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Increasing the visual richness of students’ screen printing projects by using specialty inks at Cégep du Vieux Montréal by Émilie René-Véronneau ETEC650 Dr. Claude Martel Concordia University

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 Needs Assessment

10 Objectives and High Level Design

14 Summative Evaluation

18 Course Plan

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NEEDS ASSESSMENT

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Stéphane Olivier, a graphic design teacher train-

ing students in screen printing at Cégep du Vieux

Montréal would like students to increase the vis-

ual richness of their projects through the use of

techniques specific to screen printing inks, includ-

ing transparency medium, varnishes, neon colors,

glow in the dark and metallics (further referred to

as specialty inks in this document).

the expected performance

We want students to make a creative use of spe-cialty 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 technol-ogy. There also has been a resurgence of spe-cialty 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 reputa-tion of the institution and thus, may influence how Cégep du Vieux Montréal 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 cre-atively use specialty inks hinders their capacity to create richer, more striking work at a lesser cost and effort.

An example of transparent ink used in screen printing

Performance Problem

the current performance

The students don’t 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 cul-ture since it is likely not commonly encountered in their everyday lives.

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Task and Content Analysis

material from the current training and prerequisites

Before the screen printing course, the stu-dents 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 lec-ture and demonstration format in the first two classes. The rest of the course consists in coach-ing the students through problem-based learn-ing. 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

The students create artwork without using the available specialty inks.

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;

Evaluate that the printed effect is achieved in conformity to what was initially planned.

content analysis

Currently, the only content pertaining to spe-cialty inks is delivered orally in the first course. The teacher shows the students examples of effects in screen printing created by profes-sionals 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 some-times 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.

Students in action, printing their very first project

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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 pro-gram. 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 pro-fessional 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.

The students are not used to printing their own work so we will assume that they may be some-what 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.

We’ve 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.

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;

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

A student wearing screen printed paper glasses

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Learning Environment Review

work environment

The work environment in which students need to apply this knowledge will likely be very dif-ferent 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 wash-ing room and a locked storage room. There are eight screen printing stations with four dry-ing 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, train-ees 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 pro-vided free of charge, the students only need to provide their own final paper.

optimization of the work processes

The working room doesn’t 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 col-ors and require less effort than mixing one’s own ink. The composition of the inks is often

The screen printing room at Cégep du Vieux Montréal

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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 trans-parent 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 separa-tions 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 print-ing experience.

Some content and requirements are deliv-ered orally by the teacher. The rest of the course consists in coaching and demonstra-tions to help students achieve their goals.

About the performance gap at hand, the teacher feels that students don’t use specialty inks because of intellectual laziness.

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 typo-graphic work, the complexity of the work ver-sus the quality of the final print and finally, the consistency of the print run.

technological infrastructure

There are no computers in the workshop so stu-dents 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.

Constraints

about the task

Time ConstraintsScreen printing is a tedious process which involves multiple steps; even when the print-ing screens are already prepared, setting up the printing station, printing a small run and cleaning requires approximately 2 hours. However, simple ink tests can be completed in 30 minutes. Because students cannot all print at once, some finish ear-lier than others. Those who are done early don’t 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 15 weeks.

Physical ObstaclesScreen 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 one’s body weight to apply strength. Small benches are available for shorter students to be able to be positioned better. Printing alone can be chal-lenging and requires skillful handling. Working in teams of two is preferable.

Stéphane Olivier, subject matter expert and teacher

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Cognitive and Affective ObstaclesStudents 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 eas-ily in screen printing as in the computer soft-ware the students normally use. However, the teacher asserts that when results are not up to expectations, the students usually don’t 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 ConstraintsWe will assume that the graphic design depart-ment is able to provide staff resources know-ledgeable 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 ConstraintsThe graphic design department at Cégep du Vieux Montréal has always emphasized crea-tivity and experimentation. Adding this phil-osophy to the culture of artistic screen print-ing 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 specifica-tions 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 ref-erenced examples to try and identify how their classmates’ effects were created. The experi-ments 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 stan-dard 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 avail-able 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 prop-erly. In order to document the experiments, adding equipment to the workshop such as measuring cups and a binder, would be man-datory but inexpensive.

More leads need to be explored since it is our belief that there is great creative poten-tial in this project. We are affirmative that this performance gap can be resolved through fur-ther training.

