Translations:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Arts and Crafts/Silk Screen Printing - Advanced/3/en

3. Know what fabrics can be used in silk screening and the advantages of each. What factors influence the choice of mesh count for the screen?

Silk was the first type of fabric used in silk screening, and lent its name to the art. It is still used sometimes, but polyesters are cheaper and are commonly used today. There are two types of polyesters used in silk screening, monofilament and multifilament. Monofilaments are made from single strands of polyester, whereas multifilaments are made from multiple strands twisted together. Monofilaments are preferred, as they are less elastic and can therefore be stretched much tighter than multifilaments. They are also more sturdy and can be used repeatedly in printing several runs. Further, monofilaments can be used to create more finely registered prints. However, multifilaments produce a slightly different texture in the printed product, and sometimes this is preferred. Indeed, the use of multifilaments are common in the industry.