Best method for two colors on a black shirt?

3 screens

white underbase
yellow out line
blue letters

Thank you! I know this was probably answered before, but I couldn't find the specifics in the search.

Do you have to dry all three colors or wet on wet?

I appreciate it greatly - J

you can print wet on wet but i think you will have a better turnn out if you flash in between

Definitely flash the white under base. The blue and yellow can be printed wet on wet. Always print the color with the least ink being put down first and the one with the most ink last to minimize pickups between colors. I only like to print wet on wet with high mesh screens, if you're using low mesh I'd flash between every color.

White underbase then dry. Yellow next because it is lighter (than blue) and also a smaller print (just the outline). Blue letters last. Whether you dry in between the yellow and the blue also depends on the ink you will be using. Check with the supplier if they can be printed wet on wet. But drying first should be more desirable.

Thanks very much! Saves me a lit if trial and error!

Personally, if I have to flash anything, I flash everything, except the last color down, obviously. I've never understood (or maybe just never figured out) the advantage of flashing an underbase, then printing the subsequent colors wet on wet, unless I only had a one-station, 4-color press.

tpitman said:

Personally, if I have to flash anything, I flash everything, except the last color down, obviously. I've never understood (or maybe just never figured out) the advantage of flashing an underbase, then printing the subsequent colors wet on wet, unless I only had a one-station, 4-color press.

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I'm with you on that, especially printing manually. I think people like the wet on wet because it might speed the process up a little bit, but for me personally, I never get the best results using the wet on wet technique. I'm pretty sure it's because the type of ink my boss is using and the low mesh counts.

all these above mentioned should work. right now you are in the learning curve and i would personally try the different methods and see what best works for you. i personally always run a few test prints because no print is the same from the last and i am always adjusting my swipes in order to ensure my clients get the best print possible.

Just be careful when flashing everything. If you go underbase > flash > first color > flash > second color you run the risk of overcuring the white underbase before you print the second color. This can cause the second color to washout after only a few washings.

The flash needs to only get the ink to the "gel state"....you are not trying to completely cure the ink. This is so that the second color can bond to the underbase. If the underbase is completely cured then the colors on top won't have anything to bond to and can wash away.

I don't think that the underbase will overcure if the flash temp and flash time are set correctly. Flashing the underbase makes the underbase more opaque than a wet underbase could possibly be but I've never tried printing over an unflashed underbase to compare first hand. A more "opaque" underbase (versus a less opaque wet underbase) makes the subsequent colors more "vivid".

Obviously, CMYK inks should not be flashed in between. Flashing in between flash spot colors may be advisable but is time consuming. I do flash in-between spot colors and have never tried wet on wet with spots (yet). Not all inks are recommend for wet on wet.

BroJames said:

I don't think that the underbase will overcure if the flash temp and flash time are set correctly. Flashing the underbase makes the underbase more opaque than a wet underbase could possibly be but I've never tried printing over an unflashed underbase to compare first hand.

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I totally agree.....and 9 times out of 10 there won't be a problem. But I have seen problems from time to time with newer screen printers.

I definately don't recommend printing over a wet underbase. You do get much better results when the underbase is flashed. I guess I was trying to say that flashing in between the top colors isn't always necessary.

Thanks for helping to clarify my thoughts BroJames!