Screen Printing: Art, Ad, or Alchemy

In the 2-D world of screen printing, somewhere between puff tees and posters, exists the world of the 3-D printer. The human version, not the machine. That’s someone who knows how to print images or logos directly — and permanently— on 3-dimensional housings or fabricated parts with weird angles or print locations, all of them made with challenging materials and finishes. 

In Podcast 23, we meet Ken Johnson, a lifelong screen printer who started in printed circuit production in the Bay Area when electronics manufacturing in the USA really took off. After going through ups and downs, and ended up with a unique business called www.specialtyscreenprinting.com. That specialty? Printing industrial parts using screen printing, servicing a range of manufacturers and fabricators in Oregon and the western USA.

Just so readers know, I got roped into this article to present some kind of counter argument to Marshall Atkinson’s devotions to Midjourney and the cult of AI, one of the newer crop of prompt-based art production tools. Read his article before or after you are done here (The Marshall Plan, “Point/Counterpoint: AI Image Generation Pros”). The podcast is better than both, because…Two words: Jeral Tidwell. Give him a Google if you don’t know his work.

I’m no designer or artist, but I know one when I smell one. Many of my friends and associates are involved in creative endeavors — in print, in art, in design, in music, in life…the makers in our world. I love them all. These are the people who create. They invent and drive the look and feel of our surroundings. Or have, for millennia. Now we’re seeing the devaluing and theft of their creativity and ability, and the years putting the time in to develop their skills in whatever area they work in. A couple of prompts, a bit of editing, done! Hear my take in my article and accompanying podcast.

It seems like the entire printed graphics world has turned to digital processing and imaging. The need — and skills — required for custom mixing and printing of spot colors faded into a blur of stochastic dots spit out by 4-, 6-, and 8-color print heads. The actual printing of a specific color is controlled by the algorithms of the computer and a button. Don’t get me wrong; that’s some fancy printing hardware and software. But nobody is mixing inks in the digital world.

Screen printers, being a different species of printer, continue to work in a world where designers still call for spot colors, because it’s what we do. And Pantone, the color matching system that has been a worldwide common language between designers and printers since 1963, still remains in use.

In Episode 20, Andy MacDougall interviews Dan Gilsdorf, of Sefar USA about the hidden and lucrative world of functional and industrial screen printing. The world of functional and industrial (F&I) printing is hiding around us in plain sight. Since first appearing in the 1940’s, F&I has managed to avoid the U.S. and Canadian governments, who still consider print as predominately on paper. The average person wouldn’t know about F&I printing and, I have to say it, the average T-shirt or poster printer is blind to it as well. That’s even though we collectively use the products that rely on this category of printing in their manufacturing process hundreds and thousands of times every day. You’re reading this on a device full of print.

How big is this market? Massive. And growing. Imagine we stack up every cell phone and tablet ever made. Next, add all of your consumer electronics and appliances. Then we throw every car windshield on the pile. Dashboards and touchscreens. And we add all the solar cells. Include hydrogen fuel cells and let’s scrape the inside of every Boeing airliner. The wallpaper technically is graphic screen printing, but its function is fire-resistance. Next, we dump on all the Covid rapid tests, diabetic test strips, and a bunch of nicotine patches. Pretty big pile? We’re only getting started.

All this and more on this episode of the “Art, Ad, or Alchemy?” podcast and companion column from the March/April 2024 digital edition.

In episode #19, Andy MacDougall interviews legendary flatstock poster printer Tuffy Tuffington, VP of the American Poster Institute, the non-profit that runs the Flatstock Exhibitions of rock poster art. For 20-plus years, the exhibition has taken place at major music festivals around the world. With the rise in popularity of attending music and other events that need merch such as posters, Tuffington expects the flatstock poster shows will grow locations.

With a pent-up demand from the Covid Blues, live music performances and touring are way up, attendance at events is up, and he says most bands have finally twigged to the economic and logistical advantages having a cool poster available at the merch table brings. Mr. T has seen personal demand for poster design and production more than double in the past year, exceeding pre-Covid numbers.

All this and more on this episode of the “Art, Ad, or Alchemy?” podcast and companion article from the January/February 2024 digital edition.

In episode 18, Andy MacDougall reflects on the history and the future of an industry more diverse than many realize. From control panels and electronic interfaces to batteries and biomedical devices – even contributions to Allied victory in WWII – screen printing has always been so much more than decorated apparel. Moving forward, opportunities abound in active clothing, the Internet of Things, clean energy, and beyond. Linked by a common process, our community of squeegee draggers is often underappreciated, but just as influential as ever

All this and more on this episode of the “Art, Ad, or Alchemy?” podcast and companion column from the November/December digital edition.

In episode 17, Andy MacDougall interviews Richie Goodtimes, a textile and poster production artist who suddenly went blind. Richie’s story is one of coming back from the edge. In the course of diving into his background, we also dive into a parallel story that is less personal, but also relevant. That’s the story of GP, or gigposters.com, a legendary forum that begat the Flatstock show prior to becoming a shell of its former self.

All this and more on this episode of the “Art, Ad, or Alchemy?” podcast and companion column from the September/October digital edition.

In Episode 16, Andy MacDougall interviews Nick Rhodes. Nick’s story illuminates why it could be a mistake for anyone (particularly North American politicians, educational institutions, and trade associations) to essentially write off screen printing for anything other than decorating apparel. In this case, print – in a few different forms, not just screen – is a potential solution to yet another 21st-century problem created by humans: declining bee populations.





All this and more on this episode of the “Art, Ad, or Alchemy?” podcast and companion column from the July/August digital edition.

In Episode 15, Andy MacDougall interviews Julia Murphy, a founding member of Pedal Press (pedalpress.org). She believes screen printing can offer kids who maybe don’t fit into high school academics (or even high school) an opportunity not only to learn, but eventually, to earn,as well.

Although Julia’s work and story are unique, this edition of “Art, Ad, or Alchemy?” touches on a theme from previous podcasts: attracting new talent to the screen printing industry.

All this and more on the latest episode of the “Art, Ad, or Alchemy?” podcast and companion column from the May/June digital edition.