Screen printing stencil production

A method of screen printing which comprises producing a screen-printing stencil having open areas and blocked areas for respectively passage and blocking of a printing medium, the method comprising:

• providing a receptor element comprising an image-receiving layer capable of receiving a first chemical agent in areas corresponding to the blocked areas of the stencil to be produced;
• applying the first chemical agent to the image-receiving layer of the receptor element in the said corresponding areas;
• applying a second, stencil-forming chemical agent to a screen printing screen;
• bringing the image-receiving layer of the receptor element into contact with the stencil-forming agent, to allow the first and second chemical agents to react to produce on the screen a stencil-forming layer having areas of lower solubility corresponding to the said blocked areas and areas of higher solubility in areas corresponding to the open stencil areas;
• removing any remaining unreacted part of the receptor element;
• washing away the second chemical agent in the higher solubility areas, thereby to produce the screen-printing stencil;
• placing the screen-printing stencil in contact with a substrate;
• and
• passing a printing medium through the open areas of the stencil to produce printing on the substrate in areas corresponding to the open areas of the stencil.