Most of us have used stencils in school for lettering and it is a popular method on home decorating shows in order to add a pattern or design to your walls.

Stencil prints were created from this concept and appeared on the art scene in the early part of the 20^th Century. Silkscreen or serigraph is the most familiar form.  The process is simple. A fine mesh fabric is stretched over a boxlike frame and is used as a stencil by either masking out with wax or some other impermeable substance all parts of the image which are not to print. A sheet of paper is placed under the prepared screen box & with a squeegee-like tool, ink is forced through the screen. It will not go through where the screen is masked. In order to have more than one color, it is necessary to make a separate screen and print them in order on the same sheet of paper. This type of printing can be done quickly and in very large editions.

Silk screen is the term used when this method of printing is used for signs and other commercial endeavors and serigraph is the term used when it is used for art.  I have noticed recently that the large auction houses are using the term "screen print".

The ink lies on the paper like a very thin blanket. Techniques have changed so that under examination if there is an absence of this it does not necessarily mean that it is not a serigraph. The colors have a flat appearance or are evenly graded.