Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration?
I'm new to screen printing and I am interested in learning how to do 4 color process once I get some experience.
My problem is the press I bought doesn't have micro registration and I'm wondering if I will be able to do it. I know it's a lot more difficult to set up the screens and I was wondering if I were to invest in one of the pre registration kits if that would make it possible for me to do it.
I plan to get a good manual press later on but I would like to know about them first and what to look for. I have heard about pin registration but I don't really know what that is and I read that one press has the all heads down capability and I wonder if that's really all that important. Also the rotating heads and plantens, does that come on all presses? Any help on these topics would be really appreciated.
Re: Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration?
No, you cannot print 4-color process without micro-registration.
That said, nothing is impossible, but the answer really is no. You have to be able to get the next color within a few thousandths of an inch of where it belongs in order to have the print come out right, and you need a good, solid press to achieve that. You might be able to rig something up to make a shirt or two, but not any kind of production.
All heads down means that more than one station can be printing at a time. Most presses can only print at one station at a time because of alignment.
Multi-color / multi-station presses have two wheels - the screens spin so you can change to the next color, and the stations (platens) spin so you can change to the next shirt. For example, 4c process usually actually requires 5 colors - allowing for a white underbase. You load a shirt on the station and print the white underbase, then spin the station wheel so that shirt goes under the flash dryer. While that one is flashing, you load the next shirt and print the underbase on that one - doing this until all the stations are full. When the first shirt gets back around to you, you spin the screen wheel to the next screen and print the first top color. Depending on the inks and process you're using, you may be able to print all 4 process colors "wet on wet" without flashing between the 4 colors. Pull that shirt off and place it on the conveyor dryer, load another shirt, spin back to the white screen and print the white underbase. Spin to the next station and do it all over again... and again... and again... so, yeah, all the multi-color / multi-station presses do that.
Re: Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration?
Sure process color can be done without micro registration. Just look closely at the color advertisements in the newspaper. Look or the registration marks and see how far out of registration the paper is printed.
Of course the quality of the registration will effect the printed image, but the color should be nearly the same.
The art work and prep will also greatly determine final quality. A photograph of a person is an easy registration task, but a difficult image to get the color correct. Colored text would be much more difficult to register, but is easier to print good color.
fred
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Re: Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration?
Quote:
Sure process color can be done without micro registration. Just look closely at the color advertisements in the newspaper. Look or the registration marks and see how far out of registration the paper is printed.
True... good point. But I wouldn't want to send that kind of quality to my customers. Of course, I AM a perfectionist...
Re: Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration?
It's really hard to get a process job in register without micros but it can be done. Years and years ago when I had to do it we would tighten the screens down most of the way but not totally tight and strike off a print then use a mallet to tap the screen in whatever direction was needed. When it was good I'd tighten it real tight. It's a pain in the butt. Process printing can be difficult. I'd recommend if you are new to it to stick with white shirts. People do it on black with an underbase but that opens a whole new can of worms. Process printing is usually done wet on wet unless you print and flash an underbase for dark shirts. Good Luck.
Re: Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration?
Thanks for the information and explaining how it works. One question came to me about the 4 color process. If you are using a white shirt do you still put down the white layer?
I know you have to use a light colored shirt but I didn't know about the white layer.
Re: Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steelheader100
.... Years and years ago when I had to do it we would tighten the screens down most of the way but not totally tight and strike off a print then use a mallet to tap the screen in whatever direction was needed. When it was good I'd tighten it real tight....
I used to call that the registration hammer!! kind of an oxymoron but worked better than the micros on my old press.
Re: Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration?
Some guys print 4c right on the white shirt, some print the white underbase no matter what. For me it depends on the design and how vivid the graphic needs to be. The white underbase will ensure consistency in the colors, so I lean toward saying it's best to always print the white underbase.
Quote:
Originally Posted by buckcreek
Thanks for the information and explaining how it works. One question came to me about the 4 color process. If you are using a white shirt do you still put down the white layer?
I know you have to use a light colored shirt but I didn't know about the white layer.
Re: Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration?
I so totally disagree with that. No offence Sheepsalt. We just do it differently. I think it's so much easier to print straight on a white shirt rather than underbase with white ink. Here are a couple threads about this topic. Process Printing help
Re: Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration?
What is good about using an underbase, is that it doesn't matter what color shirt is being printing. White, black, green or red, the same set of screens can be used to print on any of them.
Without an underbase, process color would be great, except that the shirt needs to be white.
I've net yet had enough demand for white shirts to yet calibrate for printing without underbase.
fred
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A day late, a dollar short, so it goes.
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Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration? 
Re: Can 4 color process be done with a press without micro-registration? 
