how many screens are used in four color process printing
Thanks to everyone that replied to my previous question. I have another. I've decided to go with screen printing for my t-shirts. My designs have at least twenty colors. I've had printers tell me they could do them using four color process printing. The problem I'm having is some printers are telling me twenty colors mean twenty screens. I have some printers telling me they only need to use four screens, no matter how many colors I'm using. Who's right? Thanks for the help.
Re: how many screens are used in four color process printing
Normally I just lurk on these forums, but seeing how I just took a Seminar at ISS on 4 Color Process...I feel somewhat qualified to answer.
4 Color Process is just that...4 colors. Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and BlacK, resulting in just four screens. However, you may have trouble achieving all twenty colors exactly by just using the 4 process colors.
Even using a simulated process, depending on how you layer your half tones and what colors you use, you could probably get closer to your design's colors, but in no way seems necessary to use 20 screens. Twenty screens for 20 colors only seems correct if they plan of doing a Butt Registration with solid opaque ink.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Last edited by Trimere_Ink; July 27th, 2007 at 04:01 AM.
Re: how many screens are used in four color process printing
Most designs can be broken down to 6 colors for dark shirt printing. Ultimately with Index and simulated process the more specific colors used the more accurate the print yet 6 will usually work well.
All designs can be printed as a 4-clr process yet most of the time is not the best option for traditional screen printing. 4-clr process on dark shirts I would say is the hardest type of print in our industry and most 4-clr process prints are not as vibrant as one would like.
Re: how many screens are used in four color process printing
Every full color process print I have done since 1980 has been 6 colors.
WHITE down first to size (stabilize) the shirt
CMYK but in YMCK order
Last a 'touch plate' spot color of the dominant color. This was usually a red or purple that is VERY hard to achieve with only transparent process inks.
__________________
How are you measuring? Ulano Technical Product Manager - NYC
Re: how many screens are used in four color process printing
Thanks for the help everybody. I don't know what I'd do without this forum and
the great people on it. Of course I have another question. I'm new to the t-shirt business so please bear with me. What are hang tags? Are they price tags?
A hang tag is information attached to the garment much like a price tag. It can say whatever you want.
It is typical to use an Avery Dennison Mark III Swiftach Fabric Tagging Gun. US$22. I'm sure there are other tagging guns.
The tag gun has a needle that you push through your tag, then through the shirt. A plastic thread is injected through the hollow needle and the end unfolds and keeps the thread of plastic in the shirt. You have cut these off when you unwrap new shirts and pants from the department store.
__________________
How are you measuring? Ulano Technical Product Manager - NYC
A hang tag is information attached to the garment much like a price tag. It can say whatever you want.
It is typical to use an Avery Dennison Mark III Swiftach Fabric Tagging Gun. US$22. I'm sure there are other tagging guns.
The tag gun has a needle that you push through your tag, then through the shirt. A plastic thread is injected through the hollow needle and the end unfolds and keeps the thread of plastic in the shirt. You have cut these off when you unwrap new shirts and pants from the department store.
Again, I'm very new to this business. What do you mean by measuring?
Re: how many screens are used in four color process printing
LOL....that's his Signature. It gets added to every post (assuming that is the setting you choose for it to be on) and you can tell because it is under the line...like this _________________
Like on mine...it says Be a first rate version....etc.
He wasn't asking you about measuring. Anyone could have made that mistake if they are new to the forum format.
__________________
Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.
Re: how many screens are used in four color process printing
Do you underbase the process colors with a merged channel halftone to flatten the shirt fibers, and if so, what kind of white? I've been using Union's Bright Cotton White lately, and it's thin enough that it makes a good general underbase for regular colors on black, but I've also read that sometimes underbasing process ink turns them pastel. Having just tried process printing, I can see that fibrillation is going to be an issue.
Re: how many screens are used in four color process printing
If printing on darks you need to underbase and more than likely use a highlight white. We always print the highlight white on all shirts with 4-clr process prints. As far as fibrelation with 4-clr process, this is huge with any shirt. A great way to help prevent this is to print a clear either before (underbase) or after (over entire design) the actual color plates.
how many screens are used in four color process printing 
Anyone could have made that mistake if they are new to the forum format. 
