Process prints on dark garments

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Santa Fe
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Process prints on dark garments

Post by Santa Fe »

Hi Everyone. I need help learning how to make a process print look good on a dark garment. We have always made a thick white underlay underneath the process print, but this makes the print look washed out and makes the tee shirt feel more like a bullet proof vest than a shirt. I have seen other companies print processes without using such an underlay. Does anyone here know how to do this successfully?

Thanks,

Sarah in Santa Fe
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ROADSIDE
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Post by ROADSIDE »

Trial and Error

In most cases more ERROR!
.... I can give you my opinion but I can't tell you if it's right or not.
workshy
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Post by workshy »

i think usually that is simulated process printing. Most ink companies also sell aoftware package that will make separations into spot colours that "simulate" the process look. Software canbe pricey and often need at LEAST 6 colours to get any decent result. Better than half an inch of ink on the shirt mind
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ROADSIDE
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Post by ROADSIDE »

#1 Use a high mesh count when doing your under base
#2 Flash it DRY
#3 Make sure its cool to the touch before moving on.
#4 Use PROCESS INKS (they are translucent)
#5 High Mesh count for colors!
#6 Print black FIRST! (KYMC) some people may disagree

Although I know more about photoshop then most people, I still use Illustrator for my separations.
I get better results and less accidents.

Oh yeah compensate for DOT GAIN!!!
screen printing has about 10%-20% dot gain.
.... I can give you my opinion but I can't tell you if it's right or not.
krosbones
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Post by krosbones »

This is my take on printing process on darks...and I have had alot of success.

No matter what program you use to separate your file in, you want to make an adjustment to your magenta film. I have found that 9 times out of 10, the magenta ends up printing to "heavy" for shirts. I use Photoshop and adjust the curves for the magenta channel, reducing the amount.

Take a composite of the finish design, and covert it to gray scale. Once again you will need to adjust your tone curve. This will be your underbase. Rather than printing a thick base, you want to print a halftoned base for the colors to fall on. Usually expose on a 230. (this is the quick nasty way for an underbase, there are alot of tutorials that explain in detail the steps for proper underbase and highlight)

One of the tricks to getting more vivid color out of a process print on darks is to add a small amount of opaque inks to the colors. Lemon Yellow to Process Yellow, True Red (Fire Red) to Magenta, Royal Blue to Cyan. I never used process black, I get much better results out of an opaque black with reducer mixed in.

Another difference I have found is that alot of dark shirt process prints tend to have different print orders depending on the design. Where almost all process prints on white work best with YMCB, I have had dark prints with CYMB, BYMC, ...etc...

And like someone else here said. If you can, do it as a simulated process instead. Much brighter colors. You will already be using at least 6 screens for your process on darks anyway to do it properly (base:Y:M:C:B:highlight). If you have the room on your press, I would also pull screens for any large areas of solid color text. This will make the whole design stand out more.

Hope this helps..and of course like I said, this is just my way of doing it. There are several sites on the web that have full length tutorials on printing process on darks.

krosbonez
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Post by shirtsbyeric »

Yeah sometimes printing the black first is the answer. Sample the job on a manual and figure out the print order before you run it on the auto!
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