Designing and drawing a graphic for printing on fabric

Appropriate designs for printing on fabric require some extra thought and care to make them easily printable.

Here are the materials needed for drawing a graphic for printing on fabric:

• Paper
• Stencil
• Stylus

Here are some guidelines to follow to help you design a graphic that is attractive and easy to print:

• Keep the design as simple as possible.
• Use large letters and design parts because they are easier to cut out than small ones.
• Remember, though, that the design must be small enough to fit on the stencil and the printer.

• As much as possible, avoid creating loose pieces, especially with small designs and letters like a and o.

  • One way to avoid loose pieces is to leave thin connectors to the circle centers. This will, however, cause "broken circles" because circle centers will be attached to the background rather than loose.

    Illustration

• If you do not want to have “broken circles” in your design, do the following:

  • Cut out centers of letters.
  • Moisten centers slightly and place them in the correct positions on the screen. The moisture will hold the loose pieces in place until the first printing. After the first printing, the ink itself will make the loose pieces adhere to the screen.

1. Draw the design on paper.
2. Place the paper design on the stencil, centering it carefully.
3. Trace the design on the stencil.

   Caution:

   Press hard, using a stylus that will leave an impression on the stencil but will not cut through it.

4. Make sure the impression is clear enough to follow when you are ready to cut the stencil.

• Task module: Designing and drawing a graphic for printing on fa...
• In task module: How to print on fabric with a silk-screen printer, by Robin Rempel
• In task module: Using a silk-screen printer
• In task module: Printing literacy materials
• In task module: Producing printed materials, by Anne Klaassens (contributor), Robin Rempel (contributor), Trudy K. Stewart (general editor, contributor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), Glenys Waters (contributor), Diane Wroge (contributor), and Adelle R. Walter (illustrator)
• In task module: Developing instructional materials, by Trudy K. Stewart, Leah B. Walter (contributor), and Trudi C. Hunt (contributor)
• In task module: Developing an instructional program, by Kenneth A. Boothe (contributor), Patricia M. Davis (contributor), Trudy K. Stewart (general editor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), Glenys Waters (contributor), and Adelle R. Walter (illustrator)
• In task module: Implementing a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler)
• In modular book: Implement a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler) and Leah B. Walter (compiler)
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 2 July 1998

© 1999 SIL International