I need to separate this image I designed. My source file is in a vector format. It's supposed to be a 3-color print (black, white, green) on a sports gray shirt. The text and golfer is straightforward, but I'm not sure how to do the golfball and it's tail. It has a lot of shading in it. And I'm not sure what the best way is to separate it using just black and white ink on a gray shirt. I guess I could use a 4th color (gray), but don't really want to.
I can see using a minimum white dot as the tail and a minimum black dot as the golf ball detail. The problem is what size is the smallest dot you can image onto a screen and print...
A grey is your alternative.
Also trying to get the opacity of the solid whites and retain the integrity of the halftones will be tough unless you use a large halftone or high mesh frame & print flash print.
The only way I know of to get the golfball tail is a white halftone.
The gold ball tail is gray. Since the shirt is also gray, the flight of the ball could be printed with a white halftone to allow the shirt to show though the white.
Another option to make the flight of the ball gray would be to print the flight in pure white, then print a black halftone over top of the white. A black halftone on top of white will produce a gray.
Another option to make the flight of the ball gray would be to print the flight in pure white, then print a black halftone over top of the white. A black halftone on top of white will produce a gray.
While this will work it will not look to good and the hand of the print would be terrible with that large of a solid white area.
I would do a halftone of white fading into the shirt for the best reproduction of the image
To me, the rest of the white on the piece needs to be a solid white. For me to make a good solid white, i like to use 110 mesh, but 110 mesh does not support a good halftone.
The texture on the ball is a graduated screen, so the black needs to be a high resolution halftone and will not work as a knockout.
To me, the rest of the white on the piece needs to be a solid white. For me to make a good solid white, i like to use 110 mesh, but 110 mesh does not support a good halftone.
The texture on the ball is a graduated screen, so the black needs to be a high resolution halftone and will not work as a knockout.
fred
agree which I stated issues in my first post. I would add a spot white for the halftone area. Of course this looks like it would be an ash shirt which would not require a large deposit of ink as a dark shirt would.
many ways to tackle a design. Bets is to sample to see what works best for you as the printer.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I had the same concerns you all seem to have. I've decided to go with 235 mesh for both white and black so I can hold the detail, and a 156 for the green. I'm likely going to have to do a print/flash/print on the white to get enough ink on the shirt with that high of a mesh, but should be able to hold more detail for the gradients. The black should be fine. I'll let you know how it turns out and post picture.
Separation Question! 
