What is screen printing?

Artist Anna Bryant working with Akua ink to create a monoprint on a screen printing press in her Asheville, NC studio.
Anna Bryant, a visual artist and printmaker based in Asheville, NC, screen printing in her studio using monotype screen printing techniques with Akua ink.

Contemporary screen printing was popularized by Andy Warhol and the Pop Art movement of the 1950s and 60s.

This time-honored technique has roots that go back to many ancient cultures, although the process as we know it today began to take shape in the late 1800s, where it was used for patterned textile printing.

A "silkscreen" is a frame with silk stretched over it, though today, a synthetic mesh is used.

Each color within the artwork is separated onto an individual screen. Once the screens are prepared, ink is pushed through each screen by pulling a squeegee across it, transferring the ink onto the paper.

This is done by hand, one color at a time, ensuring that each new layer aligns properly with the other printed colors. The hand-made nature of this process gives slight nuances to each print, adding a unique quality, despite it being part of an edition.

Mono SCREEN PRINTING PROCESS

Anna Bryant is mixing custom pastel color palettex with akua intaglio ink. pas

MIXING COLOR

1. I use Akua Intaglio inks—originally designed for etching—because they give me the soft, muted, and slightly blurred quality I’m drawn to for this body of work. I mix each color by hand, adjusting tone and transparency until it feels just right.

Western North Carolina artist Anna Bryant screen printing a one-of-a-kind monotype with Akua inks and hand-applied textures.

Building up color on the screen

2. I work intuitively, layering ink directly onto the screen using lighter and darker shades within a single color to create a sense of depth with light and shadows. Sometimes I print multiple colors together in a single pass; other times, I separate them and layer each one individually. This selective approach lets me control how the colors interact—whether they blur into each other or sit more distinctly.

Anna Bryant, a contemporary printmaker based in NC, layering ink through a silkscreen using monotype methods in her Asheville, NC printmaking studio.

transferring the image

3. I carefully place a sheet of paper underneath. Then I use a squeegee to pull the ink across the screen, pressing it through the mesh and onto the paper in a single, even pass. This moment captures all the layered marks at once—each gesture and mark transferred onto the surface below.

Visual artist Anna Bryant working closely on a monotype print, enhancing textures and color transitions with Akua ink in her NC studio.

adding detail

4. Once the main image has been printed, I often go back in and add a final layer of detail directly onto the screen. These final marks are created last as a focal point for the composition.

Printmaker Anna Bryant unveils a unique monotype created through experimental screen printing in her NC studio.

transferring the image

5. After pulling the ink through the screen, I carefully lift it to reveal the print underneath. It’s always a moment of surprise—some marks land just as expected, while others shift or blur in ways I couldn’t fully predict. I love the unpredictability of this process.

Anna Bryant, a visual artist and printmaker in Western North Carolina, placing a freshly completed monotype screen print on the drying rack.

drying + editioning

5. The print is carefully laid on a drying rack. Each print is one-of-a-kind due to the unpredictable and spontaneous nature of the medium. Once dried—I sign, date, and title each print.

What is relief printing?

Anna Bryant, the printmaker is using an intaglio etching press to print linocut relief prints.
This is a nude, abstract linocut relief print using bright colors and many layers. It's a hand-made fine art print for modern and contemporary interior design.

Relief printmaking is an ancient art form that originated during the Han Dynasty in China. The earliest known example is a woodblock print dating between 206 B.C. and 220 A.D. By the 1920s and 30s, linoleum gained popularity as a printmaking material due to its ease of use, replacing wood while still utilizing the same relief techniques. While Pablo Picasso is better known for his paintings, he is credited with popularizing linocut techniques in the 1950s.

Relief PRINTING PROCESS

Anna Bryant is a graphic artist, illustrator and printmaker in Western NC creating hand-made and hand-printed fine art prints for mid-century modern interior decorating.

SKETCHING THE IMAGE

1. Each print begins at the drawing board—each layer sketched on tracing paper to play around and see how the layers will interact. The final sketch is then transfered to a block of linoleum.

Anna Bryant is a graphic artist, illustrator and printmaker in Western NC creating hand-made and hand-printed fine art prints for mid-century modern interior decorating. Anna specializes in hand-made linocut relief prints and block prints.

CARVING THE BLOCK

2. Using specialized linocut tools, I meticulously carve away the sections of the linoleum that I want to remain unprinted (the white areas of the print). This requires precision and patience, as I work to create texture and depth in the image. The remaining/raised surface of the linoleum holds the ink, which will be transfer to the paper.

Anna Bryant is a graphic artist, illustrator and printmaker in Western NC creating hand-made and hand-printed fine art prints for mid-century modern interior decorating. Anna specializes in hand-made linocut relief prints and block prints.

INKING THE BLOCK

3. After the block is carved, I roll ink onto the surface using a brayer roller. The ink is evenly distributed on the raised parts of the linoleum—those that were not carved away. I mix custom colors tailored to the specific effect I want to achieve.

Anna Bryant is a graphic artist, illustrator and printmaker in Western NC creating hand-made and hand-printed fine art prints for mid-century modern interior decorating. Anna specializes in hand-made linocut relief prints and block prints.

PRINTING THE IMAGE

4. The inked linoleum block is placed on the bed of the press within the registration matrix. The paper is carefully laid over the block. Additional papers are layered over for extra cushion. I turn the wheel of the press to move the block and paper under the drum. This applies even pressure to ensure my design is properly transferred. Each color is layered individually, one block at a time (repeating step 3 and 4).

Anna Bryant is a graphic artist, illustrator and printmaker in Western NC creating hand-made and hand-printed fine art prints for mid-century modern interior decorating. Anna specializes in hand-made linocut relief prints and block prints.

PRINT REVEAL

5. After going through the printing press, I hand-pull the print to reveal the transferred image.

Anna Bryant is a graphic artist, illustrator and printmaker in Western NC creating hand-made and hand-printed fine art prints for mid-century modern interior decorating. Anna specializes in hand-made linocut relief prints and block prints.

DRYING + EDITIONING

6. The print is carefully laid on a drying rack. Each print is unique due to slight variations in ink application and pressure due to their handmade, hand-printed nature. Once dried, I inspect each print carefully to make sure that it meets my standards to be included in the limited edition. Then I sign, date, title, and edition each print. You can learn more about how editioning works here.