Increasing the visual richness

of students screen printing projects

by using specialty inks
at Cgep du Vieux Montral
by milie Ren-Vronneau
ETEC650
Dr. Claude Martel
Concordia University

TABLE OF
CONTENTS

Needs Assessment

10

Objectives and High Level Design

14

Summative Evaluation

18

Course Plan

NEEDS
ASSESSMENT

the expected performance

An example of transparent ink used in screen printing

Stphane Olivier, a graphic design teacher training students in screen printing at Cgep du Vieux
Montral would like students to increase the visual richness of their projects through the use of
techniques specific to screen printing inks, including transparency medium, varnishes, neon colors,
glow in the dark and metallics (further referred to
as specialty inks in this document).

Performance Problem
the current performance

The students dont use the full extent of the

possibilities offered by the medium in their work.
We believe it is safe to assume that they may not
be aware enough of these different options to
include them in their artwork as they are used
to working with regular printers. Although their
visual tastes have greatly developed at this point
of their collegial training in graphic design, they
are less aware of the screen printing visual culture since it is likely not commonly encountered
in their everyday lives.

We want students to make a creative use of specialty inks in at least one project throughout the
semester. Students should have an increased
awareness of inks that may not be available to
view on their computer screen. They should
also be able to plan the use of specialty inks in
order to reinforce the message in their work.
This is required of them not only in screen
printing work but also with other printing
methods once in the workplace.
the impact of doing nothing

Improving students work is crucial because

building up their portfolio is what allows them
to find work after graduation. They are also
missing out on some of the most appealing uses
of screen printing and may continue to resist
experimenting with specialty inks in the future
if the issue is not remedied.
Although the print industry has strongly
evolved towards digital printing, specialty inks
are slowly making their way into the technology. There also has been a resurgence of specialty inks in offset printing as printers are now
able offer them within short print runs. The
students need to be ready to face these realities
in the workplace.
Furthermore, the quality of the portfolio of
graduating students directly affects the reputation of the institution and thus, may influence
how Cgep du Vieux Montral is perceived in
the field of graphic design as well as the quantity
and quality of applicants to the program. From
the students perspective, not learning to creatively use specialty inks hinders their capacity
to create richer, more striking work at a lesser
cost and effort.

Task and Content Analysis

material from the current
training and prerequisites

Before the screen printing course, the students are already able to create meaningful
images which solve communication problems.
They are able to apply color theory as well as
techniques to illustrate ink effects in Adobe
Photoshop and Illustrator.
Most of the training is delivered in a lecture and demonstration format in the first two
classes. The rest of the course consists in coaching the students through problem-based learning. Reminders are displayed on the walls to help
students recall the multitude of steps involved in
the screen printing process. Before undertaking
this unit of instruction, students should be able
to print color separations, set up their screens
and tables, mix inks and print artwork.
current performance task analysis

content analysis

The students create artwork without using the

available specialty inks.

Currently, the only content pertaining to specialty inks is delivered orally in the first course.
The teacher shows the students examples of
effects in screen printing created by professionals or previous students and explains the
various inks available as well as show them how
to mix the transparency medium with colors
to create transparent inks. Examples are sometimes reviewed again later as students may not
be able to grasp their complexity at this level of
the training. There are two projects undertaken
by students in the course but none include
mandatory specialty inks. The teacher prefers
to keep specialty inks optional in these projects
in order to maximize the creative freedom of
the students.

ideal performance task analysis

The students creatively incorporate specialty

inks available in their artwork through the use
of screen printing techniques.
Supporting Tasks
Analyze which specialty inks could benefit
their artwork;
Create and plan artwork with Adobe
Photoshop or Illustrator;
Identify and mix specialty inks to create
the desired final artwork;
Print artwork using the screen printing
techniques taught in the course;

Students in action, printing their very first project

Evaluate that the printed effect is achieved

in conformity to what was initially planned.

The students are not used to printing their own

work so we will assume that they may be somewhat anxious about the efforts, planning, and
multiple steps required to properly tackle this
technical process. Indeed, the teacher confirms
that they often hit a bottleneck printing their
first project and that screen printing is not as
easy as they thought. They are sometimes afraid
to request help which can cause further issues
and a few bruised egos but they are usually very
proud of their first print.
Weve interviewed previous students on
their use or non-use of specialty inks and their
opinions revolved around the following points:
Students who did use specialty inks once
were very happy to have tried and are
eager to do it again.
Students who did not use specialty inks
feared the lack of control on the final
result, felt lazy or lacked the time to do
proper trial and error attempts.

A student wearing screen printed paper glasses

They also mentioned that they became inclined

to use specialty inks after seeing works that
that used them. They pointed out they might
have been more inclined to use specialty inks if:
a project required mandatory use
of specialty inks;

Learners Profile

The learners taking this course are starting

their 3rd and final year of training. They are
motivated to succeed and are starting to build a
portfolio to find a job after graduation. By then,
most of them will be at least 19 years old up
to their mid-twenties. There is approximately
90% of females for 10% of males in the program. They are creative, often free-spirited
and their visual culture has already been
developed in past courses but they may not
have been exposed to many examples of professional screen printing work. Screen printing
is completely new to most students; they have
witnessed other students use the workshop in
eagerness of their turn to come.

a collection of examples provided

technical specifications that they could
rely on and be inspired from;
the teacher only allowed the use of
specialty inks and forbid any normal ink.
Most students are skilled on technological
devices and usually own a computer at home
as well as a smartphone

The screen printing room at Cgep du Vieux Montral

Learning Environment Review

work environment

The work environment in which students need

to apply this knowledge will likely be very different from the workshop we are teaching in
and more closely related to their other graphic
design courses. Most students find work in
design studios where they use computers and
are likely to outsource the printing work to a
supplier. It is therefore important to make the
use of specialty inks relevant from the start
of the creative process. We will also want to
make their learning experience memorable to
increase the likeliness of retention.
teaching environment

Students work in a well-lit room with smaller

adjacent rooms including a darkroom, a washing room and a locked storage room. There are
eight screen printing stations with four drying racks, four light tables, two sinks, shelves
where leftover inks are stored and various tools
like squeegees, draft paper, tape, and more.
The workshop is usually a fun place and
it is reserved for students in their final year.

