Silkscreened

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Printed by forcing ink through a fine mesh stencil onto fabric or paper, a method often used for posters and clothing
2. Reproduced through a stencil process in which ink is pushed across a fine silk or synthetic mesh to form an image
3. Decorated with a design transferred by a screen printing technique that uses a stencil laid over a mesh surface

Etymology: Silkscreened is the past tense and past participle of "silkscreen," so its history is that of the verb it comes from. That verb is a plain compound of "silk" and "screen." The screen in question is a fine mesh stretched over a frame, and for centuries it was made of silk threads, which is why the printing method took the name. A stencil is fixed to the mesh, ink is pushed through the open areas with a squeegee, and the design is printed on the surface beneath. The past forms apply this process to a particular print. Something that was silkscreened carries a design laid down this way, which is why the same word also serves as an adjective describing a printed fabric or poster.

Synonyms: screen-printed, serigraphed