Screen Printing Forum

Hi, I have a small but rapidly growing tee shirt/denim label based in Los Angeles. I have a 4 colour press in my studio, and I am a pretty good printer and have created a few proprietary special effects with plastisol.

As the next season is approaching I want to spend more time designing, and less time pulling squeeges. I am curious what type of relationship I should start with a printer to make my samples.

Also I want to start experimenting with other garment decorating methods such water based inks, 4 colour process and embroidery.

Can anyone give me some hints and weblink infomration on preparing art for embroidery, and colour seperation?

Finally, how was this shirt printed?
http://revolveclothing.com/images/EDHA-MS40_V4-BIG.jpg
I've felt the shirt in person. Its defiantely a water based ink, but how was the camo colour removed? What is the name of this process.

Z Rose.

ps. How would I protect my artwork if I farm it out to another printer?

zulurose wrote:
Finally, how was this shirt printed?
http://revolveclothing.com/images/EDHA-MS40_V4-BIG.jpg
I've felt the shirt in person. Its defiantely a water based ink, but how was the camo colour removed? What is the name of this process.

ps. How would I protect my artwork if I farm it out to another printer?

I think that may be done with a process called Discharge printing. I don't really know much about it other than it has a very soft hand print.

I could be wrong though.

to prepare art for embroidery the best is a high quality jpeg or eps format. To digitize the stitches you need specific software that can be VERY pricey. Eps files have been the best file for me to work with when digitizing for embroidery

That's definately dye-discharge. If you look close the camo is not completely gone, discharge will work to an extent on most cotton garments. Our company used to do that is the mid-late 90's. Haven't done it since then..

I have found many digitizers on line simply by using a search engine, and entering "embroidery digitizers".

I use one in particular, http://www.fatembtapes.com, they have a great embroidery 101 section that is very user friendly and informative.

However, a lot of digitizers overseas are just as good if not better than the ones in the states. It is always nice to have someone local, like down the street, if possible, for those times you're in a jam.

Sometimes your contact in the states is sending the digitizing overseas anyway.

Whatever you decide, I always find it most helpful to record what I've learned from my digitizer and use it as an "internal procedures form" for staff or any new personel. This will help you create art for digitizng according to your vendor's requirements, problem free.

dunno anything about the dye discharged stuff...
if I was printing that. I would try to reduce some white to very very very bad opacity giving it just enough so the yellow looks that kinda splotchy but the green doesn't show competely thru if you keep the ink pretty runny it will still stay pretty soft to the touch, as for the red and black in the design, just print those ontop of the yellow...

seems like that would work for my set up

I print discharge, and that is either a horrible attempt at it, or just soft colors printed direct, either way it's kinda ugly I think.By the way, I doubt it's discharge because I have yet to find a dischargeable camo shirt.