Screen Printing and Signage Level 2

Who it is for. Trainees who have completed Screen Printing and Signage (Level 1) or can show the same skills, including persons with disabilities. In Ghana's TVET framework, National Proficiency II covers a range of mostly routine, predictable tasks done with limited supervision, and it leads to National Certificate I.

Why go further

• Most paying jobs need more than one colour, prints on dark shirts, or many pieces that look the same. Each colour needs its own screen and its own pass.
• Customers now compare screen printing with vinyl transfers and digital printing. In October 2026, Ghana listings showed heat presses at about GH¢1,900–3,850 and a direct-to-film (DTF) printer at GH¢45,000. You need to know which method suits which job.
• CTVET's approved list still has no screen printing or sign-writing programme; the nearest are Multimedia Practice and Textiles Design Technology (from National Proficiency I) and Graphic Design Technology (from National Certificate I).

Bridge from Level 1: what you already know

If any box is not ticked, your trainer will give you a short catch-up session before Unit 1.

How the module works

• Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, a range and the evidence your assessor needs. CTVET assessment has two outcomes, achieved or not yet achieved; this manual says Competent or Not Yet Competent.
• You now work with limited supervision: you plan your own steps, but your trainer checks safety gates before you start.
• Numbers marked example are for practice. Replace them with your own.
• Every unit ends with a Check yourself. Answers are in the Teacher Copy.

Competency standard

Range. Three screens of different mesh; diazo emulsion; lamp or exposure box and sun. Evidence. Mesh choice sheet; exposure calculations and records; three stencils; reclaimed screens; oral questions.

Mesh for the job

Thin inks need a higher mesh to stop the ink flooding and blurring. Yellow (dyed) mesh is preferred for very fine detail because it gives sharper edges. Always print a test: the artwork, fabric and ink all change the result.

Coat for the job

1. Degrease every screen before coating.
2. Use a scoop coater a little narrower than the inside of the frame.
3. Coat print side first, then the squeegee side; finish with a scrape pass, coater tipped back.
4. The coat must be thin and even. A coat that is too thick may not wash out.
5. Dry flat, print side down, in the dark. Write the coat date on the frame.

Calculate an exposure (lamp)

A lamp exposure chart from the Speedball diazo FAQ uses three numbers:

Time = lamp base time × distance factor × mesh factor

(All three tables: Source: Dharma Diazo FAQ.) The worked example in the source: a 2000 W lamp at 48 inches on standard mesh = 70 × 1.44 × 1.0 = about 101 seconds. These are starting points: confirm every new lamp, emulsion and mesh with a step test.

Sun exposure in production

Sunlight is free but changes from hour to hour. Speedball's manual gives about 45 seconds of sunlight as a rough figure for any screen size. To get repeatable results:

1. Expose at the same hour each day, in open sun, with the screen flat and square to the sun.
2. Run a short step test whenever the weather changes.
3. Keep an exposure log: date, hour, sky, mesh, coat, time, result.
4. Wear UV-blocking sunglasses and do not stare at the glass.

Exposure faults: advanced

Reclaim, dehaze and the chemical store

1. Wear gloves, splash goggles and an apron.
2. Scrape off ink first; avoid wiping screens by hand.
3. Clean off all ink (soap and water for water-based; the maker's cleaner or mineral spirits for plastisol, done by the trainer's rules).
4. Never jet-wash a screen that is wet with solvent: squeegee the excess off first.
5. Apply emulsion remover to both sides, scrub, keep it wet, and spray out.
6. Ghost images are ink stains trapped where threads cross; some screens need de-hazing. Haze remover is a strong alkali that burns skin: goggles, gloves and supervision only.
7. Use a hose or pressure washer at the lowest pressure that works. A power washer can break the skin.
8. Put lids on at once, clean up spills at once, and treat used gloves, rags and spill mats from solvent work as hazardous waste. Ask the Environmental Protection Authority in Takoradi where to take them; Ghana's rules are now in the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124).

Check yourself: Unit 1

1. Which mesh would you start with for halftone dots?
2. What three numbers do you multiply to get a lamp exposure time?
3. Why must you not jet-wash a screen that is wet with solvent?

