Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to apply screen printing techniques to produce designs on woven and non-woven substrates.
The unit of competency applies to the use of stencil, or silk-screen printing techniques to produce designs and artworks for woven and non-woven substrates and textiles, to be used for garments, textile products or accessories. 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 print designs | 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 outcome | ||
2.3 | Select woven and non-woven 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 and design | ||
3 | Apply screen printing procedure | 3.1 | Set up workstation, tools and equipment according to specifications for work |
3.2 | Check woven or non-woven substrates to be printed against quality standards | ||
3.3 | Prepare stencil masters, meshes and screens for printing according to requirements for selected printing technique | ||
3.4 | Apply screen printing techniques to meet design specifications for sample and according to workplace procedures | ||
3.5 | Finish screen print and complete housekeeping | ||
4 | Check and finalise printing | 4.1 | Check completed print meets design specifications and quality standards |
4.2 | Identify printing faults and production problems, and determine causes | ||
4.3 | Determine and apply necessary modifications to printing techniques, processes or materials | ||
4.4 | Check and confirm outcomes with appropriate personnel | ||
4.5 | 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
interpreting design brief to identify desired effects of screen printing, and selecting appropriate printing techniques, tools and equipment
performing screen printing techniques to meet design specifications and achieve design effects and according to workplace procedures, on at least two (2) occasions
checking completed print meets design specifications and quality standards, and identifying printing faults and production problems, and their causes
applying necessary modifications to printing techniques, processes or materials and confirming outcomes with appropriate personnel
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
specific design and printing practices
screen printing tools and equipment:
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
vacuum print tables
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 processes and practices
different types of screens and meshes
different types of medium:
inks
dyes
specialist inks
binders
extenders
reducers
additives
evaporative
catalytic
thermoset
sublimation
woven and non-woven substrate characteristics:
knits
felt
ceramic
vinyl
wool
silk
cotton
stencil and printing techniques and problems
printing problems and production faults:
uneven screen coating
incorrectly stretched screen mesh
poorly registered print
inaccurate repeat measurements
poor squeegee action
insufficient print paste used
off printing
poor preparations of substrates
inappropriate fixing of dyes and pigments
poorly exposed screen
poor quality colour separations
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 printed designs on woven and non-woven substrates, 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 |
Printing techniques include one or more of the following: | registered techniques: tabs multi-coloured print rail registration lays placement printing flatbed repeat printing off-contact wet-on-wet flood coat dry pull |
Stencil types include one or more of the following: | basic stencils photosensitive stencils hand cut and hand drawn stencils digitally-generated stencils autographic |
Screen types include one or more of the following: | timber, steel and aluminium framed butt, mitre, nailed, glued, screwed and welded rectangle, rotary, hat and flat bed |
Meshes include one or more of the following: | mesh types: material nylon polyester metal colour: white yellow red size mono or multi-filament |
Screen preparation includes one or more of the following: | reclaim de-grease wash and dry apply emulsion attach master and expose to light source |
Finish includes one or more of the following: | touch up and tape, as required wash image clean and dry |
Sectors
Not applicable
Competency Field
Textile design and development