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screen printing => General Screen Printing => Topic started by: Prosperi-Tees on March 29, 2012, 12:55:10 PM

Title: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on March 29, 2012, 12:55:10 PM
Grayscale image on black shirts? Never done it and need advice.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Ripcord on March 29, 2012, 01:19:28 PM
I do these with a white underbase and then a black halftone overprint. Depending on the photo sometimes it looks great...other times it's grainier than I'd like.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on March 29, 2012, 01:20:16 PM
A solid white underbase?
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: mk162 on March 29, 2012, 01:21:06 PM
i would go 25lpi, 110 mesh and rock it.  J/K.

i would actually go with a 2 or 3 color white/gray combo.  you can get more detail that way.  and then blue too.

Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on March 29, 2012, 01:32:09 PM
I need details on this MK. The only thing I ever done like this was a black ink on white shrt thru a 230 mesh. So if I could get some technical details that would be great.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: myseps on March 29, 2012, 02:31:00 PM
1. halftone base
2. light grey
3. dark grey
4. top white
5. blue
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: mk162 on March 29, 2012, 02:35:43 PM
Myseps, you would print blue after white?  would you flash that?  I would print blue before and try and get away without a flash.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Sbrem on March 29, 2012, 02:43:38 PM
I'm with myseps, flash after the 1/2 tone underbase and again under the highlight white, then blue. It could also be taken down to 2 whites and blue, but may not come out as well... obviously.

Steve
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: JBLUE on March 29, 2012, 02:47:08 PM
Same here. Blue last. Use the benefits of two whites under the blue to make it pop.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: 3Deep on March 29, 2012, 03:00:55 PM
 high mesh count for those halftones will stop the pic from looking so grainy 230 and up and one stroke the halftone greys.   Oh and hit the base once allso if possible you want a smooth surface to overprint your othe colors.

Darryl
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Socalfmf on March 29, 2012, 03:04:24 PM
i would do this is 5-6 colors and use 355 mesh and a 230 underbase and make it look killer...

sam
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on March 29, 2012, 03:08:37 PM
Ok maybe I will talk them into white shirts. I only have 230s on hand. I dont know if I want to try and tackle it and have it look like crap and have to tell them I cant do it.

From what you guys are saying 3-5 colors high mesh counts?
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: JBLUE on March 29, 2012, 03:17:13 PM
Ok maybe I will talk them into white shirts. I only have 230s on hand. I dont know if I want to try and tackle it and have it look like crap and have to tell them I cant do it.

From what you guys are saying 3-5 colors high mesh counts?

Yes sir! On that Jav you would be better off using the 230 all the way around in my opinion.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Ripcord on March 29, 2012, 03:27:02 PM
I'd just underbase the white areas and overprint the halftone. Maybe use a dark gray rather than black for the overprint. You didn't mention how many shirts this is...If it's not a large run it may not be feasible to run it as 5 colors...
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on March 29, 2012, 03:34:41 PM
I'd just underbase the white areas and overprint the halftone. Maybe use a dark gray rather than black for the overprint. You didn't mention how many shirts this is...If it's not a large run it may not be feasible to run it as 5 colors...
Its a 100 piece run. So in your scenario are you thinking just 2 colors? What mesh counts? 230?
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: tonypep on March 29, 2012, 03:41:28 PM
I think everyones missing something. Have you ever separated anything like this before? If not farm it out. Unfortunately that will add about two and change to the print
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on March 29, 2012, 03:43:37 PM
Never sepped anything like this. What if they went with white shirts? What would be the best way to tackle it?
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Sbrem on March 29, 2012, 03:46:40 PM
Never sepped anything like this. What if they went with white shirts? What would be the best way to tackle it?

I'd go gray, black and blue on white...

Steve
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: ebscreen on March 29, 2012, 05:56:54 PM
You're gonna have to learn sometime.

This is a great one for the auto as well. Hand printing
will never have the consistent halftones that then auto will.

You have Photoshop Gerry? Play around with mono/duo-tones.
You can get some great b/w seps that way.

Depending on their budget, ubase, flash,ubase, flash, grey, black, blue.
I'm a fan of high linecount halftones printed on solid slabs of white. It's
almost like printing flatstock at that point.

Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on March 29, 2012, 06:14:59 PM
No PS, I guess I need to break down and get it.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: royster13 on March 29, 2012, 06:36:31 PM
Ok maybe I will talk them into white shirts. I only have 230s on hand. I dont know if I want to try and tackle it and have it look like crap and have to tell them I cant do it.

From what you guys are saying 3-5 colors high mesh counts?
Why would you talk them into white shirts?.....If they came to you looking for black shirts, give them black shirts....
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: ebscreen on March 29, 2012, 06:44:25 PM
Older versions are cheap and will do almost everything we need it to do. We're stone
age when it comes to graphics programs.

