[robytes]

hi im having this little problem where i cant get perfect gradient effect image for dark garment.

this is my setting.
look at the whitebase..and the colour base..its not the same..i try to print,the colour base is out from the white base..

[media]http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg587/Robytesimage/whitebaseproblem.jpg[/media]

i try to remove background using photoshop,it is what i got
look like the whitebase is more then the colour base lol..

[media]http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg587/Robytesimage/problem2.jpg[/media]


any idea how can i solve this problem..

 

[zoom_monster]

You need to turn off anti alias in photoshop and select a little closer to the art (select/contract or expand). Zoom in to confirm that you did this correctly You also may be able to help this by upping the choke in the RIP.

 

[robytes]

hi thx for the reply.

what do u mean by the choke in RIP?

 

[zoom_monster]

Choke is a feature that "knocks" off a few pixels of white around the edges. It is a term borrowed from screenprint where certain colors are choked and others spread, to alow for mis-registration of colors plates.

 

[robytes]

i dont think so my rip sofware got that feature..

can i use other RIp sofware for my DTG?

are there anyway i can create whitebase from photoshop?if vector image i dont have any problem..just the gradient/fade effect is the problem..

thx for the reply friend..thx for u time!

 

[Tallyplayer]

Does anyone know if the RIPPRO 4 for the DTG Kiosk has a choke ability? I could sure use that.

 

[robytes]

are they any good sofware to create whitebase image?
since im having problem with the RIP sofware..it wont follow the colourbase ..

 

[shughey]

Who's RIP do you have installed. I think this is one of those Chinese made machines if I read it correctly in another post of yours.
While your RIP screen shot looks very similar to Power RIP GP...however it is missing critical controls on the screen shot. So maybe it is an immitation or simply another RIP that just looks similar.....RIPoff

So first off who's RIP is it?

Now one thing I can tell you is that you will never ever ( not now nor any day in the future) will you ever be satisfied with the white layer settings you have when they are applied under a non vector graphic with fades.

Your white setting is set for 100% white under any colored pixel. This is the wrong setting for an image with color fades.
100% white works great for vector images that have solid colors.....that is expected. When underbasing artwork that has color fade outs you should be using one of the other two options...either use background color....or use transparency. Then adjust the white ink level with the slider. That is if this is real licensed Power RIP seat.

When you underbase with 100% white under any color pixel...well it does just that. To me it floods the shirt with white ink and so any transparent area or fadeout of color looks like crap. The white ink is way to solid and just shows through the color....so where the color is fading out more...the white just screams out more and more.

Instead it needs to fade out the white proportionaly to the color levels and that can only be done with one of the other two settings.

You should not need to remove the background either in photoshop. If the background is black and you choose 'use background color' then check 'remove black ink;..and then do not have it lay white under black and you should get it to work.
if not then either your RIP is a rip or somethings is odd with the artwork background...ie...it is not 100% black.

The artwork you displayed is fairly easy to print on black with a proper working RIP and a basic knowledge of how to set it up to RIP a white layer with fades. Although it takes time and alot of practice to understand each manufacturers RIP settings. IE... EK RIP was different than POWER RIP for me to get the settings perfect.

As for the choke settings it is usually under the utilities settings...specifically the ink and printer settings. You set the choke amount by adjusting the numbers displayed. each number represents one pixel shrinkage in that dimension. You should have an adjustment for left.right, top and bottom.

if you have none of what i just explained..toss the RIP. Find out what printer engine is used and find a real RIP software that runs that print engine...ie epson 2200, 1400, 4880 and so on. Simply put...if you cant adjust choke...or you can't choose how it will interpret the background layer for white interpetation...well..you will never have any hope of being satisfied printing colors on a dark shirt.

One of the common licensed RIPS would have no problem with this graphic...period. EK RIP..POWER RIP GP or one of the others commonly available!!!