Competency standard

Range. Water-based and plastisol inks on cotton and cotton-rich shirts; iron, heat press or flash dryer. Evidence. Cure records with temperatures; stretch and wash test results; dark-shirt print; oral questions.

Water-based and plastisol compared

Plastisol was not found on Ghana online listings in October 2026; ask Kumasi and Accra suppliers and check the brand's data sheet.

Cure temperatures (read the tin first)

• Many plastisol inks cure at 320 °F (160 °C); low-cure plastisols cure lower, for example about 260 °F (about 127 °C).
• Water-based inks typically cure at about 300–320 °F (149–160 °C) after all the water has gone.
• For water-based ink, the help guide says: evaporate all the water, reach cure temperature, and hold it for at least 20 seconds. One brand needs at least 90 seconds at 360 °F (about 182 °C), or ideally three minutes at 300–320 °F.
• The whole thickness of the ink must reach cure temperature, not only the top. Thick ink takes longer.

Curing equipment

In October 2026, heat presses were advertised in Ghana at about GH¢1,900–3,850, and a Kumasi seller listed a "4 colour 2 station" press with flash dryer at GH¢9,000.

Prove the cure

1. Measure. A laser (infrared) thermometer reads only the surface. It may not show that the inside of a thick ink layer is cured. Use it as a guide, plus the tests below.
2. Wait 24 hours before the stretch test, because plastisol keeps setting after curing (not verified: search summary of the ScreenPrinting.com cure article).
3. Stretch test. Stretch the print firmly. If the ink cracks and does not spring back, it is probably under-cured (not verified: search summary).
4. Wash test. The surest check is to wash a test piece. Incomplete cure can wash out.
5. Do not scorch. Too much heat yellows or burns cotton and can make dyes in polyester shirts move into the ink (dye migration) (not verified: search summary of a supplier guide). Test polyester and blends first.

Printing on dark shirts: underbase and flash

1. A light ink on a dark shirt needs an underbase: print white first, usually on about 110 mesh for a thick deposit.
2. Flash the white until it is just dry to the touch (gelled), not fully cured. Let the shirt cool a little.
3. Print the colours on top. Professional multi-colour shirt printing uses a carousel press, with the shirt heat-dried between colours.
4. Cure the whole print at the full cure temperature.
5. Record times and temperatures on the job card.

Mixing a colour

1. Start with the lightest colour and add small amounts of the darker (author's advice).
2. Weigh both on a small scale and write the recipe, so you can mix it again.
3. Speedball inks can be mixed to make custom colours; extender or transparent base makes colour more see-through, and retarder slows drying.
4. Print a swatch on the customer's actual fabric and get approval before the run.

Check yourself: Unit 2

1. Why is a laser thermometer reading not enough to prove a cure?
2. What three things must happen to cure water-based ink?
3. What is an underbase for?

Competency standard

Range. Two- and three-colour designs; paper and cotton shirts; hinged board or small multi-colour press. Evidence. Registered prints (paper and shirts); registration record; oral questions.

The rules of multi-colour

• One colour, one screen. Each colour is a separate screen and pass.
• Light before dark. Print light colours first, then darker ones, so darker colours can cover small overlaps.
• Trapping. Make the lighter colour slightly bigger so it tucks under the darker colour. This hides small registration shifts and stops white gaps ("halos").
• Paper: let each colour dry, then line up the next screen.
• Textiles: colours are often printed wet-on-wet, or flashed between colours.

Registration marks

1. In your artwork, add small cross marks (registration marks) in the same place outside the design on every colour (Unit 4 shows how).
2. Print every film with the marks. Each film has the same marks in the same place.
3. When you expose, place every film in the same position on its screen: measure from the frame edge, or use a pin or tape guide.

