Many ink-jet printers use non-permanent ink sold in small plastic containers.
Silkscreen printing has been in use since the beginning of the 20th century, while the ink-jet process is an offshoot of the computer age. Ink-jet printers are actually the cheaper printing device, often sold as an inexpensive addition to a major computer purchase.
Freehand Style
An ink-jet print is printed from a computer visual file, while a silkscreen tends to be more of a hands on process, where the graphic designer can directly manipulate the printing screen in many ways. That's not to say hand drawn images can't be beautifully rendered with the ink-jet process, for they can. It's just that with the ink-jet printer the final image is more removed from the hands-on approach.
Archival Inks
The longevity of ink-jet prints varies widely, but if archival paper and inks are used, a print may last anywhere from 50 to a hundred years. Silkscreen inks also vary in their longevity, but it is usually possible to get an even longer lasting print from the silk screen process.
Made For Home Use
Ink-jet printers are easy to use at home, where you can obtain excellent prints without any clean-up. Silkscreen printing requires a more elaborate workspace, a greater investment in materials and a lengthy and involved clean-up process that might involve working with noxious fumes.
Tags: ink-jet process, Silkscreen printing, with ink-jet