Just be sure first what RIP you have. Try taking screen shots like you did but do it from the startup screen when you open the RIP.
scott

 

[robytes]

Omg..

thx for reply..now that make me clear..
does that really depending on our rip sofware?
if yes..thats mean i need new rip sofware..
but how do i know it will work for my machine..machine based on epson 1390..2 channel white..

im using Partner RIP.

look at my whitebase..2 pass..lol..

nozzle check 100% nice.i do clean the machine everyday,before start and before off.
[media]http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg587/Robytesimage/IMG_0365.jpg[/media]

 

[shughey]

Well your RIP maybe fine...I am not familiar with it...it just looks alot like Power RIP to me.
under the top tab you should try selecting use background. then let it calculate the white layer.

Now you do not have Power RIP...but...here is a link to their online instructions on setting white ink using the different background detect settings...as well as examples. While yours is not that RIP it works similarly it seems and this is the only way to show you an example. Along the right side of the webpage are the other tutorials....you will have to find in your RIP the equivical settings.

http://www.powerripgp.com/mod6_transparent.html
http://www.powerripgp.com/mod6_colored.html
http://www.powerripgp.com/mod7_align_layers.html

Anyway back to your RIP.......
Now preview it to see if it graduates the white layer as the color fades.

Also...you should have an adjustment that allows you to change the amount of white ink layed down when you choose the use background or use transparency option.
In my RIp this directly under the top drop down menu and is a slider bar.

Yours looks like it might be down near the bottom where it allows yout to change the white percentage....but I am not sure.
You can tell if that is it by using the options I mentioned.... then let it calculate the white layer...next preview the white layer.

Now...change the white ink percentage at the bottom to a low number. Next...let it recalculate the white layer and then..preview it again. if it has made a significant change to the white ink in the preview then this setting at the bottom is the one to use to make adjustments to the overall amount of white ink layed in the use background or use transparency options.
Again...you have to test this.

Then..you have to print it out and do alot of test.

I had to do this for weeks when i first started to find the so called sweet spot for my printer and RIP.

Also...to me...the pic you just posted looks like you may not have enough white pretreat layed down. Also I can see what looks like loose cotton fibers showing through.

You may have an issue with loose fibers...and that can be an issue...or you just need to adjust pretreat. Don't over treat the shirt but you need to do tests to find out how much pretreat is enough and how much is too little and too much.

I wrote up a post on this that I used to find out...and even though i followed the pretreats guidleines I found out I was using too little. i was not off by much...just an extra spritz did it but...it made a huge difference.

My method to test pretreat was simple.

i created a vector graphic in photoshop that simply contained several sets of lines that were a few inches wide and ran down the length of the platen. i used three lines side by side evenly spaced across the print area...I could have used one...did not matter.

Then I sprayed pretreat on the whole shirt print area in an amount that was just a little lighter than recommended. Next i took some cardboard and cover the top third of the shirt that i just sprayed and then...sprayed the bottom two thirds of the shirt trying to spray the same amount I just sprayed on originally.

Next...I covered the top two thirds of the shirt and now sprayed the bottom third that was left with the same amount as the first treat amount.

what i have now is three levels of pretreat on the shirt. Since the vector graphic was three 2 inch lines running down the whole length they crossed through each pretreat layer.

Then I heat set the preatreat and printed white. Since it is a vector graphic and a solid color fill then the white ink layer should print clean without any light areas. if the white ink was not laying solid then i knew the pretreat was inadequate amount.
The results were very obvious.....the top layer was way to little...the middle was close but not quite there and the bottom was near perfect.

Now I did do it again this time starting with more to find out how much was too much. Too much is any amount that is more than needed to get an even white ink layer with a known solid graphic layer.

