[elaborate images]

Struggling with this image created by different densities of dots. Cannot achieve a perfectly round dot from screen to t-shirt. On screen in artwork the dots are perfectly symmetrical when printed to film the dots are jagged and not symmetrical leaving non-symetrical dot on shirt. Using Corel Draw to MultiRip Software to Epson 1400 45 lpi, 45 degree, 230 yellow mesh screen. Help please!

 

[out da box]

how does it look on the screen? a picture is worth a 1000 words.

 

[elaborate images]

The screen turns out the same as the film so no surprise we aren't getting the result we want. So on computer monitor looks great. Print on paper with our HP printer, beautiful. Use our Epson 1400 with MultiRip and problems start. Don't know if the problem is the MultiRip, the film, or the ink? New ink, Lawson waterproof film and MultiInk

 

[out da box]

Close up of halftone patterns printed on textiles.
This is through a 140 mesh at 55 lpi and 61 degrees

 

[forward dc]

looks like you are losing some of your smallest dots (0 - 20%) so you may need to revise your artwork for more contrast or use a higher mesh screen.

for 55lpi you should be using a 230 mesh. a rough calculation for screen mesh vs. line screen frequency is:

4.5 x LPI = MESH COUNT (pick the closest)

if you are printing 50lpi then the formula is:

4.5 x 50lpi = 225 mesh

try to use a lower line screen and you weill have less dots to worry about.

 

[out da box]

I know about the 230 mesh with 55lpi, but if you were to see this shirt in person, you would not believe the detail. And ALL of the dots are there. You get the right emulsion and light source, you'd be surprised at what size dots you can hold on to and print.
I used a 140 screen beacuase it's white and I'm not printing a highlight screen or pfp with it. I needed a good layer the first time down.

 

[forward dc]

yeah, if you don't want to flash then that seems like a good mesh count. you may get ragged dots with white mesh though. white mesh scatters the light more which roughs up your fine detail areas. this is why most higher mesh are dyed yellow - it helps reduce the light refraction.

 

[A.M.Prints]

If you are converting the artwork to bitmap and then using the Bitmaps/ Color Transforms / Halftones. You are bypassing the rip and will not get a good dot. The rip can not fix a Bitmaps/ Color Transforms / Halftones.

 

[DAGuide]

Struggling with this image created by different densities of dots. Cannot achieve a perfectly round dot from screen to t-shirt. On screen in artwork the dots are perfectly symmetrical when printed to film the dots are jagged and not symmetrical leaving non-symetrical dot on shirt. Using Corel Draw to MultiRip Software to Epson 1400 45 lpi, 45 degree, 230 yellow mesh screen. Help please!

Marsha,

It is my understanding that you have be communicating with your distributor - Andy at Lawson (www.lawson.com). After Andy viewed your graphic, it was very easy to tell that the artwork you provided to him was a bitmap and in CMYK. I believe if you ask the majority of screen printers, they will all tell you to convert your colors to Pantones and then print it as a vector file (do not convert it as a bitmap). If you convert it as a bitmap, the file will be distorted and you will not be sending as clean of information to the RIP and ultimately the printer. Once you have your artwork setup properly, you can follow the instructions in this video and you will get a good looking film:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wa_9gFeg8E[/media]

The MultiRIP product is made by the same manufacturer as the Ulano, Screener's Choice, Printa, PowerRIP Silk Screen and more. There are thousands of users with this similar RIP and it works when you have the artwork setup properly.

If you have additional questions about how to setup your artwork, please contact Andy or ask a specific question in this forum.

Mark

 

[forward dc]

There is a time for vector and there is a time for raster. There is a time for spot color and there is a time for process color. My job as a printer is to faithfully reproduce the art given to me by my customer.

fred - i'm with you on that one. it seems like people are LiveTrace crazy nowadays. i get artwork all of the time that should have been handed off as a photoshop file but instead i'm looking at a million paint slatters that have been vectorized to a billion points and paths!

spot channels and DCS 2.0 files - doesn't get better than that!

 

[DAGuide]

Fred and Dan,

I am a big fan of Photoshop. Unfortunately, assuming that everyone has Photoshop is a big (really big!) jump in this industry. In my experience, more than 60% of the industry does not own even Photoshop Elements - let alone a full version of Photoshop. This is why companies like Digital Art Solutions do so well.

I have more information than both of you. So, let me share some of it. What I do know is the file was sent to her distributor as a CDR file - but it is not vector by the file that was sent. I uploaded a jpg picture of the file, but I added the text to cover up some of the key parts of the graphic to protect the artist - but I did not delete anything that would change the number of colors. Without making the jump that this poster has Photoshop, how would either of you set this artwork up if all you have is CorelDraw?

Mark

 

[DAGuide]

By the way, the words "TEST FILE" are not a part of the graphic.