Insight into textiles part 5: John Allan, screenprinter

Article Added: 26/03/2010 10:57:01
Allan Williams Textile Screen Printers was formed in 1988 by John Allan and Peter Williams, when they recognised there was a need for a small to medium sized pigment print facility, which would cater for young and emerging designers unable to receive the sympathetic attention they required from larger companies. Since then they have developed successful relationships with numerous fashion and furnishing clients, ranging from students and graduates to established designers. In conjunction with their commission-based print facility, they also offer a comprehensive service and advice on all aspects of textile printing, from design, artwork preparation, sampling and print production, to further contacts within the industry. We spoke to John to find out more about what it’s like to be a screen printer.

HHT: How would you define your role?
I am a partner in the business Allan Williams Screen Printers. We are predominantly a pigment printer and are involved in all aspects of the job, from mixing the dyes and preparing the materials to the actual printing of the designs. We have created our own designs in the past, which was a furnishing range distributed to top-end interiors shops but now we mostly print other people’s designs.

HHT: After university what would you say is the best way to get into the print industry? Would you recommend work experience, an apprenticeship or is it fairly easy to find a job?
I would say that a work placement is going to offer you the best chance – you are better to just get in and offer your time as there are so few screen printers these days that the industry has just become so competitive. If anyone wants to get some experience with us they are welcome to call us for information on 020 8469 3038.

HHT: How important is your portfolio to your chances of getting a job?
This is the most important thing you can ever do! It is almost better than having a degree in my opinion. For me the proof of the pudding is in the eating and this can only be seen by demonstrating the work that you can do.

HHT: Would you recommend doing further courses or is it best to get into the printing world as soon as possible?
This depends mostly on what your university course covered. It is essential that you have a good grasp of Photoshop and Illustrator for manipulating designs and putting repeats out, so a course in this would be recommended if it wasn’t covered at university. Another issue I often find is that people come to me with designs that aren’t actually printable, for example they have repeats that simply won’t work – so if you have come out of university without a good understanding of patterning then it would be useful to learn this before you try to get a job.

HHT: Do you know of any scholarships or funding that are available to help students get started in their career?
I’m not aware of any specifically but there are often design and printing competitions organised by different companies across the country so it is a good idea to keep an eye out for these. If you are looking to set up your own company rather than work for an existing screen printer then you may be able to apply for a Small Business Grant, while the Princes Trust is also a great charity for helping business start-ups.

HHT: What would you say are the five essential pieces of equipment needed as a screen printer?
We use a 23m flat bed table for doing the printing, which is of course essential. As are a UV engraving unit, vacuum bed to put the screen in, dyes and a wash-out bay. You would also need a dye mix area, scales, a baker, a steamer and of course a computer. There is a lot of equipment needed!

HHT:  What hours do you work?
It depends how much work you have on – you need to be able to be flexible. In the beginning we worked 14-16 hours a day getting business and working on the printing we had in. We even did night shifts to start with. Once you have found a client base the hours can settle a bit, but you always need to have a flexible attitude to the job.

HHT: What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge is staying in business and we still don’t know if we will overcome it. The key thing is making sure that you offer a good service and learn from your mistakes, that way if you do manage to come out the other side of the problems you will still have a good business to work with. The other important thing is not to be afraid of having a go. I have been doing this job for 30 years now and still come across a new dye or material that I haven’t used before. You then have to go back to the trialling process to learn how best to deal with it, but I would never want to turn that job away just because it wasn’t familiar to me.

HHT: What is your advice for someone with a degree in print, but doesn’t know what to do with it?
You need to have a vision and then pursue it, and you are the only one who can work out what that vision is. My advice would be to just get a job doing anything, but make sure you still design. Even if you have no idea what you want to do with those designs just keep doing them and building a portfolio, that way when you work out what it is you want your skills will still be fresh and you will have a volume of work you can show people. Networking is always good too. You never know who you will meet, who will see your designs and start your career off – so make sure you get out and about as much as you can.