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OBJECTIVES + HIGH LEVEL DESIGN

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Main Objectives

Enabling Objectives

Overall Course Objective

Entry Objective

Prerequisites

Use specialty inks to creatively add visual richness to screen printing artwork.

Recall the name and characteristics

of different specialty inks.

Identify specialty inks used in other

artwork.

Generate creative and relevant visual

ideas to solve a communication

problem.

Create and print artwork using the techniques taught

in the screen printing course.

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.

Present creative and relevant links between specialty inks characteristics and concepts.

Create original and visually rich artwork by using specialty inks.

application

comprehension

knowledge comprehension application

application application

application

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first main objective

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 spe-cialty 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.

High Level Design 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.

Students often display printed samples

on the billboards adjacent to the workshop.

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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 experi-menting 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 experi-mentations 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.

These experimentations could be displayed on the billboards near the workshop and looped back into our first main objective where stu-dents would have to identify the special inks used by their classmates.

As students become more efficient at print-ing through the semester, they could increase the complexity of experimentations to chal-lenge 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.

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SUMMATIVE EVALUATION

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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 spe-cialty inks, they will be required to identify the specialty inks used in existing artwork.

Once they have had the occasion to prac-tice 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 experi-mentations. 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.

An open-ended question is used since the avail-ability 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 comfort-able 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 adhes-ive and covered with black flock.

Evaluation grading 1 Point for each properly guessed ink.

Since the number of questions will vary accord-ing 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.

Summative Evaluation .

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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 experi-mentations 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 meas-ure 10”µ10” in order to ensure some visual consistency when the different experimenta-tions will be displayed. It is also crucial that students keep track of which inks they’ve used and provide that information to the teacher. The teacher will provide feedback and coach-ing 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 con-ducted 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.

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 pro-jects from which they can draw inspiration and learn from.

This concludes our summative evaluation to assess learning (Kirkpatrick level 2).

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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 stu-dents’ 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 nega-tive affective outcomes.

What has this project helped you to learn about screen printing and special inks?

This open ended question tests their per-ceived 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

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 deal-ing 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 learn-ing 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 doesn’t constrain students to use specialty inks, we should heed any increase of specialty inks in this final work and compare it to the produc-tion 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 fol-lowing 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 institu-tion. 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.

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COURSE PLAN + TEACHER’S GUIDE

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Table of Contents

3 Course Plan

4 Swatchbook Production Guidelines

6 Course Design Structure

7 Week 5 to 10

11 Annotated Examples

14 Annotated Project Sheet - Expérimentations

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

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Course Plan

context

This unit of instruction is inscribed within the Sérigraphie course (570-JCU-10) in the 5th semester of the graphic design program at Cégep du Vieux-Montréal. It takes place in Atelier Denis-Malo (6.41) and each class lasts 4 hours.

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 avail-able in the storage room.

learners

The learners are starting their 3rd and final year of training. Most of them will be at least 19 years old up to their mid-twenties. They have just started printing their own work with the photo-emulsion screen printing technique 5 weeks ago. They are therefore, still con-sidered novices and will require appropriate support and feedback.

material preparation for this course

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 col-ors.) as well as examples shown in the anno-tated examples on page 12-13.

For the stencil printing technique demon-stration, 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 20 swatch-books (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 stu-dent 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.

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Swatchbook Production Guidelines

Or métallique

Or métallique 2 passes

Our swatchbook first attempts to grab the attention of the students by using tongue-in-cheek 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 pro-vide them with samples of our available spe-cialty 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 Cégep store on 3rd floor. Assembling the swatchbook with a Chicago screw will allow to update the swatchbooks if needed.

1,875 “

4,2

5 “

front back

Je suis tellement…

SPÉCIAL

couverture noir

Question the students on the dif-

ference they observe between one

pass and two passes.

Mention how for certain inks this

is necessary and that we will get

much better coverage, especially

on dark coverstock.

51,875 “

4,2

5 “

1,875 “

4,2

5 “

front back

magenta process transparent + cyan process transparent

jaune process transparent + cyan process transparent

magenta process transparent + jaune process transparent

couverture kraft

couverture kraft

J50/M50 + C50/J50 et 30%

médium transparent

J50/M50 et 30% médium

transparent + C50/J50

J50/M50 + C50/J50

et 30% médium transparent

The teacher should demonstrate

the different visual feel between

inks that are transparent by

design and inks to which trans-

parent medium was added. Left,

we are showing transparent pro-

cess inks and the example below

shows how transparent medium

enables a finer control of the

opacity, allowing to obtain more

subtle effects.