Line up the screens

On a hinged board (two colours, paper):

1. Fix colour 1 in the hinges. Print a sheet of clear film or thin paper with colour 1, marks included.
2. Set paper guides (tabs) so each sheet lands in the same place.
3. Swap to screen 2. Lay the printed film under it, move the screen until its marks sit exactly over the printed marks, then tighten the hinges.
4. Print a test on scrap paper. Check the marks with a magnifier. Adjust by the smallest amount, then test again.
5. Cover the marks on the screen with tape before printing the real sheets.

On a shirt press: professional shops use a carousel press with two to four screens on arms that swing over a fixed shirt board. The shirt does not move, so screens line up the same way every time. Fix the shirt to the pallet with a light coat of pallet adhesive so it does not shift.

In October 2026, a Kumasi seller listed a "4 colour 2 station" press with flash dryer at GH¢9,000, and an Accra seller a "6 colour 6 station" press at GH¢16,999.

Mis-registration: causes and fixes

Halftones (shades with dots)

A halftone turns a grey or photo into tiny dots. Full-colour (four-colour process) printing uses halftones in four colours to imitate a photo, but the inks are more see-through and less bright. Fine dots need about 280–305 mesh, and dots that are too small for the mesh will not expose. At Level 2, try one simple halftone in one colour. Full-colour process work is Level 3.

Check yourself: Unit 3

1. Why print light colours before dark colours?
2. What is trapping?
3. Your shirt prints are off in different directions each time. What is the likely cause?

Competency standard

Range. Inkscape and GIMP (or similar free tools); inkjet or laser film; one customer-style job. Evidence. Files; films; signed proof; rights confirmation; oral questions.

Vector and raster

Vinyl plotters cut along vector lines, so stickers and cut lettering must be vector.

Clean up a customer's picture

1. Ask for the best file they have: the original vector (SVG, PDF, AI, EPS) or the biggest image. A WhatsApp photo of a printed flyer is usually too small and blurred.
2. Check the rights: is this their own logo or design? (Unit 1 of Level 1.) Ask them to sign or send a short message confirming it.
3. Open a raster picture in Inkscape and use trace bitmap to turn it into vector shapes. Remove specks; smooth curves.
4. If the trace is poor, redraw the shapes with the pen and shape tools, or re-type the text in a similar typeface.
5. Convert all text to paths (outlines) before sending files to another printer or cutter, so the letters cannot change.

Separate the colours (spot colours)

1. Make each colour its own layer, named for the ink ("white underbase", "red", "black").
2. Add registration marks on a layer that prints on every film.
3. Add trap: make the lighter colour about 0.5–1 mm bigger where it meets a darker colour (author's starting figure; test it on your press).
4. For dark shirts, make the white underbase layer a little smaller than the colours on top, so white does not show at the edges (author's advice).
5. Print each layer in solid black on its own film, at 100% size, with its name and the job number outside the design.
6. Hold all films together against the light: the marks must line up exactly.

Proof and approval

A proof is a picture that shows the customer exactly what you will print.

Check yourself: Unit 4

1. Which kind of file must you use for vinyl cutting, vector or raster?
2. Why convert text to paths before sending the file?
3. Name four things a proof must show.

Competency standard

Range. Desktop or 2–4 foot cutting plotter; sign vinyl; heat-transfer vinyl; heat press. Evidence. Test cuts; weeded jobs; applied graphics; pressed shirts with wash test; oral questions.

The plotter

In October 2026 Ghana listings showed cutting plotters from about GH¢3,500 to GH¢8,100 (2-foot to 4-foot), and packs of five plotter blades at GH¢129.

1. Load the vinyl roll straight; set the pinch rollers on the edges.
2. Blade depth. The blade should cut through the vinyl but only scratch the backing paper.
3. Test cut. Most plotters cut a small test shape. Weed it: the vinyl should lift cleanly and the backing should not be cut through.
4. Adjust force a little at a time. Too deep cuts the backing; too shallow makes weeding hard.
5. Send the job from the vector file. Leave a margin between designs.

Sign vinyl: know your material

A common calendered sign vinyl's data sheet lists:

• Film about 2.5 mil (about 0.06 mm) thick, with a permanent solvent-based adhesive.
• Uses: vehicle graphics, inside and outside signs, window graphics, shop displays.
• Outdoor life up to 6 years for colours on vertical surfaces in a mild climate, 4 for metallics, 3 for one bright blue.
• Minimum application temperature 46 °F (about 8 °C); shelf life 2 years.
• Matching paper or clear application tapes.

