Vector Art >>
Illustrator or Corel
vs
Bitmap Jpeg from
PhotoShop
or PhotoPaint>>
Let us first state that 95% of screen printing is done by Spot Colors, opaque inks, that stay true through the entire printing run. Your project will probably fall in this category, so the information here on 4-Color Process Printing, transparent inks, may be technical & sound expensive. Don’t panic, we’ll help you select the right road to take. We want your project to succeed. See the Business page & Pre-Prints page that show examples of 4-Color Process Printing.
At the top of this page you see a Spot Color design build to an 8 color imprint.
Screen Printing . . .
The story in a nut shell: Once you decide how many colors to imprint, your film separations are sent to the darkroom and married with the correct screen. They are put on the Exposure Unit, which burns the image into the emulsion coated screen. Those screens are then prepared and registered on the printing press. After the inks are printed on the shirt it is placed on
a conveyor belt that runs through a 350*
gas dryer to cure the inks into the fabric.
1 to 8 color imprinting:
See how adding color to a One Color Design can bring interest & flair to any existing Logo. Below Spot Colors are added to produce an 8 Color Design.
Update your Logo by adding one or two colors to create a new look. Each color represents a "separation" as well as one more "screen", a one color imprint is economical, where an 8 color imprint is the most expensive to produce.
Exposure Unit
COLOR MATCHING
We use Plastisol Inks that are mixed to the PANTONE Matching System - PMS
Specific formulated colors used in all the printing industries, from papers, plastics,
and Textiles. All Spot Color designs submitted need to have this numbering system
assigned to the individual separations, like 122 Yellow or 286 Blue
See this site for more info than you'll ever need on color: http://www.pantone.com
Why use process color? The answer is simple. The prints look great when done correctly! Where else can you print with just 4-colors (process colors) and get
hundreds of shades and colors come very close to matching the original artwork?
Please E-mail us for our 4-Color Process Printing policies. Stock Ink Colors HERE
WASHING INSTRUCTIONS . . .
Always read & follow the garment labels.
To avoid "Fiberlation" in ink prints:
1. Turn all imprinted goods inside out
for washing.
2. Machine wash cold, with like colors.
3. Use only non-chlorine bleach,
and only when really needed.
4. Tumble dry medium.
Hang up collared shirts.
5. Do not iron decorated area. Inks and
threads will melt and ruin your garment.
Why do my imprints fade? The real question is:
What is fibrillation and how can I prevent it?
Answer: Fibrillation is a visual characteristic that appears on a printed garment after several washes. The ink in the print, which has a low abrasion resistance, is "worn off" during the agitation of laundering. This causes random cotton fibers to break loose from the main strand and become exposed at the print surface. These fibers give a "fuzzy" effect. This "fuzzy" effect along with the "worn off" appearance of the ink gives a combined look that is termed "fibrillation".
Is fibrillation new? Absolutely not! It has existed since the beginning of the imprintables industry, but process changes have made it more common. Technological advances, such as computer-designed graphics, automatic presses, and the advent of process printing, have resulted in bolder, more creative graphics. These changes have resulted in higher mesh count screens, process inks and other variables which would have been unthinkable a few years ago, these all effect and impact fibrillation.
What is Process Color? C M Y K = FULL RAINBOW
Let's make sure we are talking the same language. 4-color process printing is where you start with finished full-color artwork (like a painting or photo) then colors are separated out to the three subtractive primary colors of yellow, cyan (process blue), and magenta (process red) - plus black. The films, or separations are halftone (converted to dots). We put them on high mesh counts, print them with special process inks and the print looks like the original. There is never an exact match since it's purely by demand that Screen Printers are using paper printing methods for fabrics instead.
Spot Color vs 4color Process:
Golfshirts
Hats
Mugs
Outerwear
Bags
T-Shirts
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Specialty Graphic
Imaging Association
IMPRINTING FACTS FOR SCREEN PRINTING
Orders are shipped via UPS Ground from Florida
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Fels-Naptha Soap is the best for washing red clay from Baseball uniforms & even sports equipment. Lather up soap bar, soak items 1hr, rinse off or wash per the label instructions in washing machine.
