ASPA Certified Screen Printer (CSP) Exam

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The ASPA Certified Screen Printer (CSP) exam was developed to provide recognition to screen printers who can demonstrate their competency and knowledge in the field of screen printing. If you pass the exam, you (and your business) will be listed on the Certified Screen Printer roster and will be awarded the (CSP) Certificate of Achievement.

There are (36) questions covering basic screen printing practices and procedures with which every screen printer should be familiar, i.e.: general screen printing, graphics/art fundamentals, textile (apparel) and non-textile screen printing techniques. Questions are multiple choice and true or false. Choose the best answer for each question.

To pass the exam, you must correctly answer at least (27) out of (36) questions. Click "Submit" when you have completed the exam. You will receive your results by email within 24 hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: There are (5) exam questions that require that you look at a photo image. CLICK ON THIS LINK: (http://www.screenprinting-aspa.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ASPA-CSP-Exam-images-2.png) TO SEE THE IMAGES. (Keep the "images" window open to refer to until you finish the exam.)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

First Name (Name and address are needed to mail your certificate.) *

Last Name *

Business Name (if applicable)

Your Street Address *

Address 2

Your city *

Your State *

Your Zip Code *

Your email address *

Your Country *

1. Ultra-violet (UV) screen printing inks are cured by: *

Exposure to an UV light source.

A fan-fed heat source.

Evaporation.

2. In process (CMYK) screen printing, "K" is: *

Black

Kinetic

White

3. What is wrong with the print shown? (See instructions below.) *

Please refer to "Image for Question 3."

It is out of registration.

Nothing.

Improper ink colors used.

4. A light, smooth feel to a textile screen print is referred to as: *

A fast hand.

A slow hand.

A soft hand.

5. Screen printing is the ideal method for decorating golf balls. *

True

False

6. Identify the l.p.i. of the halftone shown. (See instructions below.) *

Please refer to "Image for Question 6."

100 l.p.i.

65 l.p.i.

25 l.p.i.

7. The approximate squeegee angle for a flood stroke is: *

25 degrees.

90 degrees.

60 degrees.

8. What is "moiré?" *

An undesirable visual pattern resulting when two halftone screens overlap.

Town in France where screen printing originated.

Intersecting light rays.

9. Thixotropic refers to: *

A condition that occurs from overcuring.

Ink prematurely drying in a screen.

The property of plastisol ink that relates to its viscosity.

10. An overexposed screen will produce: *

A screen that is difficult to wash out.

A screen that is easy to wash out.

None of the above.

11. "Flash" curing is the proper way to fully cure an imprint. *

True

False

12. Toxicity refers to: *

Something capable of producing illness or damage to a human organ.

Amount of pigment in an ink.

None of the above.

13. What would be the best mesh count to print this grayscale photo? (See instructions below.) *

Please refer to "Image for Question 13."

24 mesh.

84 mesh.

254 mesh.

14. What is the proper sequence of steps in the screen printing process? *

Clean-up & reclaim screen, print & cure substrate, exposure & washout screen, create film positive.

Create film positive, expose & washout screen, print & cure substrate, clean-up & reclaim screen.

Exposure & washout screen, print & cure substrate, clean-up & reclaim screen, create film positive.

15. Squeegee durometer refers to: *

The squeegee print angle.

The "hardness" of a squeegee blade.

None of the above.

16. The acronym (RIP) refers to: Raster Image Processor: *

True

False

17. What is the optimum number of print strokes? *

One.

Three.

As few as is necessary.

18. What is the temperature that plastisol ink must reach to achieve full cure? *

900 degrees F.

120 degrees F.

320 degrees F.

19. What is the purpose of a light integrator? *

Device used for flash curing.

Additive used to "lighten" an ink color.

Electronic component in an exposure unit that detects and controls changes in light intensity.

20. Identify the device shown. (See instructions below.) *

Please refer to "Image for Question 20."

A geiger counter.

A tension meter.

A line weight determiner.

21. Ghost images on a screen are caused by: *

Using mesh that is too old.

Using low quality ink.

Ink that has not been completely removed by cleaning/reclamation.

22. Pinholes can best be described as: *

Deterioration of screen mesh.

Unwanted, small specks of light that come through a stencil.

Defects in a textile substrate.

23. What is the purpose of post exposing a screen? *

To harden the stencil.

Improve the image resolution.

To aid in the reclaimation process.

24. What is sodium metaperiodate? *

A chemical used to harden emulsion.

The principal ingredient in most screen reclamation solutions.

A salt-like substance used for squeegee cleaning.

25. What is the purpose of the Print-Flash-Print (PFP) technique? *

To improve the clarity of the printed image.

To achieve a more opaque print.

To speed up the printing process.

26. "Sawtooth" can be characterized as: *

A "stair-step" appearance in the stencil image.

Ink that is difficult to print.

A rip in screen mesh.

27. Substrate is the term for: *

A flat ink spatula.

A lower end of a screen.

The item being printed.

28. A vector line art image is usually preferred over a bitmap line image because: *

Vector images are easier to create.

The image can be enlarged without degradation.

Bitmap images usually produce a smaller file size.

29. What is dot gain? *

A problem with emulsion during screen coating.

An undesirable condition that occurs during the screen printing process in which halftone dots enlarge in size.

When ink gains specks or dots in it.

30. What is the purpose of an exposure unit? *

To make a film positive.

To flash cure a print.

To create an image on a screen.

31. Define "newton." *

Condition that occurs during curing process.

Unit of measurement referring to screen tension or "tightness."

Term used to describe print resolution.

32. "Off-contact" screen printing can be described as: *

Having a slight gap between the screen and the substrate.

Having no gap between the screen and the substrate.

None of the above.

33. What is the definitive test for determining full cure of a garment print? *

A temperature test.

A wash test.

A stretch test.

34. Dye migration or "bleeding" can occur when: *

Printing red, 100% cotton shirts with white ink.

Dye migrates from 50/50 blend fabrics into the imprinted ink.

None of the above.

35. Identify the object shown: (See instructions below.) *

Please refer to "Image for Question 35."

Mesh count determiner.

An emulsion gauge.

Pantone color guide.

36. A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is: *

Used for determining the toxicity of a product or substance.

An informational sheet supplied by the manufacturer describing the composition of a substance and the health and safety data of the product.

All of the above.

Why did you take this exam? (Choose just one answer) *

Test my knowledge of screen printing.

To help me get a job in screen printing.

Be recognized as competent in screen printing.

Other:

Required

Click "SUBMIT" when you are finished. Good luck!

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