On the hot, sunny, salty coast, expect a shorter life than the data sheet; do not promise six years (not verified for Ghana).

Weed, mask and apply

1. Weed with a hook: remove the waste around and inside letters.
2. Mask with application tape, rubbed down hard.
3. Clean the surface: dry, free of dust, wax and grease.
4. Hinge method for long lettering: tape the masked graphic across its middle (a tape hinge), lift one half, peel the backing back to the hinge and cut it off, squeegee that half from the hinge outwards, then do the other half.
5. Squeegee firmly with overlapping strokes from the centre out.
6. Peel the mask back flat and slowly.
7. Prick small bubbles with a pin and press them flat.

Heat-transfer vinyl (HTV) for garments

HTV is cut, weeded and pressed onto fabric. One popular brand's settings:

For two colours: tack the bottom colour for 2 seconds, peel hot, place the top colour and press 10 seconds. The seller says these settings are for its own brand of press, so other presses may differ: test first.

Steps:

1. Mirror the design before cutting, because HTV is cut from the back (standard practice; the shiny carrier side faces down on the cutter).
2. Cut, then weed the waste.
3. Pre-press the shirt for a few seconds to remove moisture and wrinkles.
4. Place the design, carrier side up. Press at the settings above.
5. Peel the carrier.
6. Care advice for the customer: wash inside out with mild detergent, no bleach, no dry cleaning.

Stickers and the law

• Vehicle stickers. STMA's 2025 list includes categories for stickers on vehicles and temporary structures under advertisement licences. Ask the Assembly before making advertising stickers for taxis and trotros.
• Official badges and emblems. Using official badges or emblems without authority is an offence under the Trade Marks Act. Never cut police, army, government or ministry crests, number plates or "official" stickers.
• Brand logos on stickers follow the same rule as T-shirts: written permission only.

Check yourself: Unit 5

1. How deep should the plotter blade cut?
2. Why must HTV be mirrored before cutting?
3. Name one sticker you must never make, and why.

Competency standard

Range. One wall or post signboard up to about 2.4 m × 1.2 m; one banner; work at low height (up to about 3 m) with a partner. Evidence. Layout drawing with sums; finished sign; banner; ladder check sheet; permit note; oral questions.

Layout: hierarchy and reading distance

1. One message. Name, offer, contact. Too much text reduces readability.
2. Hierarchy. Main line about twice the height of the second line; phone number large enough to read from the road.
3. Letter height. About 1 inch (2.5 cm) for every 10 feet (3 m) of reading distance; for best impact from far away, make letters bigger still.
4. Contrast and plain letters. Light on dark or dark on light; sans-serif letters read best at distance.
5. Light. Signs read at night need lighting.

Board materials (choose for the weather)

(Author's practice table; local supply and prices were not verified: ask three Takoradi suppliers.)

Hand lettering at Level 2

1. Scale the layout on paper at 1:10. Square up the board and rule all lines with a straight edge and chalk line.
2. For repeat signs, make a pounce pattern: draw the letters full-size on paper, prick holes along the lines, tape it to the board and dab chalk through the holes.
3. Paint outlines first, then fill. Rest on a mahl stick.
4. Add a shadow or outline in a contrast colour only if it makes letters easier to read.
5. Varnish or clear-coat only if the paint maker says it is needed.

(Standard sign-writing practice; no source was read for these steps.)

Banners

1. Size the file at the banner's real size. Ask the large-format printer what resolution and file type they want.
2. Safe margin. Keep text away from the edges where hems and eyelets go.
3. Finishing. Hems and metal eyelets every 50–60 cm along the edges (author's starting figure), with extra at corners. Use a hand punch and eyelet setter for small banners.
4. Hanging. Tie every eyelet; pull the banner tight. In strong wind, use wind slits or mesh banner material.
5. Permit. STMA's 2025 list charges for banners and posters hung with ropes or on frames, and for building wraps and other adverts; placing an advertisement without a permit carried GH¢1,000 per case.

