I have just completed the separation process on my new line but there's one thing that hasn't been separated and I fear even trying. Everything in
the design itself is separated except for one layer. It's a pic, and I added
effects to it and am pleased with how it looks, but it's one layer and has
a few colors on that one layer. The print guy says he can do that in essentially 4-5 colors, which will cost alot. Is there a better way to
do this shirt than plastisol screening? Where I don't have to do separation.
Also, I got this really good piece and want to get it on a shirt, and it has gradients so I imagine this as well will have/should to be printed another way. My friend mentioned 4 color print but he's also a "rook" in the game. Also have no idea on the standards of scanner I'd have to use, and idea? Or is this something that the printers would handle.
Any input would be appreciated.
Last edited by Magik Inc; October 6th, 2006 at 09:05 AM.
Also, I got this really good piece and want to get it on a shirt, and it has gradients so I imagine this as well will have/should to be printed another way.
For gradients you may be able to print it using halftones. Check out this tutorial:
There are lots of other ways to print a shirt besides screen printing. If you can post some samples of the designs, it will be easier for us to make recommendations.
So basically, I'd like to know how I can make the tee look exactly like that and with a reasonable price. The guy I might use for stuff uses plastisol but I'm guessing for this one I may need another proccess. He told me it would be 5-6 color print. I'm just assuming that if I did another process than it would be cheaper, and I wouldn't have to go thru the agonizing process of separating and vectorizing the pic. Keep in mind, I can give him everything color separated, and send him the single layer pic separate on another file. If it was a less detailed pic, sure I'd color separate, but this one will take forever! However, I'll do what it takes.
With your sample if printed on a black shirt 2 colors, white - yellow screen printed.
If printing on another color shirt, then 3 colors.
The effects/shading is done with half tones.
Vectorizing is a waste of time with this artwork. If your working in a raster program like PhotoShop then design in the largest size your going to print @ 300dpi.
I guess my guy is trying to do me in then. So I imagine to flatten in Tiff then. Already in 300 now.
Funny thing, when I first designed everything it
was in 96 and I barely knew how to use the pen tool. Now I'm pro at the pen tool and they're in 300 now, if ya get my drift. lol
So, would I still use Plastisol? My guy(may be former guy now), is
adament about having everything separate. I'm well aware of print shops
having different ways of going about this. I think I'll feel safe if I give him
separation on everything except the pic. Not sure if he'll accept that, but not sure if I want to use him now.
Your guy might only handle the job by using 5-6 colors if he only able to out put film for spot color printing. To do half tones you need a rip program to out put half tone film.
Not all shops can handle everything that comes their way due to limits to their knowledge. There are shops close to ours that only do 1 color printing.
Don't shoot him down but look at other shops.
Looks like a 3 color to me? Golden Yellow, White and Pink. but then again trying to get a good white for the underbase and hold the fine halftones needed to hold the detail of the people I would suggest printing a solid white and a halftone white.
It's not pink, it is grey. May be a color palette thing. I use a mac so it might
look different on a pc.
Anyways, thanks guys!
Just checked, it did have a pink tint to it
Just separated it. Got it to 4 colors. The black being the 4th.
So now the pic part is a light grey and a darker grey...
So if I get that yellow tint over the pic, it will be essentially the
same apart from a little loss in detail. So is that where half tones
come in? Is it Like a vector path with holes in it? So the yellow tint
can share the same screen as the yellow but have holes in it to be
see thru? I tried messing with that on Ps and it just makes these pixels
have pink and contrasting colors next to it.
Is it worth it? 
