how do you separate colors
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Get some software to do it.
www.wilflexeasyart.com
I use it for some of my screen splits it works great....
www.wilflexeasyart.com
I use it for some of my screen splits it works great....
gee like I said just getting started we have a dtg machine but it just does light colors and we want to expand to be able to do dark colors. with a dtg we design on pc and send to machine. haven't had to deal with vector or raster so all this is new too which is best or are they both the same. feel ignorant but not stupid. 
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quikseps for ps
Exactly we've never had to do this before thats why we are confused. We have learned that corel will sep colors and we are workin with that. Wonder if when we get the colors separated if we can print the seps on the dtg then do what needs to be done.
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No you can't print them on your DTG then burn screens. You have to print them out on a desk top printer (all in black) to burn your screens. I hate to put it like this but, do you know any of the steps for Screen Printing?
My business partner does she worked in screen printing for a bunch of years but was not involved in the seps so..........I have never done it and its my job to find out why. Sorry if they seem like foolish questions but like the old saying goes you won't know until you ask. We knew the part about all in black but we figured it would save us time and money if we could use the dtg. Thanks for info anymore would be appreciated.
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First off, a dtg printer it costs you about $5 a print for a full front print. You should read up on the difference between Vector and Raster images. This is very important to understand when creating files or working with other peoples files.
Also read up on RGB color space verses CMYK color space.
You should use a deskjet printer or lazer to make your positives.
Your image should be in the print size, at least 200 dpi.
In photoshop make each color of your image on a separate layer. (are you proficient with photoshop?) this way you can load the selection of the layer and make it black to print your positive from the layer.
This should work for you to print images of solid colors (spot color), some basic shirt styles ie; words, outlines, circles, squares and the such.
I recommend using screens of 156 mesh for very good results and low ink feel.
The best thing to do is practice, practice, practice doing splits. If you understand the concept of splitting you have a good base of where to start and what to look for in your practices.
Also read up on RGB color space verses CMYK color space.
You should use a deskjet printer or lazer to make your positives.
Your image should be in the print size, at least 200 dpi.
In photoshop make each color of your image on a separate layer. (are you proficient with photoshop?) this way you can load the selection of the layer and make it black to print your positive from the layer.
This should work for you to print images of solid colors (spot color), some basic shirt styles ie; words, outlines, circles, squares and the such.
I recommend using screens of 156 mesh for very good results and low ink feel.
The best thing to do is practice, practice, practice doing splits. If you understand the concept of splitting you have a good base of where to start and what to look for in your practices.
Vector and Raster images have to deal with the pixels, if you take one of the shapes in Photoshop and lets say make a cirlcle and then you take the same size circle and draw it in Illustrator, and zoom all the way to the circles edge....photoshops circle will be mroe pixelated and Illustrators will be clean and crisp........Rastered images are just that images a Photograph is a rastered image for instance.............but if what your looking for is to separate colors.....there is a little bit too explaining what you need to do so you dont end up with 3 colors on the screen and it still dont print out the correct way.........im a graphic designer any questions let me know
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Not to be argumentative, but I don't think your advice is entirely accurate.
1. Cost of dtg has come down due to software. If you are printing on a white shirt, that cost will be around $0.25 for a full front. If black, it can vary, but with software, I've been able to take a design that would have cost $4.50 and got it down to $2.00 and the print still looked great. Just know the software and how to apply it to different designs to get the look you want. You can also run it through the RIP before printing for finding costs.
2. I've screen printed since 1998, I know how to screen print. I can tell you, this is more than just for people who don't know how to screen print. The profits and increased sales are greater than one can expect when worked right. Do a search and find out how much people's businesses have grown due to this technology.
3. Screen printing is not always more cost effective. Someone wants 12 shirts with a three color design, I can guarantee you, with time spent, supplies and ink is going to be more expensive than DTG, not simply pennies per shirt. You can sell these shirts at a higher price because of no screen charges and still make more in the end. It's not a matter of how much your ink costs are, it's a matter of knowing how to work your numbers to benefit you. The problem in this industry is people try to sell dtg shirts at screen printing prices. The quality of print on dtg can be so much greater than screen printing, we need to start pricing it accordingly.
As an FYI, it appears as if they already have a DTG, just adding screen printing to the mix.
yes we already have a dtg thought we would add screen printing to be able to do dark color shirts. Thanks I didn't really know how to respond to the last one, kinda one of them deals thought I knew what I was talking about because yes dtg is more cost efficient and more eco friendly but you got to be able to do what the customer wants. we have turned away to many dark shirt jobs. You mention doing a rip to know the exact cost of job what program do you have. We use corel and I went and looked for rip (would love to know exact ink usage for each job we just do a ballpark and figure $2.50 a shirt as a whole whether its full or left chest and add in to cost that way but to be able to know exactly would be great.) Thanks again.
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I think one of the biggest hurdles for people just getting into separating artwork is the concept of working in CYMK colors instead of RGB, and the concept of spot colors, and in the creation of the original artwork, using those factors when doing the work. It's harder, and not as accurate, to take a CMYK or RGB file and turn it into specific pantone colors. Programs such as QuikSeps, which I use for some work) are based on an RGB Photoshop file with a transparent background, but even in the case of the simulated process colors built into the program, the results aren't always spot on.
Any of the postscript capable programs such as CorelDRAW, Illustrator, or Photoshop are capable. You might want to look in the Help files to see what the software you're using has to say about creating spot color separations, since you're not likely to be knocking out CMYK prints on black shirts anytime early in the course of learning how to screenprint. You also might find videos online, or for sale on DVD, of tutorials for doing art for screenprinting.
Any of the postscript capable programs such as CorelDRAW, Illustrator, or Photoshop are capable. You might want to look in the Help files to see what the software you're using has to say about creating spot color separations, since you're not likely to be knocking out CMYK prints on black shirts anytime early in the course of learning how to screenprint. You also might find videos online, or for sale on DVD, of tutorials for doing art for screenprinting.
if you are refering to the dtg it is a axiom not for sure what model but it was purchased last year so if still "new" when they came and set it up corel x3 is the program they supplied like I said I went to corel and couldnt find the rip you where talking about
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