my workflow is as follows: start in either adobe photoshop or illustrator --> accurip via the print command/driver --> epson 3000.
so far i have had success printing one color photographic images from PS. i simply print to the accurip driver and accurip will RIP and print my film according to the settings i specified in the accurip preferences (i.e. the LPI and screen angle). not too complicated.
i feel i am ready to step up to multi-color halftone projects now (i.e. process color and simulated process), but i am a bit unsure on the proper work flow for printing films when coming from photoshop.
i have my color separations taken care of already. i have a file with 4 separate channels: cyan, magenta, yellow and an underbase white (to be printed on a black garment). this is where i am not sure how to proceed. my questions:
1.) should i hide all the channels but one and print each channel manually through a separate print command? this would be equivalent to sending 4 separate files through accurip. or am i able to send all 4 channels simultaneously (ie. send the whole file) to accurip and have accurip sort everything out like it does when printing multiple spot colors from illustrator?
2.) if i am able to send all 4 channels to accurip at the same time, does accurip automatically choose different screen angles for each color? how would this work on a simulated process project that has, say, 7 channels?
3.) having accurip determine all the settings automatically sounds great, but this might be problematic, as i was planning on printing my white underbase through a 230 mesh screen and my colors through a 305. i would therefore need to selectively lower the LPI setting for the white channel. i assume then that i need to send each channel manually from PS to accurip and change accurip's settings in between each print?
4.) this leads me to my next question: if i were to manually print each channel, i can only assume that the screen angle would not change for each separate color. would i therefore have to manually change accurip's settings between prints? or does accurip auctomatically see that a channel is named "cyan" and sets it to the proper corresponding screen angle? (for some reason i doubt it does)
5.) and if i need to manually set screen angles, is there a general guideline for determining screen angles for 7+ channel simulated process files? 15 degrees per color?
these are all great questions....I wish I knew the answers..I dont .....I am curious to see what the answer is ....I have always printed 1 channel at a time thru accurip....
so inked, are you manually changing your screen angles in accurip's settings before you send each channel out to print?
do you lower the LPI for the white underbase to use a lower mesh count? i thought about this some more and realized that it would be best to leave the LPI the same for all the screens. printing 55 LPI should hold in a 230 mesh. so i figure print the underbase with a 230 and the colors with 305's.
now i am wondering what the best way to choke a halftoned white underbase would be... contracting the selection by 1 or 2 px affects the tones throughout the image (darkening any non-solid areas of white). i only want to choke the sharp defined edges of the graphic for easier registration. i assume i would just use a layer mask to selectively choke the sharp edges and leave the feathered edges of the graphic untouched.
I use the same screen angles for all of my multi colored jobs....the next 4 color process job I do I will use different screen angles.....until then I have to manualy change it in accurip.
quick question ...in the video you didnt have a black channel...why is this?
if I have a 4 color process job I would need to use cmyk mode.......correct me if Im wrong.
Yes, you would need a black channel.. I started with an RGB image and as opposed to converting to CMYK, I simply changed the image mode to multi-channel which disregards the K channel.
If you convert to CMKY, you'll have the K channel.
When you print with the separations option, every channel that has its visibility turned on will print. Make sure you have the "labels" set to print when you go that route so you can easily and quickly distinguish which film is which.
The more "advanced" / "proper" way to complete this process involves saving to DCS, importing into illustrator and printing the color plates from there, which allows you to take advantage of vector elements in your design as well as having a film template with registration marks that aren't too small to use effectively.
You may also need additional SPOT channels in your 4CP printing, which depends on your design.
There's a LOT more to 4CP printing than simply converting to CMYK, but you can find virtually everything u need to know by searching the forum and various sites on the net.
thanks tdigital, you really went above and beyond.
do you have a unique screen angle for the underbase white? if i am printing on a black garement and am not using a black channel, i assume i would just use the black's screen angle for white?
regarding the addition of vector elements, you can also place .ai files as smart objects in PS. as long as they don't get rasterized along the way you'll still retain the benefits of working with a vector based file. hell even with bitmap based composites, i embed the bitmaps as smart objects just so i can have the flexibility to scale and transform an object later if i need to.
Your underbase white will be on a lower mesh count than the remaining screens you're using. I always use 280 mesh for the CMYK screens, but for the underbase, depending on the hand required and if i'm using plastisol for the underbase (RARE), I'll use a 155 @ 35lpi, with the angle not being as important here as it is for the other screens.
