Electronic engineers use the terms screen printing, screen printing legend and silk screen to denote writing on a printed circuit board. Screen printing is far more convenient and versatile than other traditional printing methods. For one thing, the surface does not have to be printed under pressure, unlike etching or lithography, and it does not have to be planar. Screen printing inks can be used to work on a variety of surfaces - such as textiles, ceramics, metal, wood, paper, glass, and plastic. As a result, screen printing is used in many different industries, from clothing to product labels to PCB printing.

The screen printing technology is rather simple and does not call for high skills. A screen is made out of a piece of porous, finely woven fabric - originally made of silk, but now they are made of polyester or nylon - stretched over a wooden or aluminum frame. Areas of the screen are blocked off with a non permeable stencil which is a negative of the image to be printed. In other words, the open spaces are where the ink will appear. The screen is placed on top of a piece of dry paper or fabric. Ink is placed on top of the screen, and a squeegee or rubber blade is used to push the ink evenly into the screen openings and onto the substrate. The ink passes through the open spaces in the screen onto the paper or fabric placed underneath and then the screen is taken away. The screen can be re-used after cleaning.