and chubby at the same time.

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What Difficulties will Graphic Designers face after 2013?

Knock, Knock! It is already August! almost of this year has gone by, guys, and you have got to be serious this time!

There is a saying “All that glitters is not gold”. Perhaps this could be best understood by all who have come a long way to become graphic designers. But even these designers could have problems in the long run.

Seriously, graphic designing is not easy. It involves lots of brain work, creativity and professionalism. It is a fact that designers have the comfort and benefit of working even from homes but at the same time, the work sometimes takes more time from a regular 9-6 job!

So do you not want to know what puddle you could get your feet into in the next year. • Trendy Industry Graphic designing industry is very fast. This means that it keeps on changing and evolving compared to other professions. There will be no time for designers to bug in work apart from designing. Instead they will have to keep themselves familiar with new software along with new trends of the industry. They will have to keep on increasing their work knowledge and creativity because without it, they would find it difficult to stay alive in the industry. The work will only sell if it is unique and creative. • Low Cost, High Expectation When expectations are not met, they hurt. This is the case with people who are into graphic design. Not only do they have to make designs up to their expectations but the clients as well. When giving work, clients develop a trust in them and feel that the work would be even better than what they require. And what if it does not match their level? This is a serious issue. Moreover, convincing clients is yet another problem. They might never realize the beauty of designs because of different perspectives. So keeping a note of this issue will be important. • Overruling Habit A patient never tells a dentist how to fix a denture. But in case of graphic practitioners, everyone pokes their nose in the work. They suggest ways; they give opinions on what is right and wrong and what looks good and what bad. The fact is that clients always want things their way whether it is the color; getting it from green to blue or the design. They tell things according to their own perception and mind. • Different Clients –Different Ideas Designing and creativity works together. New concepts should always be coming and reflecting designers’ work because only this will keep viewers focused on the work. Only a new concept would draw people’s attention. Designs should be unique and up to the mark. They should focus the brand and reflect what a company offers to people. • Difficult to explain Technicalities Designers need to be communicative. If they cannot explain their work to clients then they might never be able to convince them to buy work. Or they might never be able to invite clients for more projects. The design ideas and work have to be shown and told to different people so that they could understand the way one has brought creativity to work. Designers have to act like a sales person! • Online Free Software – A Problem With the availability of Internet everyone has the access to graphic designing software. All the non-designers without having experience and knowledge about work are able to produce things which are not worth anything. Clients irrespective of this consider it because the cost is a mere. Clients should differentiate between designers and non-designers. On the other hand, non-designers should know that just having a software does not make anyone a designer.

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Printing Companies Offer Quality Printing At Affordable Price

Printing is in great demand nowadays and so are the printing Press. Be it a schools notebook or a letterhead of school, office, persona etc. printing is foremost essential thing. It is used at every step in our daily routine like in visiting cards, pamphlets, brochures, bill books, tickets etc. With the growth in the need for printing, there has also been an increase in the demand for variety and new innovative printing techniques. Printing companies have also upgraded themselves over time and have incorporated new printing techniques to offer the best possible printing at the best price.

With the advancement in technology, the printing should have gone costlier but on the contrary it has in fact become cheaper and more affordable than before. Thanks to the newer inks and paper innovations as well as digital printing that printing has become highly affordable whether it is a small job or bulk printing. Another factor that has helped make printing more affordable is the competition in the market. Where there are ample number of Printing press offering some of the printing services at the rock bottom prices. But we believe quality counts we provide our clients with best quality in competitive prices.

Good printers are known for their quality work. The designers create designs according to your choice and you get an output. One must opt for wholesale printing, as it reduces the cost and provides you a bulk quantity. At times one is in need of calendars, magazine, books, diaries and these can be easily printed at economic rates through bulk (large quantity) printing. Both time and money are reduced as cost of making the plate is shared and multiple tasks are done altogether.

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