Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 6

PRESSING ISSUES

ELEMENTARY STUDENTS GET A LESSON IN DTG PRINTING

For the average person (who doesn't print for a living), the
opportunity to decorate your own T-shirt is much more
impactful than someone simply handing you a pre-printed
garment. Elementary school students at Burrell School
District near Pittsburgh gained this special, firsthand
experience by printing their own shirts in their classrooms.
The district's Summer Reading Challenge committee
came up with the idea to have each student print his or her
own T-shirt celebrating the program. Melinda Kulick, Burrell's
business, computer, and information technology teacher, reached
out to Allegheny Educational
Systems, a technology provider
for schools, to explore equipment
options. She borrowed a Roland
VersaStudio BT-12 direct-togarment printer and the kids got
to work.
The reading committee
selected a design that fit the
environmental theme of the event,
and students in kindergarten
through 3rd grade voted on what
text they wanted to include on
their specific class T-shirt. With a
tight timeline of just two weeks to complete the big project -
565 shirts - Kulick limited in-class printing to just 2nd and 3rd
graders, even though the younger students could have handled
the process if given the chance, she says.
After a quick primer from the training team on how to
set up, run, and clean the DTG printer, Kulick was able to
show the kids what to do - and they quickly grasped the
process. "My 2nd and 3rd grade classes completely owned
6

SCREENPRINTING

the production process. I oversaw production while the
students did everything themselves. Peer-to-peer learning
happened organically where students were asking each other
questions, and those who had already printed their shirt led
the way by demonstrating and supporting others through the
process," Kulick says.
The classroom print shop was efficient, which allowed an
entire class of 23 children to complete their shirts in a single
45-minute period. "The production line was set up so that
while a student placed their shirt
into the tray, another student
was able to send the design to
the printer so when one tray
came out, another was ready to
go in for printing," she explains.
"Having two trays was critical
to keeping production going. To
expedite production, we didn't
use the finishing unit and instead
used a heat press. This allowed
us to pre-press an entire class
before they arrived so printing
could be done right away."
Requests for more T-shirts have
been pouring in, as well as interest
from other teachers who want to incorporate the technology
into their class projects. "We're hoping to acquire funds through
the next school year to afford our own printer and operate a
classroom-run business," Kulick says. "The creativity that has
come from students and teachers alike knowing something
tangible could be produced as a keepsake and proof of their
learning has been like nothing our school has been able to do in
the past."
Screen Printing - August/September 2019

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