Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to apply screen printing techniques to produce screen print designs on textiles.
The unit of competency applies to the use of stencil, or silk-screen printing techniques to produce designs and artworks for textiles to be used for garments, textile products, furnishing fabrics or accessories or public art commissions. Screen printing involves the use of manual techniques, tools and equipment.
Work may be conducted in small to large scale enterprises and may involve individual and team activities.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Determine job requirements | 1.1 | Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) |
1.2 | Comply with work health and safety (WHS) requirements at all times | ||
1.3 | Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with SOPs | ||
1.4 | Identify job requirements from specifications, drawings, job sheets or work instructions | ||
2 | Prepare to screen print textiles | 2.1 | Analyse design specifications and discuss with appropriate personnel to confirm production requirements |
2.2 | Identify desired effects of screen printing and select appropriate printing technique to achieve required design outcome | ||
2.3 | Select textile substrates and quantities according to design requirements | ||
2.4 | Select stencil techniques, stencil types, masters, screen types, meshes and medium according to requirements of printing technique, substrate and design | ||
3 | Apply screen printing procedure | 3.1 | Set up workstation, tools and equipment according to specifications for work |
3.2 | Prepare substrates and check against quality standards | ||
3.3 | Prepare stencil masters, meshes and screens for printing according to requirements for selected printing technique | ||
3.4 | Prepare printing set up | ||
3.5 | Apply screen printing techniques to meet design specifications for sample and according to workplace procedures | ||
4 | Produce textile printed sample | 4.1 | Check strike off against design specifications to ensure quality standards are met |
4.2 | Identify printing faults and production problems and determine causes | ||
4.3 | Analyse printing process, technique and medium used to determine necessary modifications to printing techniques, processes or materials | ||
4.4 | Print sample | ||
4.5 | Finish screen print and complete housekeeping | ||
4.6 | Examine outcomes with appropriate personnel and discuss and document possible modifications to design | ||
4.7 | Complete required documentation | ||
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and include:
reading and following work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), safe work practices
analysing design specifications and interpreting production requirements
identifying and addressing faults
determining effects of printing on woven and non-woven substrates
making minor adjustments to equipment
using printing techniques to achieve design effects on samples
producing screen printed designs on at least three (3) different textiles
analysing printing process, technique and medium used to determine necessary modifications to printing techniques, processes or materials
examining outcomes with appropriate personnel and documenting possible modifications to design
completing required documentation.
Evidence of Knowledge
Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:
safe work practices and procedures and use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
characteristics of fabrics
information resources on fibres and fabrics
printing techniques:
registered techniques:
multi-coloured
print rail
registration lays
placement printing
flatbed repeat printing
wet-on-wet
flood coat
dry pull
specific design and printing practices
screen preparation:
reclaim
de-grease
wash and dry
apply emulsion
registration
attach master and expose to light source
printing processes and practices
different types of screens and meshes:
timber, steel and aluminium framed
butt, mitre, nailed, glued, screwed and welded
rectangle, rotary, hat and flat bed
different types of medium:
inks
dyes
specialist inks
binders
extenders
reducers
additives
thermoset
sublimation
woven and non-woven substrate characteristics
stencil and printing techniques and equipment
textile substrates:
knitted fabric
felt
woven fabrics, such as wool, cotton, linen and silk
t- shirts
substrate preparation:
laundering
pre-shrinking
dying
pressing
stretching
stapling to print table
design outcomes:
repeat patterns
border designs
placement prints
engineered designs
banners
finishing:
touch up and tape, as required
wash image clean and dry
curing and heat setting
hemming
labelling
quality practices
workplace procedures
recording and reporting practices.
Assessment Conditions
Assessors must:
satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment, as set by the VET regulator
have vocational competency in producing screen printed textiles, at least to the level being assessed, with relevant industry knowledge and experience.
Assessment should occur in operational workplace situations. Where this is not possible, or where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors, assessment must occur in a sufficiently rigorous simulated environment reflecting realistic operational workplace conditions. This must cover all aspects of workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.
Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.
Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. | |
Workplace procedures include one or more of the following: | requirements prescribed by legislation, awards, agreements and conditions of employment SOPs work instructions PPE oral, written and visual communication quality practices, including responsibility for maintenance of own work quality and contribution to quality improvement of team or section output housekeeping tasks related to environmental protection, waste disposal, pollution control and recycling WHS practices |
Appropriate personnel include one or more of the following: | trainers colleagues mentors designers members of the design team |
Stencil types include one or more of the following: | basic stencils hand cut and hand drawn stencils photosensitive stencils autographic digitally generated stencils |
Meshes include one or more of the following: | mesh types: material nylon polyester metal colour: white yellow red size mono or multi-filament |
Screen printing tools and equipment include three or more of the following: | squeegees blocks lino brushes knives bucket, sink or container mixers rulers and tape measures screen-cleaning equipment and chemicals vacuum boards carousel printing tables with registration systems exposure unit scales high pressure hose screen coaters fans blow dryers light box slide projector overhead projector photocopier computer equipment computer-aided design (CAD) software |
Printing problems and production faults include two or more of the following: | uneven screen coating incorrectly stretched screen mesh poorly registered print inaccurate repeat measurements poor squeegee action insufficient print paste used off printing poor preparation of substrates inappropriate fixing of dyes and pigments poorly exposed screen poor quality colour separations |
Sectors
Not applicable
Competency Field
Textile design and development