There they can enjoy working together. This

room is also used outside of class hours and on
weekends for extra projects like party posters,
events. Past students are allowed to return by
logging their name in the register. Here, trainees get to create their own color mixes that
regular printers cannot support; spot colors,
neon or even glow in the dark inks, varnishes,
metallics and more. Inks and screens are provided free of charge, the students only need to
provide their own final paper.
optimization of the work processes

The working room doesnt have sufficient

stools to sit all attending students. Also, the
class often has to be split in two or three groups
and demonstrations have to be repeated since
some spaces are tight and the students would
not be able to properly observe what the
teacher is doing.
Leftover inks attract students because they
are available in many different beautiful colors and require less effort than mixing ones
own ink. The composition of the inks is often

unidentified even if the teacher regularly

insists on this. Therefore some inks may be
transparent without the student knowing how
to exactly reproduce the same color. This is
problematic overall but even more so for transparent inks as they involve more variables and
therefore, are more complex to mix.
trainer and coach expertise

The course material for this class is mostly

unavailable by other means than through the
teacher except for a few handouts such as the
course outline and how to print color separations in Photoshop.
The teacher often has to help students on an
individual basis as many problems encountered
are unique to the artwork the student is trying
to print. Consequently, whoever is teaching
the course must have extensive screen printing experience.
Some content and requirements are delivered orally by the teacher. The rest of the
course consists in coaching and demonstrations to help students achieve their goals.
About the performance gap at hand, the
teacher feels that students dont use specialty
inks because of intellectual laziness.

Constraints
about the task

technological infrastructure

Time Constraints
Screen printing is a tedious process which
involves multiple steps; even when the printing screens are already prepared, setting up the
printing station, printing a small run and cleaning
requires approximately 2hours. However, simple
ink tests can be completed in 30minutes. Because
students cannot all print at once, some finish earlier than others. Those who are done early dont
always get a head start on the next project and
may end up poorly investing their time.
Each class lasts 4 hours, once a week, for
15weeks.

There are no computers in the workshop so students can often be found in adjacent classrooms
of the department, creating their artwork. The
teacher also moves around the department a lot
in order to help students, wherever they are so
he is not always present in the workshop.
We assume that the screen printing room is
not a good place for students to bring their own
laptops as the room can get fairly messy. Most
students own mobile phones through which
they can access wireless Internet.

Physical Obstacles
Screen printing is a dirty endeavour but the
inks are water-based, henceforth they are safer
than their oil counterpart and easier to clean.
Still, printing an ink pass requires to use ones
body weight to apply strength. Small benches
are available for shorter students to be able to
be positioned better. Printing alone can be challenging and requires skillful handling. Working
in teams of two is preferable.

Evaluation criteria
The teacher usually evaluates student artwork
by judging the quality of the artwork and how
it answers the communication need, the level
of research and originality, the quality of typographic work, the complexity of the work versus the quality of the final print and finally, the
consistency of the print run.

Stphane Olivier, subject matter expert and teacher

Cognitive and Affective Obstacles

Students need to be able to evaluate if the final
artwork they printed resembles what they had
created on the computer. In order to reach a
good result, they need to be able to analyze
which steps should be attempted in printing
their creations and in which sequence.
A healthy dose of motivation is required in
order to go through the trial and error process
which can be more complex with specialty
inks. Moreover, errors cannot be undone as easily in screen printing as in the computer software the students normally use. However, the
teacher asserts that when results are not up to
expectations, the students usually dont resist
and redo the required steps to correct the work.
The main constraint in controlling the final
result in screen printing stems mostly from the
fact that many different factors can influence
effects such as the paper used, the kinds of inks
and amounts of transparency medium mixed in
the inks. As such, it is likely to remain a trial and
error oriented process.
about the project

Budget Constraints
We will assume that the graphic design department is able to provide staff resources knowledgeable in graphic design and multimedia for
the realization of this project but it is unlikely
that a budget allowed towards buying new
equipment or tools would be very high.
about the training
and educational aspects

Cultural Constraints
The graphic design department at Cgep du
Vieux Montral has always emphasized creativity and experimentation. Adding this philosophy to the culture of artistic screen printing which often considers happy accidents to
add charm to the work, we should be mindful
to avoid a heavily directed instruction that
could make the training seem like a lifeless
industrial production.

Recommendations
In order to increase the links students are able
to make between the screen printing examples
they see and how they could achieve similar
results, it may be helpful to regularly show
them examples for which printing specifications are available and have them identify the
different effects used.
a potential solution

Mandatory experimentations could be added

to the curriculum to ensure that students
become more familiar with the specialty inks
available to them. These could be performed
during students downtime and they should
be fun, quick and creative. They could also be
documented and archived so that students can
refer to more examples that they would be able
to reproduce. Students could then use the referenced examples to try and identify how their
classmates effects were created. The experiments could be displayed in the halls or even be
transformed into a collective project and this
process could be gamified in order to enhance
their engagement.
We assume that the time required to set up
for experimentations could be greatly reduced
by using a stencil technique instead of the standard printing process but this requires further
testing. Using stencils would also benefit the
process in that they could be prepared outside
of the workshop when equipment is not available to all or even at home.
Documenting would require writing down
the exact composition of the inks used which
may entail adding a learning objective to assess
that students are able to fulfill this task properly. In order to document the experiments,
adding equipment to the workshop such as
measuring cups and a binder, would be mandatory but inexpensive.
More leads need to be explored since it is
our belief that there is great creative potential in this project. We are affirmative that this
performance gap can be resolved through further training.

