Students Learn How to Screenprint

Students got the chance to create their t-shirt designs during a screen-printing workshop held at the FabLab on Monday, March 20. 

Participants were taken through each step of the process by FabLab staff. The first step in this process is to take the image for the shirt and run it through Adobe Illustrator. The image is converted into a vector file to be printed on the vinyl cutter. 

Once the image prints, it is tapped into the mesh screen for use in the screen printer. Unused areas of the screen are taped off to prevent unwanted paint from transferring to the shirt's fabric. Paint is then applied to the screen with a squeegee which transfers the design to the material. 

Dima Abboud, a FabLab student assistant, stated that resources like the screen printer creates new opportunities for students, such as running a small business on the side. 

"We have many machines that, if you want to go to other places, it's a lot more expensive than it is here," Dima said. "They only pay the bare minimum for the material they are going to use." 

Ray Barton, a 3D animation major, said he came to the workshop to apply some of the things he learned in class to create a screen-printed T-shirt. 

"I am currently taking a printmaking course. When I heard that the FabLab was doing t-shirt designs, I decided to see what the difference was from what I was learning in class to what they were teaching here," Ray said. "I am having a lot of fun tonight. The only thing is that I wish I had known about the FabLab earlier when I first got here so I could use it more frequently." 

Marjorie Kempler, an accounting major, shared Ray's feelings about the event, stating that events like this help people become more creative. After attending the screen-printing event, Marjorie plans to attend more workshops at the UTA Central Library. 

For more information about upcoming workshops and events at UTA Libraries, check out the libraries' website https://libraries.uta.edu or on its social media pages, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.