GIMP might work for you as well, though I didn't like it.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Screened Gear on March 29, 2012, 06:46:35 PM
Do you guys always use as many colors as possible when printing monotone photo art. I have done hundreds of these jobs with just white underbase then white on top (same screen if your printing manually) and then the blue last on top of the white. Now if you’re trying to impress you can add a black, light grey and dark grey, but why. If this is a high end client then yes but that is an add on. I price everything as a minimum and then offer the upgrades if they will make a better print. If this was a job that I was giving a quote on and I quoted a 5 color job I would not get the job. The guy that quoted it a 2 color job would get it. Even the guy that quoted it a 2 color job with a white under base would be too high. Just my 2 cents.

230 under base 45– 55 LPI
flash
230 detail white 45 – 55 LPI
156 blue output at 100 LPI just for the fun of it
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on March 29, 2012, 06:56:36 PM
Do you guys always use as many colors as possible when printing monotone photo art. I have done hundreds of these jobs with just white underbase then white on top (same screen if your printing manually) and then the blue last on top of the white. Now if you’re trying to impress you can add a black, light grey and dark grey, but why. If this is a high end client then yes but that is an add on. I price everything as a minimum and then offer the upgrades if they will make a better print. If this was a job that I was giving a quote on and I quoted a 5 color job I would not get the job. The guy that quoted it a 2 color job would get it. Even the guy that quoted it a 2 color job with a white under base would be too high. Just my 2 cents.

230 under base 45– 55 LPI
flash
230 detail white 45 – 55 LPI
156 blue output at 100 LPI just for the fun of it
Definitely not trying to impress, these people are using the shirt as a fundraiser for the girl who has cancer and cost is a factor. Im trying to picture in my head what this would look like with just a PFP white. Do you have any examples that you have printed?
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: royster13 on March 29, 2012, 07:13:28 PM
Instead of watching some "crappy tv" tonight, it might be time to practice....
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Screened Gear on March 29, 2012, 07:15:11 PM
I have done a lot of RIP shirts. You know the shirts with a picture of the person that passed on them. I never take photos of them. Just printing them and seeing that picture over and over is enough to get to me. You will be fine doing it that way. Just remember your doing the white in the design so you need to print the negative of the photo. The film will look really strange but the print will look right. I usually do them at 45 LPI when printing white. The only one I could find is one I did at 30 LPI using line instead of dots it was a test. This one is also on a burnout...I know I broke a ton of screen printer purists rules there. see below. 
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Dottonedan on March 29, 2012, 10:13:40 PM
It seems we all handle things differently.
From the looks of the file from my I phone, it would work in 3 colors on black.

1 Gray base,
- Flash -
2 Top white
3 Blue

You could include another color being a dark gray that could help bump it up to a more controllable print over a long run but to me, it's good at 3. The photo does not look like its got a bunch of tone to it. It seems mostly either black or white. Not that much mid tone.

230 mesh on base and 305 on top white. 230 on blue.
55lpi @ 22.5 degrees and ellipse dot shape. You could even use 305 on the base.


Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Chadwick on March 29, 2012, 10:49:53 PM
If you actually have a decent source file there, send it to me.
I'll sep it stupid cheap and you can learn something.
As long as you don't need it yesterday  ;).
Email's in my profile.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Ripcord on March 30, 2012, 12:42:31 AM
My problem has always been the fact that no matter what a nice job you do with a halftone print, it never looks as good as it does on the customer's computer monitor. Depending on the quantity, a DTG is often the best way to reproduce photos.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Chadwick on March 30, 2012, 09:25:16 PM
Fair enough.
Half the time though, custy's got rose tinted glasses looking at their 'creation'.

No amount of output resolution will resolve garbage source res.

In fact, it may look better linescreened with plastisol than dtg's most honest attempt at recreation.
.02
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Parker 1 on March 31, 2012, 06:31:08 PM
Never sepped anything like this. What if they went with white shirts? What would be the best way to tackle it?

Send it to Dan, Scott, or Myseps all here on this forum. Tell them your limitations, and listen to them and follow thier instructions.   

Also this can be done on all 230s using 55lpi.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: ebscreen on March 31, 2012, 07:08:55 PM
Discharge it.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on March 31, 2012, 07:19:03 PM
Interesting that you say discharge it Sean. I did a practice print today and printed a white discharge and black Plastisol halftones on top and it came out pretty good. I used 45 lpi on a 230.
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: ebscreen on March 31, 2012, 10:51:34 PM
We have put CCI white through 330 and I think 60 lpi.
Also a good candidate for that Javelin of yours.


Sent from my Space Modulator using Tapatalk
Title: Re: How would you print this on black Ts?
Post by: Prosperi-Tees on March 31, 2012, 11:17:34 PM
I originally printed out 55 dpi films but I the small dots of the 55 made me nervous. Maybe I'll try it on Monday.