OBJECTIVES
+ HIGH LEVEL
DESIGN
10

Entry Objective

Use specialty inks to creatively

add visual richness to screen printing artwork.

By the end of this unit of instruction,

the students will be able to creatively incorporate
specialty inks in their artwork through the use
of the screen printing techniques taught in class.

Overall
Course Objective

application

Main
Objectives

Enabling
Objectives

Prerequisites

11

Distinguish the characteristics

of different specialty inks.

Create original and visually rich artwork

by using specialty inks.

comprehension

application

Recall the name

and characteristics
of different
specialty inks.

Identify specialty
inks used in other
artwork.

Present creative and relevant

links between specialty inks
characteristics and concepts.

knowledge

comprehension

application

Generate creative
and relevant visual
ideas to solve
a communication
problem.

Create and print

artwork using the
techniques taught
in the screen
printing course.

application

application

High Level Design

first main objective

overall course objective

By the end of this unit of instruction,

the students will be able to creatively
incorporate specialty inks in their artwork
through the use of the screen printing
techniques taught in class.

Distinguish the characteristics

of different specialty inks.
To achieve this main objective, I suggest that
real life examples using specialty inks be shown
in the classroom as the teacher explains their
different characteristics. The teacher should
then quiz the students verbally to check recall.
A small swatchbook of examples could be
given to each student as a reference and a
reminder of the existence of specialty inks.
Since they are not commonly found outside
of the classroom, we can assume that students
might enjoy having these.
In order to be able to practice this skill, each
student would have to further identify specialty inks through a first set of screen printed
examples, and then in the screenprints done
by their own classmates. This could take the
form of an open-ended questions game/contest
and be repeated throughout the semester using
different examples increasing in complexity.
enabling objectives

Recall the name and characteristics

of different specialty inks.
Identify specialty inks used
in screen printed artwork.
Students often display printed samples
on the billboards adjacent to the workshop.

12

second main objective

Create original and visually rich artwork

by using specialty inks.
To achieve this main objective, I suggest we
require students to create artwork by experimenting solely with specialty inks. Since there
is little time to add further projects in this
course, the stencil printing technique could be
used to produce quick but multiple small scale
experimentations on downtimes. This would
allow students to test a wide range of inks.
To make sure students link characteristics
of the inks with relevant concepts (and all the
while retaining some creative freedom and
working quickly) they could draw nouns and
adjectives from a premade list and on which
they could base their work off of.
For example, drawing the words: flame, dog,
glowing and discreet could be shaped into a
small story similar to the opposite example
where the glowing dog could be printed with
glow in the dark ink or bright neon color and
where the discreet flame could be printed in
clear varnish or transparent inks.
To evaluate this second main objective, the
students would submit the sum of their experimentations at the end of the semester. The
resulting collection would be evaluated with
the following criteria:
Quantity and complexity
of experimentations;
Originality and variety
of specialty inks uses;
Relevance of the experimentations
in relation to chosen words;
Printing technique skill.

13

These experimentations could be displayed on

the billboards near the workshop and looped
back into our first main objective where students would have to identify the special inks
used by their classmates.
As students become more efficient at printing through the semester, they could increase
the complexity of experimentations to challenge their classmates. We could plan a special
award reserved to students push the limits of
experimentation.
enabling objectives

Present creative and relevant links

between specialty inks characteristics
and concepts.
prerequisites

Generate ideas to solve communication

problems in creative and relevant ways.
Print artwork using the techniques
taught in the screen printing course.

SUMMATIVE
EVALUATION

14

Summative Evaluation .

first main objective

Distinguish the characteristics

of different specialty inks.
In order to assess if the students are able to
distinguish the characteristics of different specialty inks, they will be required to identify the
specialty inks used in existing artwork.
Once they have had the occasion to practice informally and work with specialty inks
themselves, we will proceed to three rounds of
delayed post-test evaluations. This will allow
us to expose the students to a wide array of ink
possibilities. In each of these rounds, the test
items will consist of the students own experimentations. For each of his or her classmates
artwork, the student will have to answer the
following open-ended question:
For each element of this experimentation,
name the type, color and finish (if applicable)
of specialty inks that you believe have been
used. Remember, there can be more than one
ink pass in each element.
An example of a proper answer would be:

The glowing dog is printed in neon yellow

ink and the discreet flame in clear glossy
varnish.

15

An open-ended question is used since the availability of some specialty inks might vary with
time and students will then be free to use any
mix of inks. Answers are likely to become more
complex as the students become more comfortable in dealing with specialty inks and possibly
innovate. An example for a later answer could
be:

The leaf is printed in neon green with a

transparent yellow overlay and a matte
varnish. The hat is printed in flock adhesive and covered with black flock.

Evaluation grading
1 Point for each properly guessed ink.
Since the number of questions will vary according to how many students are taking the class,
the total of this evaluation will be converted
into 30% of the final grade of this unit of
instruction.
By using other classmates projects for this
exercice, we aim at increasing the challenge
and variety of possibilities while remaining
efficient and fostering a fun environment.

second main objective

Create original and visually rich artwork

by using specialty inks.
To be evaluated on the second main objective,
each student will create three different experimentations based on the instructional strategy
outlined in the high level design.
Students are allowed to print on their own
choice of paper but each work should measure 1010 in order to ensure some visual
consistency when the different experimentations will be displayed. It is also crucial that
students keep track of which inks theyve used
and provide that information to the teacher.
The teacher will provide feedback and coaching to the students as necessary throughout the
experimental process.
At the end of the unit on week 9, the sum of
each students experimentations will form the
capstone evaluation. The grading will be conducted using the following criteria:
Originality and variety of specialty inks uses;
We want students to experiment with a lot
of different inks and try as many things as
they can so anything that is original and
novel should be rewarded.
Relevance of the specialty inks used
in relation to the different elements
composing the artwork;
We want students to use special inks to
enhance the visual communication of
concepts by using specialty inks that can be
related to these concepts.

