The Digital Mist vs. The Physical Layer
Most affordable 'art prints' you see online are giclée prints. It's a fancy term for a high-quality inkjet print. A sophisticated printer head whizzes back and forth, spraying thousands of microscopic dots of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink onto the paper to create the illusion of an image. It’s clever, and it can look good from a distance.
But it’s a surface-level thing. The ink is absorbed slightly, but it essentially sits there as a very thin, flat veneer.
Screen printing is a different beast entirely. We’re not dealing with a fine mist. We’re working with thick, viscous, often custom-mixed inks with the consistency of Greek yoghurt. The process involves pushing this ink with a squeegee through a mesh screen directly onto the paper. This doesn't create a mist; it lays down a solid, tangible, and ever-so-slightly raised layer of pure colour. You can often see and feel its presence. It's a physical object built on the paper, not just an image stained onto it.
Opacity, Vibrancy, and Light
This physical layer of ink is what gives screen prints their signature punch. Because the ink is so thick and opaque, the colours are incredibly bold and vibrant. A bright yellow in a screen print is a solid field of pure, light-reflecting yellow. It’s not a collection of tiny yellow and magenta dots trying to convince your eye that it's yellow.
This is especially true when printing light colours onto dark paper. Try getting a truly bright, solid white on black paper with a digital printer. It’s a struggle. It often looks a bit grey and washed out. With screen printing, you can lay down a layer of brilliant, opaque white ink that pops right off the page. The light hits that solid pigment and bounces back. It’s a richness and depth that you just can't replicate with a spray.
The Paper is Part of the Piece
The foundation for all this is the paper. This isn't your office printer A4. We use heavy-gauge, archival-quality paper, often with a subtle texture (or 'tooth'). This isn’t just for show. A quality paper stock is robust enough to handle multiple, thick layers of ink without warping or buckling. It provides a beautiful surface for the ink to bond with, and its archival nature means the colours won't fade in a few years. The weight and feel of the paper in your hands is an immediate sign of quality. It’s not a flimsy poster; it’s a substantial piece of art. The interaction between that thick ink and the textured paper is where a lot of the magic happens.
So, when you buy a piece from Oli Fowler Art, you're not just buying a picture. You're buying a handcrafted object. You're getting layers of carefully mixed and applied ink on paper chosen specifically for its quality and longevity. It’s a process with a physical, tangible result that stands apart from the click-and-print world. It’s craft, and you can genuinely see and feel the difference.
Ready to see what I mean? Have a look at the bold colours and sharp lines for yourself.