I am looking for recommendations concerning the minimum screen printing equipment that would be necessary to set up a shop that is able to effectively print simulated process prints of very good quality. I am wondering about the minimum number of colors for the press to print the majority of simulated process designs, software required, training, screens, dryers, exposure units, ink mixing, etc. I am initially leaning towards a manual set-up to learn and experiment, but would like to go automatic later. Suggestions for classes or schools or training materials for simulated process would be useful. I sold my small spot color shop a couple of years ago and miss the art of putting designs on shirts, but want to do higher quality work if I get back into it. I only want an upper end set-up and have a budget of $15k-$25k for everything. Thanks in advance for any help.
Equipment Needed to Print Simulated Process
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Hi Dave - You can easily do this within your budget.
1st, you'll need a six color manual press. With this, you can do most anything you need for simulated process.
2nd, you'll need a flash cure unit to flash the underbase when printing on dark garments.
3rd, ideally you will have a conveyer dryer to be most productive.
4th, to expose screens, a pinpoint light source is best for halftones and fine lines, but you can get away with basically any exposure unit.
5th, screen requirements will be 305 for colors and 230 for your underbase and highlight white.
6th, any brand all purpose plastisol will do the trick. Standard colors such as lemon yellow and royal blue are used in simulated work, so no special mixing required. A high opaque white will be used for underbase and highlight.
7th, the software requirements are PhotoShop and one of the separation software programs like T-Seps.
Hope this helps. Be happy to answer more questions on the subject for you.
1st, you'll need a six color manual press. With this, you can do most anything you need for simulated process.
2nd, you'll need a flash cure unit to flash the underbase when printing on dark garments.
3rd, ideally you will have a conveyer dryer to be most productive.
4th, to expose screens, a pinpoint light source is best for halftones and fine lines, but you can get away with basically any exposure unit.
5th, screen requirements will be 305 for colors and 230 for your underbase and highlight white.
6th, any brand all purpose plastisol will do the trick. Standard colors such as lemon yellow and royal blue are used in simulated work, so no special mixing required. A high opaque white will be used for underbase and highlight.
7th, the software requirements are PhotoShop and one of the separation software programs like T-Seps.
Hope this helps. Be happy to answer more questions on the subject for you.
Great. Any suggestions on equipment brands or training materials? Also, is 6-colors really enough to effectively do high quality simulated process? From what I have read, simulated process is normally done with 3-11 colors. How many colors are required to be able to do say 90% of all simulated process designs?
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571 Posts
I just got into the world of printing simulated process so I'll do my best to help here.
A 6 color press will do the trick, but honestly, I would say go with an 8 color machine if you can swing it. I believe a true simulated process job calls for 7 screens. The 7th being the highlight white. On a 6 color machine you can just hit the underbase twice though. You can get a nice set-up with that budget. Since you have future considerations of automating I would tell you to look into a manual press that is compatible with other automatics so you can print samples on the manual and easily transfer them to an automatic for production runs. Down the road I'd like to get an M&R Sidewinder with airlocks and side clamps with a tri-loc registration system. I think that press setup will help with quick and accurate setups. For screens I would say to just stay away from pre-stretched static frames all together. High tension is what you need for high quality. Look into some newman roller frames or shurloc EZ frames. Other then that get a nice size conveyor dryer. The M&R EconoMaxD is a nice dryer. I wouldnt get anything smaller then that. There is a lot of good brands out there though. In terms of training, I don't think you need any, just watch videos, read and experiment. I printed my first simulated process job last week and it came out really good actually. Best of luck.
A 6 color press will do the trick, but honestly, I would say go with an 8 color machine if you can swing it. I believe a true simulated process job calls for 7 screens. The 7th being the highlight white. On a 6 color machine you can just hit the underbase twice though. You can get a nice set-up with that budget. Since you have future considerations of automating I would tell you to look into a manual press that is compatible with other automatics so you can print samples on the manual and easily transfer them to an automatic for production runs. Down the road I'd like to get an M&R Sidewinder with airlocks and side clamps with a tri-loc registration system. I think that press setup will help with quick and accurate setups. For screens I would say to just stay away from pre-stretched static frames all together. High tension is what you need for high quality. Look into some newman roller frames or shurloc EZ frames. Other then that get a nice size conveyor dryer. The M&R EconoMaxD is a nice dryer. I wouldnt get anything smaller then that. There is a lot of good brands out there though. In terms of training, I don't think you need any, just watch videos, read and experiment. I printed my first simulated process job last week and it came out really good actually. Best of luck.
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172 Posts
Ya know.. so much of screen printing is hands on learning and trial and error. It isn't always so cut and dry as to the right way and wrong to print. What works for some printers isn't always what works for all printers.. Personally, If you want to be able to handle hi end seps and printing, you will be doing yourself a serious injustice if you don't get a press that can print 10 colors or more! If true simulated process or index seps and printing is what you want to do, there absolutely will be times that you can not print a job to an acceptable level in comparison to the color print out if you are limited to an 8 color press or 6 color press. There is just no way. In defense of the others' posts, there will be many jobs you can print with only 6 or 8 colors but there is going to be times when you will think to yourself.. damn... i can't print this one image cause i can't get it to look right in under 10 screens. I urge you to keep in mind a few things... the set up time on simulated process can take hours if you don't know what you are doing. Between color matching your inks and setting up the job on the press and taking so many test prints, to get it just right. It is going to be very difficult to make money printing those types of jobs without an automatic press.. Not to mention, your customers aren't always gonna wanna pay for 7,8,9,10 screens for a print that they may only want 100 pieces of.. Good luck to you and private message me if you would like to pick my brain a bit about this topic
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