16

Printing technique skill.

Although we should not expect the same
print quality from stencil techniques as
opposed to traditional techniques, a certain
attention should be paid to printing the final
artwork and the student work should be
clean.
Respect of project constraints.
This criteria evaluates if the student
respected the project constraints such as
the size of the artwork and providing ink
information.
Project grading
3 Originality and variety
of specialty inks uses;
3 Relevance of the specialty inks used
in relation to the different elements
composing the artwork;
3 Printing technique skill;
1 Respect of project constraints.
10 Points per experimentation (x3)
30 Total points for this evaluation

The total of this evaluation will be converted

into 70% of the final grade for this unit of
instruction.
Using experimentations will ensure that we
students encounter a variety of different projects from which they can draw inspiration and
learn from.
This concludes our summative evaluation to
assess learning (Kirkpatrick level 2).

assessing all kirkpatrick levels

Assessing reaction (level 1)

Although there are many different informal
ways to assess students reactions for this unit,
we want to seize the opportunity to formally
gather their feedback. We will survey the students appreciation through a Google Forms
consultation which will be sent through the
Omnivox system. The following questions will
be included:
What have you most enjoyed about
the specialty inks experimentation activity
and why?
This open ended question tests their positive
affective outcomes.
What have you least enjoyed about
the specialty inks experimentation activity
and why?
This open ended question tests their negative affective outcomes.
What has this project helped you to learn
about screen printing and special inks?
This open ended question tests their perceived learning outcomes.
Ensuing this project, will you be more
inclined to use specialty inks in your future
artworks, screenprinted or others?
This scale question tests their perception of
the relevance of the unit of instruction and
perceived self-efficacy.
Would you have any suggestions in order
to improve this project? (gathers potential
ideas we might want to consider eventually
to update the instructional activity)
This open ended question gathers potential
ideas we might want to consider eventually
to update the instructional activity and
foster reflexive teaching practices.
The form is readily available at:
http://goo.gl/forms/vVuyX6281P

17

Assessing behavior (level 3)

Assessing the transfer of learning of a project
of this nature to the workplace will hardly be
quantifiable. Surveying students to see if they
believe this unit of instruction has made them
better print designers is likely to return data
based mostly on perceptions than real results.
Surveying their employers, while they may
be slightly less biased, would result in dealing with such complex tracking logistics that
it would make the efforts required to conduct
such a research out of proportions for a project
of this scale.
However, we are able to verify if the learning outcomes of this activity have transfered to
other projects in this course and other courses
in the curriculum.
Since the instructional activity is followed by
another screen printing project which doesnt
constrain students to use specialty inks, we
should heed any increase of specialty inks in
this final work and compare it to the production of previous years within the same course,
when this activity was not included.
Furthermore, we can extend our research
to Projet publicitaire; a course offered the following semester also taking place in the screen
printing workshop, to see if any increased use
of specialty inks was witnessed.
Assessing results (level 4)
The returns on investment are more likely to
be felt by the students than by our own institution. Quantifying the returns on investment of
this precise unit of instruction would be out of
proportions for the scale of this project.
If positive impacts have been witnessed on
a behavioral level within our curriculum, we
may also be able to detect positive results in
the visual richness of the students portfolios.
Portfolios, beyond academic results, are the key
to entering undergraduate design programs as
well as the workplace in general.

COURSE
PLAN +
TEACHERS
GUIDE
1

Table of Contents

Course Plan

Swatchbook Production Guidelines

Course Design Structure

Week 5 to 10

11

Annotated Examples

14

Annotated Project Sheet - Exprimentations

15

Annotated Project Sheet - Identifications

16

List of Nouns

17

List of Adjectives

18

Rubrics

19

Identification Numbers

20

Leaderboard

21

Project Sheet - Experimentation

22

Project Sheet - Identification

Course Plan

context

material preparation

This unit of instruction is inscribed within

the Srigraphie course (570-JCU-10) in the
5th semester of the graphic design program
at Cgep du Vieux-Montral. It takes place in
Atelier Denis-Malo (6.41) and each class lasts
4hours.

for this course

trainer requirements

The trainer giving this unit of instruction must

have enough experience to coach students in
the creative process as well as screen printing
techniques.
This course can obviously get messy and
dirty; dress casually and use the smock available in the storage room.
learners

The learners are starting their 3rd and final

year of training. Most of them will be at least
19years old up to their mid-twenties. They
have just started printing their own work with
the photo-emulsion screen printing technique
5weeks ago. They are therefore, still considered novices and will require appropriate
support and feedback.

Prior to this unit of instruction, ensure that we

have all the required specialty inks available at
the workshop (transparent medium, varnish,
glow in the dark, various neon and metallic colors.) as well as examples shown in the annotated examples on page 12-13.
For the stencil printing technique demonstration, ensure you have at your disposal:
a clean screen,
masking tape,
draft paper
X-acto knife
transparent film
a simple image
a pre-cut stencil
and newsprint.
You will find in the storage room 20swatchbooks (shown on the next page), photocopies
of the project sheets as well as 2 containers in
which you can cut the words from pages 16-17
and put them in two seperate containers.
If this course has been given before, you will
also find in storage a binder with previous student experimentations. Feel free to draw some
of the best examples to show students, along
with the annotated examples already provided.
This binder can also be useful for students
as they will find more varied uses of specialty
inks than the swatchbook provides. Make sure
that students are aware of its existence and can
access it throughout the duration of the course.

front

back

Or mtallique

Question the students on the difference they observe between one

pass and two passes.