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1st experimentation 2nd experimentation 3rd experimentation

Week 5Begin Experimentation

Sketches

Week 6Sketches and Coaching

Final printBegin Experimentation

Sketches

Week 7Experimentation hand-in

Begin IdentificationSketches and Coaching

Final printBegin Experimentation

Sketches

Week 8Identification hand-in

Experimentation debrief Leaderboard

Experimentation hand-inBegin Identification

Sketches and Coaching Final print

Week 9Identification hand-in

Experimentation debrief Leaderboard

Experimentation hand-inBegin Identification

Week 10

Identification hand-in Experimentation debrief

Leaderboard

Post-instruction

Final gradeUpdate binder of examples

Course Design

Structure

structure

This unit of instruction is planned out accord-ing to Bloom's Taxonomy; we sequence activ-ities in a bottom-up fashion through the lev-els 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 pro-jects. This repetition will help reinforce and consolidate the acquired knowledge.

The calendar below will help you keep track of the different activities related to experimen-tation and identification assignments.

Application

Comprehension

Knowledge

3×Experimentation Identification

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5-10 minutes Introducing the contentInform the students that we have designed this training so that they can:

step out of their usual comfort zone (stan-dard and 4-color process inks);

acquire hands-on experience with spe-cialty 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 transform-ation because of digital technologies. We are increasingly communicating in a digital fash-ion 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 materialsName 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 anno-tated 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.

Week 5

30-40 minutes Demonstrate the stencil printing techniqueStudents 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-emul-sion 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.

The technique is demonstrated in the above video and can be sent to students through the Omnivox plat-form 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

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15 minutes Introduce the assignments Begin the first experimentationHand 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 creativ-ity. In case of an incredibly bad match of words, students may be allowed to another draw, at the teachers' discretion.

15 minutes Introduce the swatchbookDistribute 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 CoachingIf 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.

Week 5Meeting GuidelinesWhen 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 GuidelinesWhen 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 feed-back provided in the comments;

Ask if the student has any questions;

Together, identify key areas for potential improvement.

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Week 6

15 minutes

Begin the second experimentationDraw 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 CoachingMeet and coach each student to see how their first experimentation has progressed. Follow the meeting guidelines on page 8. Take a 15 minutes 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 next week.

Week 7 beginning of class

Students hand in two copies of their first experimentation (one for display and one for grading).

15 minutes

Begin the third experimentationProceed 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 for reuse.

10 minutes

Pin the first experimentations neatly on the billboard next to the workshop and identify with the numbers supplied in page 19 so stu-dents can see what their classmates have cre-ated and gather further inspiration.

rest of the period Sketches and CoachingMeet and coach each student to see how their second experimentation has progressed. Follow the meeting guidelines on page 8. Take a 15 minutes 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 next week.

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 identi-fication assignment.

after class

Grade the first experimentations for next week using the rubrics provided on page 18.

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Week 8

beginning of class

Students hand in two copies of their second experimentation (one for display and one for grading).

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.

10 minutes

Pin the second experimentations neatly on the billboard next to the workshop and identify with the numbers supplied in page 19 so stu-dents can see what their classmates have cre-ated and gather further inspiration.

rest of the period Sketches and CoachingMeet and coach each student to see how their second experimentation is progressing as well as debriefing their first experimentation. Follow the meeting guidelines on page 8. Take a 15 minutes break halfway in.

While not meeting, students can work on rel-evant screen printing projects.

Remind students they must have finished printing their third experimentation for next week.

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 page 18.

Week 9

beginning of class

Students hand in two copies of their third experimentation (one for display and one for grading).

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 third experimentations neatly on the billboard next to the workshop and identify with the numbers supplied in page 19 so stu-dents can see what their classmates have cre-ated and gather further inspiration.

rest of the period CoachingDebrief each student on their third experimen-tation. Follow the meeting guidelines on page 8. Take a 15 minutes break halfway in.

While not meeting, students can work on rel-evant screen printing projects.

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 identi-fication 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 page 18.

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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 surveyAsk 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 satis-faction 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.

Post-instruction Group all experimentations in a binder

to keep in class for students to consult as needed.

Review the answers provided to the satis-faction survey to see if adjustements are required.

In a month or two, consult with the teacher of the next course to see if any improve-ments have been witnessed in the use of specialty inks.