Also..I like to use a bristle brush to brush over the pretreat to even it out.
scott

 

[robytes]

i wish i have that option..

but my rip dont have that kinf of option..
"the use background or use transparency option."

thx for the preteatment tips,i will try again tomorrow..this make me down everyday..huhu..

what rip are u using?

thx for ur help buddy..if u dint reply..i have no one can help me..hehe

thxxxx

can u suggest me which RIP should i use? seems like abit easy if got the two option that (usebackground n trasparency option)

 

[shughey]

i wish i have that option..

but my rip dont have that kinf of option..
"the use background or use transparency option."

thx for the preteatment tips,i will try again tomorrow..this make me down everyday..huhu..

what rip are u using?

thx for ur help buddy..if u dint reply..i have no one can help me..hehe

thxxxx

What is in the drop down menu in the top box under White generation page.
in your screen shot of that page of your RIP there is a drop down menu at the top that is labeled 100% white under colored pixel. That is a drop down menu and if you click on it it should open up other options for detecting the background.
maybe they are not called exactly what i called them.
Can you open that drop down menu and take a screen shot.
I circled the drop down in your pic here...

 

[robytes]

this is the screenshot..

[media]http://i1245.photobucket.com/albums/gg587/Robytesimage/helpme.jpg[/media]

 

[shughey]

Then it would be gradient white under any colored pixel.
Also there should be an adjustment to control the threshold of that gradient..just not sure which setting it is on your RIP. You will have to choose this option then fiddle around to find which adjustment is used with this option to change the amount of white ink layed down.
You should see a change when you preview the white layer.

Now it is critical to have a perfect balance of karma between the RIPs interpetation of how much white ink to lay in a gradient ALONG WITH...proper pretreat. when you are laying white ink in a gradient you need to have ALL of that gradient white stick...so propeer pretreat is critical. if you do not have a good balance on pretreat then the white will not stick 100% of the time and this will be or can be most noticeable in the fainter gradient areas.

It is an artform to get it right. That is sort of the key challenge behind the DTG challenge they have....if it was easy it would NOT be a challenge....and brother...it is.
scott
scott

 

[robytes]

hi.
at ur RIp sofware what is the name of the feature for white ink layed down control called?

 

[shughey]

I have a version of Power RIP called Cobra RIP....it is designed for the 2200/2000. It is exactly the same as Power RIP GP accept it only works on the 2200.
The three links i included in the posts above are the RIP I have basically.

The option for me to use with your graphic is called " use background color". It works similar to your gradient white. There is a slight difference in Power RIP. You have another one called " use transparency" that is for a graphic where the background is transparent. If the background is a solid color especially black then I use "use background color". This way it does not use the black background in generating the white layer. this also is dependent on other settings such as wether you have chosen to print black or not in the option below this window as well as the detect black threshold slider.

Most of the time when I create my graphics, for printing on black, I leave the background transparent in the psd file i will print from. i will have a black background layer there to view as i create the artwork but I turn it off for the print file. I just seem to get better results than if I leave the background as black. Although that is just me. I am not sure if you have the ability to use a transparent background in your RIP...you should....but you would have to open a file that had one and see how it generates the white layer. if it can't handle a transparent layer either the image will be solid black indicating it will print a solid white image or it will show no white ink layed...I forget which way it goes

 

[robytes]

maybe this is the limit of the RIp sofware that i use.

i dont have anyproblem if the image is vector or no gradient effect on it..

im still using the chinese white ink..maybe need to change that and change rip sofware..T_T

do u have any idea which rip can work with my epson 1390 dtg?

for white tshirt is working perfect for me..hehehe

thx for ur time

 

[shughey]

I think EK RIP from EK Print studios has a version for your printer?

http://www.eukondigital.com/index_files/Page970.htm

You can contact them and install a 30 day demo. It is fully functional but...will print a watermark over your graphic. but hey...you can see if it works first and then...if it works better.

There may be others although I know Multi RIp does not support the 1390.
Scott

 

[robytes]

let me try that..

thx shughey..

btw,do u have any website that i can see ur printed out tshirt? hehe..u can inbox me if u dont wan to share it public

 

[robytes]

i might need new inks..

the only option i can buy ink in my country is from here,which is kinda exp..
http://www.randasia.com.my/digital_printing_ink.html

about the rip..i already try the rip sofware..EK rip..yes it work with my printer..but i got problem with the table adjustment..i can customize it..

since i mod my tshirt flate to 13 inch x 18 inch..hehehe

are they any other rip i can use? mind sharing some info..

thxxxx