4,25

Mention how for certain inks this

is necessary and that we will get
much better coverage, especially
on dark coverstock.

Or mtallique
2 passes

couverture
noir

1,875

Swatchbook Production
Guidelines

uis

s
Je

t
en

lem

tel

IA
C
SP
L

Our swatchbook first attempts to grab the

attention of the students by using tongue-incheek humor by stating I am so special. Our
students are often very proud of being original
so we are hoping to trigger positive emotions
when they think of special inks.
Since students often struggle envisioning the
results of specialty inks on paper, we will provide them with samples of our available specialty inks on different types of papers.
Each sample provide the ink(s) name(s) and
proportions if mixed, paper type and number
of passes if multiple.
Papers included are white, kraft paper,
medium grey and black cardstock (from lighter
to darker). These are all available at the Cgep
store on 3rd floor. Assembling the swatchbook
with a Chicago screw will allow to update the
swatchbooks if needed.

front

back

4,25

magenta process
transparent +
cyan process
transparent

jaune process
transparent +
cyan process
transparent

magenta process
transparent +
jaune process
transparent

couverture
kraft

1,875

J50/M50 +
C50/J50 et 30%
mdium transparent

4,25

J50/M50 et
30% mdium
transparent + C50/J50

J50/M50 +
C50/J50
et 30% mdium
transparent

couverture
kraft

5
1,875

The teacher should demonstrate

the different visual feel between
inks that are transparent by
design and inks to which transparent medium was added. Left,
we are showing transparent process inks and the example below
shows how transparent medium
enables a finer control of the
opacity, allowing to obtain more
subtle effects.

Course
Design
Structure

structure

This unit of instruction is planned out according to Bloom's Taxonomy; we sequence activities in a bottom-up fashion through the levels of knowledge, comprehension and finally,
application.
We then feed the students' own work back
into the comprehension objective, looping back
to application in two further application projects. This repetition will help reinforce and
consolidate the acquired knowledge.
The calendar below will help you keep track
of the different activities related to experimentation and identification assignments.

1st experimentation

Application

Experimentation

Identification

Comprehension

Knowledge

2nd experimentation

3rd experimentation

Week 5

Begin Experimentation
Sketches

Week 6

Sketches and Coaching

Final print

Begin Experimentation
Sketches

Week 7

Experimentation hand-in
Begin Identification

Sketches and Coaching

Final print

Begin Experimentation
Sketches

Week 8

Identification hand-in
Experimentation debrief
Leaderboard

Experimentation hand-in
Begin Identification

Sketches and Coaching

Final print

Identification hand-in
Experimentation debrief
Leaderboard

Experimentation hand-in
Begin Identification

Week 9

Identification hand-in
Experimentation debrief
Leaderboard

Week 10
Postinstruction

Final grade
Update binder of examples

Week 5

5-10 minutes
Introducing the content
Inform the students that we have designed this
training so that they can:
step out of their usual comfort zone (standard and 4-color process inks);
acquire hands-on experience with specialty inks in order to increase transfer in
their future careers, either when screen
printing or using other printing methods.
Explain that this is currently crucial in our field
as printing is undergoing a major transformation because of digital technologies. We are
increasingly communicating in a digital fashion and print is mostly used to leave a strong
impression. Specialty inks and printing effects
(embossing, varnishes, foil stamping, etc.) are
the distinctive trait of printed material and
are now much more accessible than before.
Students should be able to think outside of
the realm of colors offered by their computer
screens.
15-20 minutes
Introduce the materials
Name and show the special inks we currently
have available (transparent medium, varied
neons and metallics, varnish and glow in the
dark).
Show screen printed examples (see annotated examples on pages 12-13) using these
specialty inks and verbally quiz the students
on which inks they believe are used in these
examples as well as why they are relevant.

The technique is demonstrated in the above video and

can be sent to students through the Omnivox platform as a job aid.
Blick Art Materials. (2011, April 08). How to Screen Print
Using the Stencil Technique [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OCgFA9RJIo

30-40 minutes
Demonstrate the stencil printing technique
Students can use the traditional technique
if they wish but the stencil technique will be
faster for simple shapes and short print runs.
They have all the necessary skills to learn
the stencil printing technique but may not be
aware of its existence so the technique should
be demonstrated by the trainer. Use the video
integrated on this page as a guide.
Stencils may not be as durable as screen
emulsion so the students may not be able to
produce as many prints as with a photo-emulsion technique. Also, stress that even if students
are not using emulsion, screens should still be
washed with the Biowash product available
in the washing room in order to remove the
adhesive from the tape that could be left on
the screen.
Students who use the stencil technique
have to be careful while they are creating their
designs as parts may fall out when they are cut
out. Also, using clear film is not necessarily
required but will ensure more durability, and
thus a more consistent and longer print run.
Paper and cardboard can also be used but too
much thickness is likely to cause problems.
Ask students if they have any questions
regarding this printing technique. Questions
should always be welcome even if it means
repeating information as the students are often
afraid to ask and answers will benefit the group.