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Neon inks

Hot Dogs (2009), synthetic foods seriesby Chris Silas Neal2 colorsBlack and neon pink ink on white fine art coverstock

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 Apparatus2 colorsBlack 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.

Week 5 Annotated

Examples

Transparent inks

Only Do What your Heart Tells You by Chris Spooner2 colorsCyan and magenta transparent inks on white fine art coverstock

In this work, the transparent inks suggest the idea of seeing through one’s self motivations and reinforces that one must follow his/her heart.

Retrieved (November 12, 2014) from: http://blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/articles/how-to-overprint-colors-to-create-cool-print-effects

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Metallic ink

Mightierby Sebastian LesterMetallic silver on black fine art coverstock

In this work, the silver metallic ink creates a strong visual impact on the black background while sug-gesting the idea of a sword.

Retrieved (November 12, 2014) from: http://www.seblester.com

Week 5 Annotated

Examples

Varnish

Ministry of Public Enlightenment4 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

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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 3 copies to ensure that we have a consistent print run. One copy will be kept by the student and another by the department. We’ve added an extra copy to be on the safe side.

ObjectiveRemind 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.

EXPÉRIMENTATIONSFormat final de 10 µ 10 pouces Tirage minimum de 3 copies

MandatRéaliser une image originale à l’aide des mots pigés en utilisant strictement des encres spé-cialisées. Vous pouvez utiliser la technique d’impression traditionnelle ou au pochoir démontrée au cours 5 ainsi que le papier de votre choix.

Consignes pour chaque expérimentationEn classe, piger 6 noms et 6 adjectifs, les noter et les remettre à l’enseignant(e). Vous pou-vez les combiner au choix, dans la mesure où vous utiliserez 2 noms et 2 adjectifs par expérimentation.

À l’aide de ces mots, concevoir 3 esquisses de 3  µ  3 pouces dans votre cahier de croquis en prévoyant quelles encres vous utiliserez et pourquoi. Utilisez votre guide d’échantillons pour vous inspirer au besoin. Les croquis sont à présenter à l’enseignant(e) pour discussion à la fin du cours.

Lorsque votre esquisse est approuvée, mélan-ger vos encres sans ébruiter vos recettes et réa-liser votre expérimentation. Au dos de l’expé-rimentation, remplir et coller proprement la partie inférieure de ce document.

NomGroupeMots utilisés

Encres et proportions utilisées

NomGroupeMots utilisés

Encres et proportions utilisées

NomGroupeMots utilisés

Encres et proportions utilisées

Critères d’évaluation

3 Originalité et variété de l’utilisation des encres spécialisées;

3 Pertinence des encres spécialisées utilisées en relation avec les différents éléments illustrés;

3 Technique d’impression;

1 Respect des contraintes du projet.

10 points (70 % de la note finale)

Critères d'évaluation

1 par encre correctement identifiée.

(30 % de la note finale)

Dans une envelope, remettre votre tirage dont une expérimentation identifiée à l’aide d’une étiquette ci-dessous et joindre les 3 esquisses (minimum).

Les expérimentations sont à remettre à la semaine 7, 8 et 9.

MeetingsRemind 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 experi-mental process.

RubricStudents should strive to create something interesting and meaningful with the words they’ve 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 spe-cialty inks per experimentation.

Week 5 Annotated

Project Sheet

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Using the dentification sheetWhen 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 a number.

They will then have the week to try and guess which inks were used for each element of the artwork.

Since the amount of students and ink can vary, the total amount of points will be con-verted to 30% of their grade on this project.

As for any quiz, if students are caught cheat-ing or passing answers, they will be penalized according to academic rules in effect.

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IDENTIFICATION

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LeaderboardEach time the students hand in their identifica-tion project sheet, a leaderboard will be com-piled 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 Annotated

Project Sheet

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chat

chien

bouche

main

dent

flamme

aile

os

feuille

moustache

oiseau

branche

maison

chapeau

goutte

fourchette

ampoule

pied

banane

éclair

soleil

fusée

trombone

flèche

brocoli

bouteille

sapin

nez

diamant

nuage

pâte à dent

crème glacée

couteau

poisson

fantôme

vague

cravate

culotte

papillon

valise

carotte

fleur

flocon

voiture

bol

engrenage

Cut the following words, put them in two dif-ferent boxes and have students pick two from each category.

