[2davets]

Hi!

I've had 30 odd views on my query, but as yet no replies. Can anybody out there help?

Dave

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Spent ages searching and found answers to a number of my questions, but I still need a bit of help!

I am trying to find out what I can print using waterbased inks (Union I think - they are supplied in unmarked pots). Recently I have printed some black halftone prints on white T's and been pleased with the results. I now want to try some single colour halftone prints on darks - well on black T's to be specific.

I'm expecting to use 110 screens for the underbase, and 230 for the halftone.

Am I right that:
1. If I want to print the halftone in White, I need to use Photoshop to invert my existing halftone?
2. If I am not printing the halftone in white, I will need an underbase?

And some questions on Underbase:
1. Should my underbase be a silohette of the full image?
2. Should the underbase be a halftone itself (inverted or not)
3. I have an Opaque White and a Standard White. Which should I use to print the underbase? Which if I want to print the image in White?
4. Is one Print & Flash enough for the underbase?

Hopefully, many thanks for your help.

Dave

 

[ukscreenprinter]

Hi Dave, if you are underbasing then you must replicate your artwork exactly. I guess you want to put a white base down with other colours over the top,then I would use an underbase white.If it is white only on black,then use your most opaque white,print/flash/print for best results.Try this company for waterbased colours,:NEWTEX ONE water based ink
I use their waterbased and they are superb

 

[2davets]

Ian, That's what I think, but then I get confused!
Printing in black on a white T-shirt my halftone produces a nice black and white print. To get the same B&W print on a black shirt, I was going to white underbase the full image, and then print my black halftone on top of it. But, then I thought, wouldn't I get the same result by printing just the inverted halftone in white? What do you think?
When it comes to say printing in another colour, e.g. red, I begin to lose the plot.

I guess I am just going to have to try a few options - it's just a pain reclaiming / burning screens at the moment as I have to go outside in the cold and the wet.

Dave

 

[Locklear]

You are correct about inverting your black halftone to create a 1 color white print.

It won't look exactly the same as the black ink on white, but pretty close.

Now to answer a few of your questions...

1. If I want to print the halftone in White, I need to use Photoshop to invert my existing halftone?
Yes.

2. If I am not printing the halftone in white, I will need an underbase?
Depends on the ink, shirt, etc... Some colors will look ok if you print/flash/print without an underbase...others will not be very opaque and will need white under to stand out on the shirt.

1. Should my underbase be a silohette of the full image?
Depends on the image. For something with a lot of depth it is a great idea to underbase your halftone. It can add lots of dimension to your print. (I use a 45 lpi halftone at a 56 degree angle on a 156 mesh when outputting my underbase films)

2. Should the underbase be a halftone itself (inverted or not)
...think I answered this above...

3. I have an Opaque White and a Standard White. Which should I use to print the underbase? Which if I want to print the image in White?
Use your best judgement. Try both.


4. Is one Print & Flash enough for the underbase?
Sometimes it is enough. I'm one of those people who hate thick rubbery prints, so if I can get away with it I will NOT print/flash/print the base.

 

[hue]

you should go discharge,and find a good shirt that exepts the discharge well! You won't need an under base.

 

[2davets]

1. Should my underbase be a silohette of the full image?
Depends on the image. For something with a lot of depth it is a great idea to underbase your halftone. It can add lots of dimension to your print. (I use a 45 lpi halftone at a 56 degree angle on a 156 mesh when outputting my underbase films)

Hi Locklear, thanks for the detailed reply.
In using a halftone to underbase a halftone, I thought you might have to do this, say if you say wanted to end up with a single red colour halftone on a black shirt. But I thought this might be too hard to register properly. How critical is the registration?
Dave

 

[2davets]

you should go discharge,and find a good shirt that exepts the discharge well! You won't need an under base.

Hugh, I have read up a bit about discharge on here, but thought it was not for me. What I read made me wary. I work out of a room in my house (it used to be an integral garage) and I got the impression that the fumes from the discharge, and the curing requirements, wouldn't suit that environment. Also, that you should 'advise' buyers to wash their shirt before wearing it. Am I over-concerned, maybe got the wrong understanding, or has the discharge ink/process maybe moved on (some of the threads I have been reading were quite old)?
Dave

 

[Locklear]

That's correct. To have a red halftone, you will need the white halftone base under it.

You can choke the white so that it is slightly smaller so that it is easier to cover the dots with the red...otherwise you risk having little white pieces sticking out in places.

Registration is critical. Be sure to give yourself registration marks in the 4 corners of the design to make lining them up a bit easier.

As far as the discharge stuff goes, I use Matsui products in my garage setup with no problem. The fumes are not so bad...I just have a fan that mostly keeps them away from me and the tees being printed. This may or may not be feasible for you depending on how you are curing your shirts.