Week 5

15 minutes
Introduce the assignments
Begin the first experimentation
Hand the students the experimentation and
identification assignments worksheet and
review it with the students. In order to do so,
follow the annotated versions on pages 14-15.
Draw nouns and adjectives for the first
experimentation and keep track of who has
which words using your student list. Remind
them to write the words on their project sheet
before handing back the words for reuse.
Students are not allowed to pick their own
words as it will not foster their sense of creativity. In case of an incredibly bad match of words,
students may be allowed to another draw, at the
teachers' discretion.
15 minutes
Introduce the swatchbook
Distribute a swatchbook to each student. We
want to make sure they only get the job aids
after presenting the project to avoid distracting
them. Explain the swatchbook using the notes
in the production guidelines on pages 4-5.
Students can then take a 15 minutes break
and will have the rest of the course to work on
projects already started in previous weeks and
work on ideas for the experimentation.
rest of the period

While not meeting, students can work on

relevant screen printing projects as well as
sketches for the first experimentation.

40 minutes before the end of class

Coaching
If some students are ready to get feedback on
their ideas for the experimentation, meet with
them to guide them. Other students will be met
at the beginning of the next course.

Meeting Guidelines
When coaching the students, ensure that:
Their idea is original and uses multiple
special inks (at least 2 different ones);
The special inks used are relevant to the
words used and they are using the words
they were assigned;
They are respecting the constraints of the
project (quantity, size of sketches, etc.).
Guide them with questions so they can find
their own ideas. Establish a trusting rapport
and emphasize the importance of exploration
so they will be more inclined to try things out
of their comfort zone.
Debriefing Guidelines
When debriefing the students:
Start by pointing out an aspect of the
project where they have succeeded
best in order to build trust and open
communication;
Go through each evaluation criteria to
explain why you graded the way you did;
Ensure the student understands the feedback provided in the comments;
Ask if the student has any questions;
Together, identify key areas for potential
improvement.

Week 7
beginning of class

Students hand in two copies of their first

experimentation (one for display and one
forgrading).

Week 6
15 minutes
Begin the second experimentation
Draw nouns and adjectives for the second
experimentation and keep track of who has
which words using your student list. Remind
them to write the words on their project sheet
before handing back the words for reuse.
rest of the period

Sketches and Coaching

Meet and coach each student to see how their
first experimentation has progressed. Follow
the meeting guidelines on page8. Take a
15minutes break halfway in.
While not meeting, students can work on
relevant screen printing projects as well as
sketches for the second experimentation.
Remind students they must have finished
printing their first experimentation for
nextweek.

15 minutes
Begin the third experimentation
Proceed to draw nouns and adjectives for
the third experimentation and keep track
of who has which words using your student
list. Remind them to write the words on their
project sheet before handing back the words
forreuse.
10 minutes
Pin the first experimentations neatly on the
billboard next to the workshop and identify
with the numbers supplied in page 19 so students can see what their classmates have created and gather further inspiration.
rest of the period

Sketches and Coaching

Meet and coach each student to see how
their second experimentation has progressed.
Follow the meeting guidelines on page8. Take
a 15minutes break halfway in.
While not meeting, students can work on
relevant screen printing projects as well as
sketches for the third experimentation.
Remind students they must have finished
printing their second experimentation for
nextweek.
10 minutes before the end of class
Remind students that you will display the first
experimentations on the billboard right after
the course and they will have until the next
week to complete and hand in the first identification assignment.
after class

Grade the first experimentations for next week

using the rubrics provided on page18.

Week 8

Week 9

beginning of class

beginning of class

Students hand in two copies of their second

experimentation (one for display and one
forgrading).
Students hand in their first identification
assignment.
You can then hand back one copy of the
first experimentation back to their respective
owner. Keep the other copy for archival.

Students hand in two copies of their third

experimentation (one for display and one
forgrading).
Students hand in their second identification
assignment.
You can then hand back one copy of the
second experimentation back to their respective
owner. Keep the other copy for archival.

10 minutes
Pin the second experimentations neatly on the
billboard next to the workshop and identify
with the numbers supplied in page 19 so students can see what their classmates have created and gather further inspiration.

10 minutes
Pin the third experimentations neatly on the
billboard next to the workshop and identify
with the numbers supplied in page 19 so students can see what their classmates have created and gather further inspiration.

rest of the period

rest of the period

Sketches and Coaching

Meet and coach each student to see how their
second experimentation is progressing as
well as debriefing their first experimentation.
Follow the meeting guidelines on page8. Take
a 15minutes break halfway in.
While not meeting, students can work on relevant screen printing projects.
Remind students they must have finished
printing their third experimentation for
nextweek.

Coaching
Debrief each student on their third experimentation. Follow the meeting guidelines on page8.
Take a 15minutes break halfway in.
While not meeting, students can work on relevant screen printing projects.

rest of the period

Remind students that you will display the

second experimentations on the billboard right
after the course and they will have until the
next week to complete and hand in the second
identification assignment.
after class

Compile results for the first identification

assignment. Reset and update the leaderboard
of the top 5 students using a new leaderboard
provided on page 20.
Grade the second experimentations for next
week using the rubrics provided on page18.

10

10 minutes before the end of class

Remind students that you will display the third
experimentations on the billboard right after
the course and they will have until the next
week to complete and hand in the third identification assignment.
after class

Pin the third experimentations neatly on the

billboard next to the workshop and identify
with the numbers supplied in page 19.
Compile results for the second identification
assignment. Reset and update the leaderboard
of the top 5 students using a new leaderboard
provided on page 20.
Grade the third and final experimentations
for next week using the rubrics provided on
page18.

