The Machine's Perfect Copy vs. The Human Touch

Let's talk about the big one: AI art and mass-produced digital prints. They're everywhere. The appeal is obvious – it’s fast, often cheap, and the variety is endless. But the output is always a facsimile. It's a digital file, created by an algorithm or a designer, sent to a large-format inkjet printer (a giclée, if you want the fancy term) that sprays microscopic dots of ink onto paper. The result can be sharp, sure. But it's uniform. Perfect, even. And that's precisely the problem.

A screen print is the polar opposite of this. It’s a physical process from start to finish. There's no 'undo' button. Every single colour is a separate layer, pushed through a mesh screen with a squeegee by hand. It’s a craft that demands patience and accepts—even celebrates—the tiny 'imperfections' that make each print in an edition subtly unique. It’s not about generating an image; it’s about building one, layer by tactile layer.

Pixels Don't Bleed, Ink Does

Get up close to a cheap digital print. You'll see a fine pattern of dots trying to trick your eye into seeing a solid colour. Now, look closely at a proper screen print. You'll see something else entirely. You'll see the ink. Real, tangible ink that sits proudly on the surface of the paper. It has a slight texture, a richness, and a depth of colour that digital printing just can't replicate.

When I mix a pot of ink, I’m not picking a hex code. I’m physically blending pigments to get the exact shade that feels right. That ink then floods the screen and gets pressed into the fibres of the paper. It’s a physical, almost sculptural, process. That’s why the colours on a screen print feel so vibrant and alive—because they’re a solid, opaque layer of ink, not a cluster of tiny dots.

The Story Behind The Image

I think this is the most important bit, really. When you buy a piece from Oli Fowler Art, or any screen printer for that matter, you're not just buying a decoration for your wall. You’re buying a story. You’re buying the hours spent aligning the screens just so, the trial and error of getting the colours right, and the physical effort of pulling every single print in that edition by hand.

It's a direct connection to the artist. My hands made that. It’s a limited piece of work that will never be created in exactly the same way again. In an industry that's racing towards automation and instant gratification, screen printing stands its ground. It’s a deliberate, thoughtful, and fundamentally human way of making art. It’s not just a picture; it’s an object with a history, crafted with skill and a whole lot of care.

So next time you're looking for art, ask yourself what you're really looking for. A fleeting image spat out by a machine, or a piece of genuine craft that was brought into the world with purpose? There's a big difference, and you can feel it the moment you hold it in your hands.

Fancy seeing what all the fuss is about? Have a look at the real deal over in my shop.

Browse The Store