Abstract: It is possible to obtain a screen printing method that may assure excellent printing qualities since the screen printing method of the present invention includes: (A) sliding a squeegee head with paste stored in the squeegee head on a mask plate, while the past is pressurized, and printing the paste on a substrate through pattern holes of the mask plate, (B) at least one step of (b) separating the squeegee head with the paste stored therein from the mask plate, and (e) sliding the squeegee head on the mask plate for a pre-squeezing purpose before the step (A). The step of separating the squeegee head from the mask plate includes the steps of (1) discontinuing the pressure application to the paste stored in the squeegee head, (2) horizontally moving the squeegee head by a predetermined distance while the bottom end portion of the squeegee head is abutted on the mask plate in a state of the pressure application being discontinued, and (3) moving the squeegee head upward off from the mask plate.

Abstract: In a method of automatic positional alignment of substrate and screen mask in electrical paste screen printing, the coordinates (X1, Y1), (X2, Y2) of points A, B on a substrate 10 are obtained with a first camera, while the coordinates (X3, Y3), (X4, Y4) of points A', B' on a screen mask 33 are obtained with a second camera. Then, the coordinates of the middle point P1 between the points A and B, and the coordinates of the middle point P2 between the points A' and B' are obtained, based on the results of which positional discrepancies .DELTA.X, .DELTA.Y between the substrate 10 and the screen mask 33 in the directions of X and Y are obtained. Subsequently, the substrate 10 is rotated horizontally with the middle points P1 and P2 superposed until a line segment L1 connecting the points A and B coincides with a line segment L2 connecting the points A' and B', as a result of which a positional discrepancy .theta. in the direction of horizontal rotation is obtained. If the positional discrepancies .DELTA.X, .