Week 10
beginning of class

Students hand in their third identification

assignment.
You can then hand back one copy of the
third experimentation back to their respective
owner. Keep the other copy for archival.
5 minutes - Satisfaction survey
Ask students to fill the satisfaction survey in
Omnivox for next week and thank them for
their participation in this experimental project.
rest of the period

Normal activity resumes and students can work

on relevant screen printing projects.
after class

Compile results for the third identification

assignment. Reset and update the leaderboard
of the top 5 students using a new leaderboard
provided on page 20.
Through Omnivox, send students the satisfaction survey for this unit of instruction at:
http://goo.gl/forms/vVuyX6281P
Students will have a week to respond to the
survey. Stress that filling it out is important so
that we can improve the activity.

11

Post-instruction

Group all experimentations in a binder

to keep in class for students to consult as
needed.
Review the answers provided to the satisfaction survey to see if adjustements are
required.
In a month or two, consult with the teacher
of the next course to see if any improvements have been witnessed in the use of
specialty inks.

Neon inks
Hot Dogs (2009), synthetic foods series
by Chris Silas Neal
2 colors
Black and neon pink ink
on white fine art coverstock

Week 5
Annotated
Examples

In this work, the neon ink strongly attracts the eye

since all its surroundings are in black and white.
Conceptually, the color can suggest that the sausage
is highly artificial and not very natural.
From Pulled: A Catalog of Screen Printing (177) by
Mike Perry, (2011). Princeton Architectural Press.

Glow in the dark ink

Nightwindows V3 (2009). Personal series.
by Aesthetic Apparatus
2 colors
Black and glow in the dark ink
on dark blue fine art coverstock
In this work, the pale color of the glow in the dark
ink replaces the light in the room but also glows in
the dark, reinforcing the idea. This example should be
shown both with the lights on and off.
From Pulled: A Catalog of Screen Printing (20) by Mike
Perry, (2011). Princeton Architectural Press.

Transparent inks
Only Do What your Heart Tells You
by Chris Spooner
2 colors
Cyan and magenta transparent inks
on white fine art coverstock
In this work, the transparent inks suggest the idea of
seeing through ones self motivations and reinforces
that one must follow his/her heart.

12

Retrieved (November 12, 2014) from:

http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/articles/how-tooverprint-colors-to-create-cool-print-effects

Metallic ink
Mightier
by Sebastian Lester
Metallic silver
on black fine art coverstock
In this work, the silver metallic ink creates a strong
visual impact on the black background while suggesting the idea of a sword.

Week 5
Annotated
Examples

Retrieved (November 12, 2014) from:

http://www.seblester.com

Varnish
Ministry of Public Enlightenment
4 color screen print colors with spot varnish
In this work, the varnish used to represent typography
creates a subtle play of light hinting at the idea of
prayer as an ambiance and ongoing process.
Make sure the students see the varnish clearly by
changing the viewing angle under the light.
Retrieved (November 12, 2014) from:
http://1xrun.com/runs/Ministry_of_
Public_Enlightenment

13

EXPRIMENTATIONS
Format final de 1010 pouces
Tirage minimum de 3 copies
Mandat
Raliser une image originale laide des mots
pigs en utilisant strictement des encres spcialises. Vous pouvez utiliser la technique
dimpression traditionnelle ou au pochoir
dmontre au cours 5 ainsi que le papier de
votre choix.

Week 5
Annotated
Project Sheet

Consignes pour chaque exprimentation

En classe, piger 6 noms et 6 adjectifs, les noter
et les remettre lenseignant(e). Vous pouvez les combiner au choix, dans la mesure
o vous utiliserez 2 noms et 2 adjectifs par
exprimentation.
laide de ces mots, concevoir 3 esquisses
de 3 3 pouces dans votre cahier de croquis
en prvoyant quelles encres vous utiliserez et
pourquoi. Utilisez votre guide dchantillons
pour vous inspirer au besoin. Les croquis sont
prsenter lenseignant(e) pour discussion
la fin du cours.
Lorsque votre esquisse est approuve, mlanger vos encres sans bruiter vos recettes et raliser votre exprimentation. Au dos de lexprimentation, remplir et coller proprement la
partie infrieure de ce document.

Critres dvaluation
3

Originalit et varit de lutilisation

des encres spcialises;

Pertinence des encres spcialises

utilises en relation avec les diffrents
lments illustrs;

Technique dimpression;

Respect des contraintes du projet.

10

points (70 % de la note finale)

Critres d'valuation
1

par encre correctement identifie.

(30 % de la note finale)

Dans une envelope, remettre votre tirage

dont une exprimentation identifie
laide dune tiquette ci-dessous et
joindre les 3 esquisses (minimum).
Les exprimentations sont remettre
la semaine 7, 8 et 9.

Nom
Groupe
Mots utiliss

Nom
Groupe
Mots utiliss

Nom
Groupe
Mots utiliss

Encres et proportions utilises

Encres et proportions utilises

Encres et proportions utilises

Format and print run

We want the experimentations to be the same
size so that we can display them nicely on the
billboards as well as keep a copy of each to
create a binder as a memory and reference for
future courses.
The print run requires 3copies to ensure
that we have a consistent print run. One copy
will be kept by the student and another by the
department. Weve added an extra copy to be
on the safe side.

14

Objective
Remind students that if they use the stencil
technique, they will need to stick to simpler
shapes since they will need to cut them out.
Students may also not want to stray from the
types of papers shown in the job aid for their
first experimentation as it will help them in
their choice of ink. Remind them to get extra
samples to do some tests if they want to try a
novelty paper.

Meetings
Remind the students that although you will
have mandatory meetings in class, you are
available for feedback and coaching to the
students as necessary throughout the experimental process.
Rubric
Students should strive to create something
interesting and meaningful with the words
theyve drawn. This might be more difficult
with some words but remind them to use their
creativity. We will be looking for relevance and
variety. If they cannot explain why they picked
a specific ink, they should review their process.
Students should use at least two different specialty inks per experimentation.

