Fabric Printing Skills Learned on the Job: How to Document Them for RPL

By Delight Technical College | School of Tailoring, Fashion & Design- RPL | 2026

Printing on fabric is one of the oldest ways to add pattern to cloth, and in Kenya it takes many forms: hand-carved blocks, stencils cut from card, and screens made for small production runs. Many people who print fabric today learned by watching others, experimenting and correcting mistakes. The printing half of the unit Fabric Decoration (Tie & Dye and Printing) can be assessed through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), but it helps to know how to present your experience. This guide answers the questions printers ask most often.

❓ What Printing Methods Does the Unit Cover?

The unit refers to printing as a broad skill. In practice, competent printers work with methods such as:

• Block printing- carving or shaping a block, applying colour and stamping it onto fabric
• Stencil printing- cutting a design into a stencil and applying colour through the openings
• Screen printing- preparing a screen with a design and pushing colour through the mesh with a squeegee

You do not need to be skilled in every method. Be clear about the ones you use confidently.

❓ What Does an Assessor Want to See?

• Correct preparation of the fabric and the work surface
• A design that is transferred accurately and repeated consistently
• Even application of colour, with clean edges and no smudging
• Understanding of how to fix or cure the print so that it lasts
• Awareness of safety and clean-up

❓ How Do I Show Consistency?

Consistency is the heart of printing. A single beautiful print is easy; fifty identical prints are a skill. To show consistency:

• Present a set of printed samples from the same batch
• Show how you align the design each time, such as using guides or registration marks
• Explain how you keep the colour even from the first print to the last

❓ What Evidence Should I Gather?

• Printed fabric samples, mounted and labelled with the method and materials used
• Photographs of your work area, tools, blocks, stencils or screens
• Photographs of a printing session in progress
• Orders, invoices or messages from clients for printed fabric or garments
• A statement from a client, employer or trainer who has seen you print regularly

❓ What If I Only Print for Myself?

Self-use is valid experience, but assessors place more weight on evidence that others have seen and valued your work. Consider printing a small batch for a friend, a school or a local event, and ask for a short written statement in return.

🎓 Where This Fits in the Delight Learning Guide

Unit 5: Fabric Decoration (Tie & Dye and Printing)

• Module II | Level 4 (Certificate) | Term Two

❓ What Happens After the Assessment?

If you are found competent, the unit is recognised and counts towards your Level 4 qualification. If there are gaps (for example in fixing a print or in safety procedures) you can train for those specific skills and be reassessed.

❓ Can I Use Heat-Transfer or Digital Printing?

Some makers use heat-transfer or digital methods alongside hand printing. If you do, mention it and explain the process in your own words, including how you prepare the fabric and make the print last. Your RPL adviser can tell you how those methods are treated under this unit. Even if they are not the main focus, understanding them shows a wider knowledge of how patterns reach fabric.

“A printed pattern that repeats perfectly is not luck. It is a repeatable skill, and RPL is how repeatable skills get certified.”

💡 Ask how your printing experience could count towards Level 4. Call Delight Technical College on +254 722 533 771 or visit Muindi Mbingu Street, Nairobi.

📍 Delight Technical College | Muindi Mbingu Street, Opposite Jevanjee Gardens, Nairobi | +254 722 533 771 | www.delight.ac.ke