SCREEN PRINTING TECHNIQUES
SCREEN PRINTING TECHNIQUES: There are 3 types of screen printing techniques we offer, and each one is very different in how we approach your art. It’s important to understand the correct technique to make your artwork look it’s best.
SPOT COLOR: This is the most common technique. All 1 color designs are spot color techniques. When your art has multiple colors in it that are solid deposits, then spot color is the correct application. Even if you have half toning involved spot color can be the correct application as well. A common source of confusion is when an under base is needed for a spot color application. On dark garments it’s necessary to lay a layer of white down, called an under base, so that the colors keep their vibrancy. This is charged as an additional color. For example, a 1 color red design on black is actually a 2 color design on black. The red ink, plus the white underbase. Not using an underbase results in a more transparent ink deposit. Spot color is the most widely used form of screen printing, and in most cases the most cost effective.
CMYK OR FULL COLOR PROCESS: This process is where the artwork looks like a full color picture, but we actually only use the colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, & Black (cmyk). This is the same process that is used on packaging materials on items like a cereal box, or on a color newspaper. If you looks closely you’ll see that the dots blend together to make many colors. This process works best on white garments so that the ink can deposit into the fabric and blend properly. You can also use this process on dark garments by laying a solid white deposit under the art, however results will vary when trying to make this process work like that. Because you are only using 4 colors, this is the most affordable full color option, but again this works best on white garments.
SIMULATED PROCESS (sim process or Index color printing):This process is where the artwork is separated into up to 10 colors using a design program. When this process is done, the color of the garment is taken into consideration so that the end result is incredibly detailed. Some art pieces might only look like 2 colors, but if it’s run as a simulated process it could end up being as much as 9 colors. For example if the art has gray in it, it may break that grey into 3 shades of grey to give more depth. This process results in the highest quality print, however it’s not the most cost effective due to the amount of screens and colors needed to be done properly.