Nom
Groupe

IDENTIFICATION
Week 5
Annotated
Project Sheet

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

10

20

Using the dentification sheet

When introducing this sheet, explain to the
students that once they have handed their
experimentations, these will be displayed on
the billboards in the corridor and assigned
anumber.
They will then have the week to try and
guess which inks were used for each element
of theartwork.
Since the amount of students and ink can
vary, the total amount of points will be converted to 30% of their grade on this project.
As for any quiz, if students are caught cheating or passing answers, they will be penalized
according to academic rules in effect.

15

Leaderboard
Each time the students hand in their identification project sheet, a leaderboard will be compiled and the top 5 students will be displayed
(use the model on the following page).
Our leaderboard reuses the same theme of
"Being special" used by the swatchbook.
We are only displaying the top 5 because we
don't want to shame the students who did not
perform as well. The leaderboard will be reset
for each set of experimentations, allowing
others to tackle the challenge.

Week 5
List of Nouns

16

Cut the following words, put them in two different boxes and have students pick two from
each category.
chat

flche

chien

brocoli

bouche

bouteille

main

sapin

dent

nez

flamme

diamant

aile

nuage

os

pte dent

feuille

crme glace

moustache

couteau

oiseau

poisson

branche

fantme

maison

vague

chapeau

cravate

goutte

culotte

fourchette

papillon

ampoule

valise

pied

carotte

banane

fleur

clair

flocon

soleil

voiture

fuse

bol

trombone

engrenage

Week 5
List of
Adjectives

17

Cut the following words, put them in two different boxes and have students pick two from
each category.
discret

mort

cach

psychdlique

vaporeux

bronz

amusant

spatial

glamour

doux

tincellant

magique

flou

infini

clatant

mince

flamb

obse

dlicat

toxique

rus

mchant

fabuleux

mmorable

srieux

pique

cratif

simple

brut

froid

motif

humide

coupant

prospre

dangereux

vol

nuageux

maudit

radioactif

lgant

sournois

morne

confus

anxieux

drangeant

survolt

Week 5
Rubrics

Nom
Noms utiliss

Nom
Noms utiliss

Adjectifs utiliss

Adjectifs utiliss

/3 Originalit et varit de lutilisation

des encres spcialises;

/3 Originalit et varit de lutilisation

des encres spcialises;

/3 Pertinence des encres spcialises

utilises en relation avec les diffrents
lments illustrs;

/3 Pertinence des encres spcialises

utilises en relation avec les diffrents
lments illustrs;

/3 Technique dimpression approprie;

/3 Technique dimpression approprie;

/1 Respect des contraintes du projet.

sur 10 points

sur 10 points

Commentaires

Commentaires

Nom

1 point par encre correctement identifie.
points au total

Nom

1 point par encre correctement identifie.
points au total

Nom

1 point par encre correctement identifie.
points au total

Nom

1 point par encre correctement identifie.
points au total

Nom
Noms utiliss

Nom
Noms utiliss

Adjectifs utiliss

Adjectifs utiliss

/3 Originalit et varit de lutilisation

des encres spcialises;

/3 Originalit et varit de lutilisation

des encres spcialises;

/3 Pertinence des encres spcialises

utilises en relation avec les diffrents
lments illustrs;

/3 Pertinence des encres spcialises

utilises en relation avec les diffrents
lments illustrs;

/3 Technique dimpression approprie;

/3 Technique dimpression approprie;

18

/1 Respect des contraintes du projet.

/1 Respect des contraintes du projet.

/1 Respect des contraintes du projet.

sur 10 points

sur 10 points

Commentaires

Commentaires

Identification Numbers

Cut the following numbers and use them to

identify each experimentation while on display.

10 11 12

13 14 15 16
19

17 18 19 20

Moi aussi, je suis spcial!1

EXPRIMENTATIONS
Format final de 1010 pouces
Tirage minimum de 3 copies
Mandat
Raliser une image originale laide des mots
pigs en utilisant strictement des encres spcialises. Vous pouvez utiliser la technique
dimpression traditionnelle ou au pochoir
dmontre au cours 5 ainsi que le papier de
votre choix.
Consignes pour chaque exprimentation
En classe, piger 6 noms et 6 adjectifs, les noter
et les remettre lenseignant(e). Vous pouvez les combiner au choix, dans la mesure
o vous utiliserez 2 noms et 2 adjectifs par
exprimentation.
laide de ces mots, concevoir 3 esquisses
de 3 3 pouces dans votre cahier de croquis
en prvoyant quelles encres vous utiliserez et
pourquoi. Utilisez votre guide dchantillons
pour vous inspirer au besoin. Les croquis sont
prsenter lenseignant(e) pour discussion
la fin du cours.
Lorsque votre esquisse est approuve, mlanger vos encres sans bruiter vos recettes et raliser votre exprimentation. Au dos de lexprimentation, remplir et coller proprement la
partie infrieure de ce document.

Critres dvaluation
3 Originalit et varit de lutilisation
des encres spcialises;
3 
Pertinence des encres spcialises
utilises en relation avec les diffrents
lments illustrs;
3

Technique dimpression;

Respect des contraintes du projet.

10

points (70% de la note finale)

Critres d'valuation
1

par encre correctement identifie.

(30% de la note finale)

Dans une envelope, remettre votre tirage

dont une exprimentation identifie
laide dune tiquette ci-dessous et
joindre les 3esquisses (minimum).
Les exprimentations sont remettre
la semaine 7, 8 et 9.

Nom
Groupe
Mots utiliss

Nom
Groupe
Mots utiliss

Nom
Groupe
Mots utiliss

Encres et proportions utilises

Encres et proportions utilises

Encres et proportions utilises

Nom
Groupe

IDENTIFICATION
1

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

10

20

23