FYI, I generally always discharge my underbases when doing 4CP on darks.
thanks for the info - i planned on discharging my base, but i a not having luck with wilflex's NF plascharge base on american apparel black tees. it always discharges out to a reddish-brown fiber color. adding white plastisol ink at 50% (as per the plascharge instructions) doesn't help a whole lot.
do you print the base first and then print wet on wet over it? or do you flash the discharge base and then print over that. what about flashing between the C, M and Y?
at the time of posting the original question, i felt it would also be a good idea to send to accurip for their input. i was very impressed when owner charlie facini emailed me back personally with answers to every question i had. this is the proper way to run a business! anyone looking for rip software should weigh this kind of service into the equation and seriously consider accurip.
in a nut shell:
-always lock screens to the same angle. rosette patterns in screenprinting are bad.
-underbase white should be printed on the same mesh and LPI as the other screens
-this applies for 4 color process and simulated process
-flash underbase, print colors wet on wet
here is his response (i've stripped out personal contact info):
Quote:
Those are very many questions, I will do my best to answer.
Replies below.
Charlie Facini
Shop "securely" online for Inkjet Ink, Rip and Color Separation software.
hello accurip,
i currently use your product for printing my films; my workflow starts in either adobe photoshop or illustrator, is sent to accurip via the print command and is printed by my epson 3000.
so far i have had success printing one color photographic images from PS. i simply print to the accurip driver and accurip will RIP and print my film according to the settings i specified in the accurip preferences (i.e. the LPI and screen angle). i feel i am ready to step up to multi-color halftone projects now (i.e. process color and simulated process), but i am a bit unsure on the proper work flow when coming from photoshop.
i have my color separations taken care of already. i have a file with 4 separate channels: cyan, magenta, yellow and an underbase white (to be printed on a black garment). this is where i am not sure how to proceed. my questions:
1.) should i hide all the channels but one and print each channel manually through a separate print command? this would be equivalent to sending 4 separate files through accurip. or am i able to send all 4 channels simultaneously (ie. send the whole file) to accurip and have accurip sort everything out like it does when printing multiple spot color channels from illustrator?
If printing from PS and printing channels then you must send each channel one at a time. Do this by previewing only one channel when you print. PS and Illustrator print radically different so the workflow to do the same thing from either app is different, Illustrator is much better.
2.) if i am able to send all 4 channels to accurip at the same time, does accurip automatically choose different screen angles for each color? how would this work on a simulated process project that has, say, 7 channels?
AccuRIP will print all the channel with the same angles. That is proper printing, the use of multiple angle (rosette) is wrong to do and creates a million issues for you. Don't do that. AccuRIP will not allow you to make the mistake, just print and everything will be ok.
3.) having accurip determine all the settings automatically sounds great, but this might be problematic, as i was planning on printing my white underbase through a 110 or 230 mesh screen and my colors through a 305. i would therefore need to selectively lower the LPI setting for the white channel. i assume then that i need to send each channel manually from PS to accurip and change accurip's settings in between prints?
Do not do that. 110 mesh is a coverage mesh that can not accept more than a 22 line screen. Using larger halftones under smaller halftones is an old theory that even I used in the 80's and it does not work well. Print properly and use the same line screen for all screens to get the best quality results. Why are you not using a 230 mesh for all your screens? You can print up to a 46 line screen on a 230 mesh. What line screen are you hoping to use?
4.) this leads me to my next question: if i were to manually print each channel, i can only assume that the screen angle would not change for each separate color. would i have to manually change accurip's settings then between prints? or does accurip auctomatically see that a channel is named "cyan" and sets it to the proper corresponding screen angle?
Yes, AccuRIp will handle all this for you. No worries just print your films and they will all match up. See the section of the AccuRIP SETUP called "How would you like this screened?"
5.) and if i need to manually set screen angles, is there a general guideline for determining screen angles for 7+ channel simulated process files?
No, there never was, all screen printers properly print using one angle for all screens. A 4 step rosette is bad enough can you imagine a 7 step rosette? what a mess that would be.
thanks
and on a subsequent email, i asked about simulated process with non-transparent inks and locked screens. he mentioned this:
Quote:
Use single angle for all your print processes especially simulated. Its called Flemenco and its the original and proper print method for all halftone print style. Do not dry between colors as you will stop the ink from mixing. Wet on wet flashing only the base screen.
The print world no longer uses rosettes at least those that have learned how bad they are.
Here's a quick page from our Blog. There is plenty more to ready. Check it out.
do a search for this single angle thing on the forum. we went through a whole long debate about that..
I switched from the single angle. Do what works best for you. Notice he's suggesting you use 230s for everything.. The single angle thing can cause problems @ 55lpi and up...
I use a single angle on 305's ..I tried on 230's but didnt hold the fine detail I was looking for......although I didnt need a white base...so I probably would use a 230 for the base and 305's for the rest...
printing multi color jobs from PS to accurip 
