Screen Printing Curriculum Secondary School Level Course Catalog Description This course will provide an introduction for students to the field of screen printing. Students will explore art preparation, mesh selection, frames, stencil systems, applying emulsion, printing techniques, ink and substrate compatibility, reclamation of screens, and how screen printing affects the finishing processes. A combination of technical laboratory applications and theory will provide the foundation for this course. Acquisition of technical skills through the actual production of screen-printed products is a major goal of this course. Course Objectives To educate and train students in the screen printing process, for the purpose of further education or an avenue to enter the industry as a skilled worker. Upon completion of this course students will be able to: A. Develop an understanding of the scope of the screen printing industry. B. Learn how each of the printing processes differ from one another. C. Understand the fundamentals of the screen printing process 1) Design and image generation 2) Frames, mesh, and emulsion 3) Squeegee and flood bar 4) Substrates 5) Inks 6) Presses 7) Finishing and converting D. Be aware of safety and environmental issues E. Understand various aspects of quality control F. Develop basic computer literacy G. Learn basic math and critical thinking skills H. Develop oral and written communication skills I. Develop career awareness of the screen printing industry Course Requirements To fulfill the requirements of this course, students must demonstrate the ability to: 1. Use safe work procedures according to standard practices. 2. Accurately identify safety considerations on quizzes and exams. 3. Recount the historical development of screen-printing. 4. Identify tools, materials, and equipment used for screen-printing. 5. Apply the physical properties of a variety of inks and substrates for screen-printing. 6. Identify and analyze a variety of applications for screen-printing. 7. Achieve proficiency in technical aspects of screen-printing. 8. Identify production concerns for screen-printing. 9. Describe typical procedures for creating a screen-printed product in a logical time line. 10. Identify the attributes of a high quality screen-printed product. 11. An overall knowledge of the process and variables involved in screen-printing. 12. Compare and contrast the various stencil methods and their applications.
13. Analyze the quality of commercially produced screen-printed products. 14. Accurately use and define appropriate terminology. Course Outline and Content Lectures A. Introduction 1) Objectives 2) Overview of course, topics, labs B. Overview of screen printing 1) History of screen printing 2) Overview of screen printing 3) Overview of major printing processes a) Offset lithography b) Flexography c) Gravure/Intaglio d) Digital e) Screen C. Basics of screen printing 1) Essential components a) Screen mesh - Preparation - Mesh count b) Frames c) Stretching systems 2) Hands-on printing demo (poster, decal or textile) D. Artwork and color reproduction 1) Artwork and color reproduction a) Graphic software (Bitmap, vector, halftones) - Illustration (Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw) - Word processing - Page layout (Quark XPress or InDesign) - Photo manipulation (Photoshop) b) RIP c) FILM/CTS E. Exposure Sources 1) Spectral Output a) Light source b) Emulsion sensitivity 2) Intensity 3) Exposure duration F. Pre-press and Films 1) Electronic 2) Computer Generation 3) Output Devices a) Ink jet printers b) Image setters high resolution film output c) Laser Printers d) Direct to Screen G. Squeegees 1) Durometer 2) Flex
3) Length 4) Angle 5) Pressure H. Inks 1) Graphic Inks a) Conventional Solvent Based Components b) Ultraviolet Curable Components c) Water-Containing (1) Co-Solvent Graphics Inks (2) Water-Reducible UV Inks (3) Water-Based UV Inks 2) Textile Inks a) Plastisol Components b) Water based Dye-Discharge c) Special Effects (Foil, Glitter, Fluorescent, Luminescent, Reflective Textures Puff, Suede, Leather-look, High Density, Gels, Latent Image) I. Substrates 1) Papers and Boards (Uncoated and Coated) 2) Plastic Substrates: Vinyl, Styrene, Polyolefin 3) Industrial Films: Polycarbonates, Polyesters 4) Specialty Materials a) Polyimide b) Glass c) Ceramic, J. Printing Equipment 1) Manual Tabletop 2) Graphics: Clamshell, Four-Post, Cylinder 3) Textile: Multi-Station Manual Carousel, Automatic 4) Industrial & Specialty: Compact Disc, Container K. Press Setup and Operation 1) Parallel Planes 2) Screen Frame Clamping 3) Off Contact 4) Peel-off 5) Color Sequence or Print Order L. Drying Equipment 1) Heated Dryers 2) Flash-Curing Units M. Health and Safety 1) Exposure to hazardous substances a) Inhalation b) Dermal contact c) Ingestion d) Eye contact 2) Safe handling of hazardous substances 3) Spills and disposal of hazardous substances 4) General safety concerns in the printing environment 5) Safety rules for the school laboratory 6) Use of MSDS sheets N. Environmental Issues 1) Environmental standards
2) Environmental procedures 3) Waste removal 4) Air quality standards O. Quality Control 1) Quality checks 2) Equipment 3) Procedures Lab Experiences A. Lab demonstrations 1) Screen Preparation a. Stretching - Introduce the concept of tensioning mesh (Jeffrey sending JS examples) - Check tension using a tension meter to ensure proper tension level b. Prepare screens for coating - If using a previously used screen with visible staining, use haze remover and washout - Brush on degreaser, wash out c. Coating screen - Coat screen - Allow time to dry d. Exposing a screen - Position film on screen - Preregister techniques for textile, automatics - Expose screen e. Wash out - Wash out screen - Allow to dry - Quality check image - Block out screen d. Reclaiming a screen after printing - Make sure ink is out of screen - Apply emulsion remover - Wash out - Apply degreaser - Washout - Dry screen 2) Screen Printing a. Pre Printing - Turn on flash and conveyor ovens and check for proper temperature setting - Mount screen into press, clamp down - Build bed for registration - Check squeegee 1. Durometer 2. Edge - Add ink to your screen b. Printing - Properly register screen - Put substrate to be printed on the press platen or print bed - Flood the screen with ink
- Hold screen down and print c. Post-Printing - Check ink cure - Foiling - Rhinestones 3) Ink Mixing a. Mixing and matching flat colors Establish 8 colors to mix (formulas determined) Instructor explains PMS book and available colors to match these colors Student chooses three colors to match - Mix each color by eye - Compare to standard (PMS chip) - Mix each color with formula - Compare to standard (PMS chip) Student summarizes results in writing II 4 color process Ink drawdowns of standard density process colors Instructor explains the effect of density on 4CP images and how to increase and decrease these colors Instructional Techniques A. Lectures B. Demonstrations C. Visual aids D. Audio visual media 1. SGIA Career video 2. SPTF Qwik Trak learning modules 3. Industry videos a) Ulano screen making b) Chromaline screen making E. Guest speakers F. Laboratory work G. Evaluation H. Related text materials I. Field trips Methods of Evaluation A. Classwork B. Lab work C. Final Exam Bibliography A. SGIA Screen Printing Technical Guidebook CD. B. Screen Printing: A Contemporary Approach by Samuel B. Hoff of R.I.T. C. Control Without Confusion by Joe Clarke, ST Publications D. Troubleshooting the Printed Image by Tamas Frecska, ST Publications E. Screen Printing Today, the Basics by Andy MacDougall, ASDPT -Published by ST Media 2nd edition 2008-188 pages softcover F. A History of Screenprinting by Guido Lengwiler, ASDPT - Published by ST Publications 2013-485 pages hardcover