～ About screen printing and indigo dyeing ～
Mashiko Town in Tochigi Prefecture is famous for Mashiko ware, and there is an indigo dyeing workshop at the entrance of this town.
Last year, on the way back from a pottery market, I saw a sign for a studio and decided to visit the indigo dyeing industry.
When I saw the words “Aizome”, I suddenly remembered that the history of screen printing began with indigo dyeing.
Our website also introduces the history of screen printing as follows.
“Screen printing is said to have been improved in the United States after getting a hint from Japanese Yuzen stencil dyeing. I took an interest in screen printing, which is what it is, and took it home and spread it under the name of silk screen process printing.”
“Screen printing is said to have been improved in the United States after getting a hint from Japanese Yuzen stencil dyeing. I took an interest in screen printing, which is what it is, and took it home and spread it under the name of silk screen process printing.”
When I was observing the workshop, the owner of the workshop came out from the back and said, "Look at the pattern paper in the back!"
I was surprised when I saw the template. It's just like a mesh. The drawn pattern looked like the electrode of the chip resistor.
I was surprised when I saw the template. It's just like a mesh. The drawn pattern looked like the electrode of the chip resistor.
According to the owner, each piece is handmade by humans.It was like making a screen mesh by hand. This paper pattern is made of Japanese paper and persimmon tannin, and is said to be very strong.
The production date was written on the template that was presented.The date is in Meiji! Over 100 years old!
Moreover, I was even more surprised to hear that it is still fully usable.
Will the screen version we are currently using still be usable 100 years from now?
In indigo dyeing, this stencil is used repeatedly to form a continuous pattern. If you look closely at the pattern paper, there are marks for matching patterns. This is the current alignment mark.
When you look at the fabric dyed using this paper pattern, you can't see the seams of the pattern paper at all (If you can see the seams, it won't be a product). Alignment accuracy comparable to that of our high-performance auto-alignment screen printers. I was surprised that this was done by hand for more than 100 years from now.
When the tour was over and I was about to buy souvenirs and leave the workshop, the owner of the workshop said something.
"Recently, it's become easier to do it with a printing press..."
"No, no, humans are still better than printing machines," I muttered to myself as I left the workshop.
