Discuss the different plastisol screen printing inks and curing methods on the market. Share tips on getting the best results with the different ink manufacturers.
Hello - I'd like to find out if it is easy to use process colors on a do-it-yourself type of setup like the yudu, or the speedball starter kit? Seems to me, if you are good at separating your graphics then always using 4 colors to print your designs should be the path of least resistance. Am I correct, or are there certain times you should only use spot colors?
Interested in the responses to this.... about to embark on attempting process printing myself.
I believe one of the main issues is resgistration between all 4 colours MUST be perfect or it will ruin the image. (Makes sense when you think about it... 1 colour slightly off you will loose definaition and colour/image sharpness
This is where the home made/speedball kit could be an issue but it may also be something you can fix with a little thought.
Yep get where your heading typo_joe, but for jobs using less than 4 colours I would just do a spot print anyway... kinda trying to get the best of both, allow multi colour printing without having to purchase a 16 colour press! lol
Lewis as someone with a lot more experience than me, would you say, presses being equal that for multi colour jobs (say 12) the registration issue between setting up the 12 colour V setting up and registering for a process print would be the same level of difficulty, although of course even if getting the registration spot on took just as long you would save a considerable amount of time just in not having 12 screens to prepare/burn/reclaim.
My thinking, without having tried it yet.... is that 12 screens introduces 12 opportunities for registration issues versus 4, albeit they need to be spot on.
would you say, presses being equal that for multi colour jobs (say 12) the registration issue between setting up the 12 colour V setting up and registering for a process print would be the same level of difficulty
I think four colour process would be much, much easier to setup, and a bit easier to print overall. I haven't tried to print a 12 colour spot job, so I don't have the baseline for comparison. But I have printed four colour process on a manual press (not extensively - I wouldn't say I'm comfortable with it). That presents challenges (my results were less than great), but nothing insurmountable.
The hardest part of four colour process is dealing with dot gain, screen angle, using the right amount of consistent squeegee pressure, etc. etc. In other words it's exposing the screens and actually printing the job. Registration needs to be precise, but that's a question of patience more than anything.
There is a difference between 4 color process and printing 4 spot colors. 4 color process only works effectively on white garments. Unless you are printing everything on white I would suggest you learn to separate into spot colors.
4 color process has its place but most people print using spot colors especially for simpler designs or printing on darks.
You can achieve many colors on a dark shirt by using simulated process. It works on the concept of 4 color precess but uses spot colors to achieve it.
Interesting info there, I use waterbased ink so printing on almost anything but white I lay down a white base anyway. Simulated process is the one that leaves the image looking "pixelated" isn't it?
Process Inks vs Spot colors 
