Jan 8, 2019
Screen printing originated in China around AD 221 as a way to transfer designs onto fabric. Today, screen printing is used as a quick way to customize tee shirts and create printed works of art. Mrs. Shelia Vaught recently wrote a grant in order to obtain the materials needed to screen print tee shirts. Vaught saw screen printing as an opportunity for her students to experience another technique of creating unique artwork. In addition to exposing students to another method of creating, Vaught saw a great opportunity for her students to use screen printing in the future.
“I wrote that grant so that students who do not plan on going to college would have an opportunity to learn a trade that would be lucrative to them,” said Vaught. “They could use screen printing as a means of making income and providing for a family.”
After the ink has transferred onto the shirt, the screen is lifted to reveal the {almost} finished print!
The very beginning of a screen print!
In order to ensure a successful print without pin-holes (small dots of ink that are not a part of the design) students test their print on paper towels.
Isaiah LaForce uses a squeegee to press the ink through the screen.
Isaiah LaForce and Cailee Gore working together to complete their screen prints.
Flash Heating is used to finalize the print by quickly drying the ink onto the shirt. A buffer is placed over the wet ink so that the ink dries flat onto the shirt.
Cailee Gore uses a plastic spatula to scrape excess printing ink back into the container.
After screen printing, the silk screens are washed out and reused for the next screen printing project.
The finished product: a perfectly printed tee shirt!
Your donation will support the student journalists of West Brunswick High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.