TC Screen Printing making face masks to help fight coronavirus
TC Screen Printing is helping fight the coronavirus by making face masks from T-shirts.
The printing company wanted to do something to help people during the pandemic so they decided to start making face masks out of old and defective T-shirts, according to Tyler Carroll, owner of TC Screen Printing. Masks are available for free to anyone who requests one, but Carroll said he is giving priority to the medical community.
TC Screen Printing is proud to serve the community, Carroll said.
“We firmly believe in doing what we can for whoever we can,” he said.
Carroll said he started making the masks two weeks earlier and began distributing them on Monday. The masks are not N95
Certified, he said.
“These are meant for self-protection,” Carroll said. “They are not meant to be a replacement for the medical equivalent.”
Masks or personal respirators that are N95 Certified will block at least 95 percent of very small (0.3 micron) test particles, according to fda.gov.
TC Screen Printing is having their embroidery division make the masks, Carroll said. The shop still does some embroidery as well, but when they are not busy with orders they are focused on making masks, Carroll said. The pattern the shop is using to make the masks came from one of Carroll’s partners in Brazil, he said.
The masks are made of two layers of recycled Tshirt parts, Carroll said. All the masks are put through their high heat dryer, he said. At the end of the dryer cycle, they are handled and stored by people with gloves, Carroll said.
At press time, Carroll does not know how many masks he has but hopes to produce several thousand. Anyone wanting a mask may contact TC Screen Printing at their Siloam Springs location and let them how many they need and what they need them for, Carroll said. Curbside pick up is available at both the Siloam Springs and the Bentonville offices, Carroll said.