I've seen a lot of great screen print jobs lately, full color, great blending, and it's exactly what I'm looking for.
I draw in Photoshop and a a couple 3d programs and my work is raster not vector.
I actually had this design for a metal band, but after getting my 1st order from F&M expressions, I called the band and told them I would not be able to do their order because the only contact I had, their stuff felt like a giant thick plastic sticker, and had an ugly edge on them.
This is a sample of the bands design, I would be changing the text so it's more legible but you can get an idea of what colors are involved. http://www.crymzonink.com/pics/lil.png
If I were to find a screen printer that would or could do designs like these, what kind of price would I expect to pay for say 40 shirts?
I could also supply the shirts and would I want 50/50 or 100% cotton?
I read this forum, and heard a lot of good things about plastisol and F&M, but wow, after getting my order, I was SO DISSAPOINTED I would really like to not go with plastisols and see if I could get my artwork screen printed on a tight budget.
the ugly edge might be due to a raster image instead of a vector.
If you're planning on getting it screen printed...try and find a 4 color process printer because a regular screen print will require a # of screens (per color of the design) that will add to the price/setup.
BTW did you try washing one of the pressed shirts? I have ordered from F&M and yes it did feel like a thick sticker (because of the design) but after a wash it wasn't bad at all.
plastisol transfers are basically screen printing on wax paper and 1/2 cured...so you might get the same deal..depending on the printer you end up using...and they will ask for a vector image OR charge you to vectorize it.
their stuff felt like a giant thick plastic sticker, and had an ugly edge on them.
I read this forum, and heard a lot of good things about plastisol and F&M, but wow, after getting my order, I was SO DISSAPOINTED I would really like to not go with plastisols and see if I could get my artwork screen printed on a tight budget.
Plastisol IS a sheet of plastic printed on the shirt. Without actually feeling the shirt, i can't say if it is too thick, but even when printed properly thin, the result is still a sheet of plastic. For printing on black shirts, it takes fairly substantial layer of ink to block the black from showing through. You may want to visit a t-shirt shop an compare your results to what is typical in the store. Before sure your expectations are reasonable.
I'm not sure about the roughness. If you could scan a 1" area at high resolution and post the image, it would be easier to comment on what is happening. Shirts are expected to be viewed from an arms length.
From that sort of distance, the image should not look rough. If it does, there is something wrong. Depending on the artwork provided by you to the printer, the cause of the roughness could be caused the your art or be a result of the conversion or printing process. If it is a printing issue, the roughness will be different places on different shirts. If the screens were burned with the roughness, the rough spots will exist in the exact same spot every shirt.
fred
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A day late, a dollar short, so it goes.
I have looked at tons of black t's with great screen printing on them.
I ordered some large gang sheets from FM and ALL the designs on each sheet have a nasty edge, like others have stated about their plastisols, and they are extremely thick. I thought I would give them a try, as a last resort, since some people said they were great transfers.
What I was looking for, was trying to find out if someone could do small runs of 40 or so shirts and I supply the shirts with these types of designs/colors.
Im sure there are since I've seen them myself, but I dont know if it's worth a screen printers time for 40 shirts.
Soon as I get a chance, I'll post some pics of the transfer I had made before and after their put on the shirt.
I ordered some large gang sheets from FM and ALL the designs on each sheet have a nasty edge, like others have stated about their plastisols, and they are extremely thick. I thought I would give them a try, as a last resort, since some people said they were great transfers.
Keep in mind that the F&M Transfers feel different than most other plastisol transfers. That's not the normal way plastisol transfers feel. It's because of their "Freedom" process that allows unlimited colors that it has that plasticy feel and edge.
I've gotten plastisol transfers from several other places and they don't feel like that.
Quote:
What I was looking for, was trying to find out if someone could do small runs of 40 or so shirts and I supply the shirts with these types of designs/colors.
Best way to find out is to pick up the phone and start calling around to your local screen printers. If that doesn't net you any vendors, then start searching google for screen printers.
You'll never know whether it's worth their while until you ask.
There are a lot of colors in that design, so it make take some searching to find one.
You could also find a Direct to Garment printer to see if they quality is something you would like. A DTG printer can print just one sample for you to try.
I ordered some large gang sheets from FM and ALL the designs on each sheet have a nasty edge, like others have stated about their plastisols, and they are extremely thick. I thought I would give them a try, as a last resort, since some people said they were great transfers.
What I was looking for, was trying to find out if someone could do small runs of 40 or so shirts and I supply the shirts with these types of designs/colors.
I'm curious about what those transfers look like. Would you be interested in trading one of your transfers for a process color screen printed shirt?
Next week i'm going to be working on process color samples. While it wouldn't be your design on the shirt, it would give you an example of the look and feel of what one screen printer's output it like.
I'm not sure how representative my work is, which is why i'm curious to see what your transfers look like.
fred
__________________
A day late, a dollar short, so it goes.
I'm curious about what those transfers look like. Would you be interested in trading one of your transfers for a process color screen printed shirt?
Next week i'm going to be working on process color samples. While it wouldn't be your design on the shirt, it would give you an example of the look and feel of what one screen printer's output it like.
I'm not sure how representative my work is, which is why i'm curious to see what your transfers look like.
fred
Sure.. we can do that. I'll post the pics later on today also.
I just wanted to say, they look great from a distance, they did do a good job on that, once you get closer to them and touch them is when it goes down hill from there. They remind me of a sports number on a football jersey, maybe just thicker. Anyway, I'll be looking for someone who can do small runs with 4 color process, if it's worth their time. I imagine it's a headache with screens and stuff.
Crymzon Ink and I have done a swap of my plastisol process color print and an F&M transfer.
I'll start of by saying that it isn't quite as bad as Crymzon made it out to be, but i can understand the disappointment.
I was reluctant to mail out my sample, because the sample came from a test run with a heavy hand. I was surprised to so that the transfer had even a heavier hand. When stretch testing the transfer, the transfer would hardly stretch at all.
The transfer was amazingly detailed. Where i screen print at 55 LPI, the transfer looks around 75-85. In order to reproduce a similar level of detail in screen printing, as was produced in the transfer, the image would need to go from 8.5 x 11 to 12x18.
Where the transfer failed for me was the lack of any "pop". At the very least, i'd have greatly increased the amount of gray presented on the black channel and reduced the amount represented as CMY. With more prep time, portions of the graphic could use various amounts of black generations, which could be used to highlight differenced in what the grays represent.
Screen printing can also go beyond the process colors to include a silver ink. Spot yellow could also be used as the base for the flames in order to eliminate the black border around the flames.
No matter what method is used to print this design, it is a tough design. For a lot of designs, the quality of the transfer would have been more than acceptable. I don't think process color screen printing would be substantially better. Adding a couple spot inks might be enough to make the image pop. If cost were no object, simulated process screen printing would probably offer even better results.
fred
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A day late, a dollar short, so it goes.
Screenprinting-multiple colors 