Leaning ladders and working at height

The UK safety body's rules for leaning ladders:

1. Angle 1 in 4: one unit out at the bottom for every four units up (about 75°).
2. The ladder should extend at least 1 m (or three rungs) above where you are working.
3. Do not work off the top three rungs.
4. Keep three points of contact when climbing and, where possible, at the work position.
5. Do not overreach: your belt buckle stays between the stiles.
6. Do not stand a ladder on pallets, bricks or other movable things.
7. Carry only light materials and tools; do not overload the ladder.

Your shop rules (author's rules):

Check yourself: Unit 6

1. What is the 1-in-4 rule for a leaning ladder?
2. Name two things you do to make a plywood sign last in the rain.
3. What was STMA's 2025 charge for placing an advertisement without a permit?

Competency standard

Range. Real or practice orders; T-shirts, stickers and a sign. Evidence. Quality checklists; priced quotes; job tickets; marketing plan; oral questions.

Quality checklist (every job)

Keep a reject log: what went wrong, how many, why, and the fix. Reprints cost you money.

Pricing multi-colour jobs

A fair price covers: blank items, set-up per screen (film, emulsion, exposure, registration and cleaning), cost per print per colour (ink and labour), curing, transport, and your profit.

The job ticket

(Example only.)

Location settings that give good returns

Business ideas at Level 2

Permits and categories

• Register with the Assembly; annual fees due by 31 March in Sekondi-Takoradi.
• STMA lists categories for signage makers (digital, non-digital), signage writers (electronic, manual), printing houses and graphic design companies. Ask the revenue office for your category and fee.
• Every sign you put up needs its own permit (paid by the owner): ordinary signs GH¢8.00 and ordinary facial signs GH¢4.80 per square foot in 2025.

Market yourself

• Portfolio: before-and-after photos of real jobs (with permission), close-ups that show clean edges and registration.
• WhatsApp Business catalogue with "from" prices for 24, 50 and 100 pieces.
• Google Business Profile so people searching "T-shirt printing Takoradi" find you.
• Referrals: a small discount for a customer who brings a church or school order.
• Turnaround promise you can keep, written on the quote.

Accessibility

Ghana's Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) is nearly two decades old, but a 2025 audit found only 14% of the public places checked had any accessibility retrofitting. Make your own workshop open to staff and customers: a step-free entrance, a seated print station at the right height, a weeding and computer bench for seated work, high-contrast labels on inks and chemicals, flashing and beeping timers for exposure and curing, and written or picture job tickets for Deaf staff. Leave ladder work and lifting wet screens to a partner if needed. (Adjustments: author's advice.) From 2026 each Assembly sets aside 5% of its Common Fund for persons with disabilities, up from 3%; ask about support for a vinyl cutter or heat press.

Check yourself: Unit 7

1. Why does a three-colour job cost more to set up than a one-colour job?
2. What goes in a reject log?
3. Name two adjustments that help a wheelchair user work in a print shop.

1. Which mesh count range suits water-based shirt ink and fine detail?
2. Calculate: 3000 W lamp, 48 inches, standard white mesh.
3. Why must you reclaim screens soon after a job?
4. What does the HSE say about solvent and skin?
5. At what temperature do many plastisol inks cure?
6. What is the surest test of cure?
7. What is trapping, and why use it?
8. Name two differences between vector and raster files.
9. Give the one-colour EasyWeed HTV settings.
10. What is the 1-in-4 ladder rule, and how far above the work point should a ladder reach?
11. How do you price a multi-colour job fairly?
12. Name the STMA categories that may apply to a print and sign shop.

Best next reads: the Speedball Screen Printing Manual (advanced section); the HSE COSHH essentials sheet P24 on screen reclamation; the ink maker's technical data sheet for every ink you buy.

What this module does not cover: full-colour process and simulated process printing, discharge inks, conveyor dryers, billboards and large structures, supervising staff, registering a business and full bookkeeping (see Level 3).

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.