Graphic designers create one-of-a-kind prints

May 01, 2008 12:11 pm

— BY JULIE THOMAS
GJCTC SOPHOMORE
Crystal Berkebile designed a special T-shirt for Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center students, faculty and staff to wear for the March of Dimes walk on April 27. I helped print more than 50 T-shirts for the event.
The design was created using Adobe Illustrator CS on one of the many high-tech MAC computers in the graphic design computer lab.
Students also use Adobe Photoshop for many projects.
To create the silk screen, Berkebile printed the design on paper while she got the screen ready.
The design, special paper and screen were placed under a blue light in a box for five to seven minutes.
Once the screen was removed from the box, cold water was used to remove the excess film from the screen.
The screen acts as a stencil for the ink. The shirts and screens were lined up and a squeegee was used to cover the design with ink.
Each shirt was placed on a conveyer belt and the ink was dried in minutes under the drying machine.
This school year, the graphic design program printed uniforms for GJCTC’s protective services and health-assistant programs. Each student also had the chance to print a one-of-a-kind T-shirt they designed.
In addition to screen printing, students in the graphic design program enter many poster contests.
Currently, students are working on a contest for The Biotechnology Institute and the subject is on the role biotechnology plays in lives throughout the world.
Nathaniel Knisley, a junior at GJCTC, designed a T-shirt for the sixth annual Patricia McTonic Benefit Run.
I’m in contention with Berkebile to win a billboard contest about Career and Technical Education.
This was my first year at GJCTC and I entered the graphic design program because my brother graduated from the program in 2006.
He is enrolled in an online program with the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and works as a freelance artist in Somerset County.

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