Week 5 List of Nouns

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discret

caché

vaporeux

amusant

glamour

étincellant

flou

éclatant

flambé

délicat

rusé

fabuleux

sérieux

créatif

brut

émotif

coupant

dangereux

nuageux

radioactif

sournois

confus

dérangeant

mort

psychédélique

bronzé

spatial

doux

magique

infini

mince

obèse

toxique

méchant

mémorable

épique

simple

froid

humide

prospère

volé

maudit

élégant

morne

anxieux

survolté

Cut the following words, put them in two dif-ferent boxes and have students pick two from each category.

Week 5 List of

Adjectives

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NomNoms utilisés

Adjectifs utilisés

/3 Originalité et variété de l’utilisation des encres spécialisées;

/3 Pertinence des encres spécialisées utilisées en relation avec les différents éléments illustrés;

/3 Technique d’impression appropriée;

/1 Respect des contraintes du projet.

sur 10 points

Commentaires

NomNoms utilisés

Adjectifs utilisés

/3 Originalité et variété de l’utilisation des encres spécialisées;

/3 Pertinence des encres spécialisées utilisées en relation avec les différents éléments illustrés;

/3 Technique d’impression appropriée;

/1 Respect des contraintes du projet.

sur 10 points

Commentaires

NomNoms utilisés

Adjectifs utilisés

/3 Originalité et variété de l’utilisation des encres spécialisées;

/3 Pertinence des encres spécialisées utilisées en relation avec les différents éléments illustrés;

/3 Technique d’impression appropriée;

/1 Respect des contraintes du projet.

sur 10 points

Commentaires

NomNoms utilisés

Adjectifs utilisés

/3 Originalité et variété de l’utilisation des encres spécialisées;

/3 Pertinence des encres spécialisées utilisées en relation avec les différents éléments illustrés;

/3 Technique d’impression appropriée;

/1 Respect des contraintes du projet.

sur 10 points

Commentaires

Nom 1 point par encre correctement identifiée. points au total

Nom 1 point par encre correctement identifiée. points au total

Nom 1 point par encre correctement identifiée. points au total

Nom 1 point par encre correctement identifiée. points au total

Week 5 Rubrics

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1

6

11

16

3

8

13

18

2

7

12

17

4

9

14

19

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10

15

20

Identification Numbers Cut the following numbers and use them to identify each experimentation while on display.

Moi

aus

si, j

e su

is s

péci

al !1

1 2 3 4 5

EXPÉRIMENTATIONSFormat final de 10 µ 10 pouces Tirage minimum de 3 copies

MandatRéaliser une image originale à l’aide des mots pigés en utilisant strictement des encres spé-cialisées. Vous pouvez utiliser la technique d’impression traditionnelle ou au pochoir démontrée au cours 5 ainsi que le papier de votre choix.

Consignes pour chaque expérimentationEn classe, piger 6 noms et 6 adjectifs, les noter et les remettre à l’enseignant(e). Vous pou-vez les combiner au choix, dans la mesure où vous utiliserez 2 noms et 2 adjectifs par expérimentation.

À l’aide de ces mots, concevoir 3 esquisses de 3  µ  3 pouces dans votre cahier de croquis en prévoyant quelles encres vous utiliserez et pourquoi. Utilisez votre guide d’échantillons pour vous inspirer au besoin. Les croquis sont à présenter à l’enseignant(e) pour discussion à la fin du cours.

Lorsque votre esquisse est approuvée, mélan-ger vos encres sans ébruiter vos recettes et réa-liser votre expérimentation. Au dos de l’expé-rimentation, remplir et coller proprement la partie inférieure de ce document.

NomGroupeMots utilisés

Encres et proportions utilisées

NomGroupeMots utilisés

Encres et proportions utilisées

NomGroupeMots utilisés

Encres et proportions utilisées

Critères d’évaluation

3 Originalité et variété de l’utilisation des encres spécialisées;

3 Pertinence des encres spécialisées utilisées en relation avec les différents éléments illustrés;

3 Technique d’impression;

1 Respect des contraintes du projet.

10 points (70 % de la note finale)

Critères d'évaluation

1 par encre correctement identifiée.

(30 % de la note finale)

Dans une envelope, remettre votre tirage dont une expérimentation identifiée à l’aide d’une étiquette ci-dessous et joindre les 3 esquisses (minimum).

Les expérimentations sont à remettre à la semaine 7, 8 et 9.

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IDENTIFICATION

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