Screen printing

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History of printing

Woodblock printing (200) Movable type (1040) Printing press (1454) Etching (ca. 1500) Mezzotint (1642) Aquatint (1768) Lithography (1796) Chromolithography (1837) Rotary press (1843) Hectograph (1869) Offset printing (1875) Hot metal typesetting (1886) Mimeograph (1890) Screen printing (1907) Spirit duplicator (1923) Inkjet printing (1956) Dye-sublimation (1957) Phototypesetting (1960s) Dot matrix printer (1964) Laser printing (1969) Thermal printing (ca. 1972) 3D printing (1984) Digital press (1993)

A silk screen design

Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil to receive a desired image. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate. A fill blade or squeegee is moved across the screen stencil, forcing or pumping ink into the mesh openings for transfer by capillary action during the squeegee stroke. Basically, it is the process of using a stencil to apply ink onto another material whether it be t-shirts, posters, stickers, vinyl, wood, or any material that can keep the image onto its surface. Screen printing is also a stencil method of print making in which a design is imposed on a screen of polyester or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance. Ink is forced into the mesh openings by the fill blade or squeegee and onto the printing surface during the squeegee stroke. It is also known as silkscreen, serigraphy, and serigraph printing. A number of screens can be used to produce a multicolored image or design.
Contents

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1 Etymology 2 History 3 History 1960s to present 4 Printing technique 5 Stenciling techniques 6 Screen printing materials 7 Versatility 8 Semiconducting material 9 Screen printing press 10 Further reading 11 Example images

12 See also 13 Notes 14 External links

Etymology[edit

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There are various terms used for what is essentially the same technique. Traditionally the process was called screen printing orsilkscreen printing because silk was used in the process prior to the invention of polyester mesh. Currently, synthetic threads are commonly used in the screen printing process. The most popular mesh in general use is made of polyester. There are special-use mesh materials of nylon and stainless steel available to the screen printer. There are also different types of mesh size which will determine the outcome and look of the finished design on the material. Encyclopedia references, encyclopedias and trade publications also use an array of spellings for this process, with two most often encountered English spellings, the more popular being the two word title screen printing without hyphenation, and less commonly screenprinting spelled as a single undivided word.

History[edit

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Screen printing is a form of stenciling that first appeared in a recognizable form in China during the Song Dynasty (9601279 AD).[1][2] It was then adapted by other Asian countries like Japan, and was furthered by creating newer methods. Screen printing was largely introduced to Western Europe from Asia sometime in the late 18th century, but did not gain large acceptance or use in Europe until silk mesh was more available for trade from the east and a profitable outlet for the medium discovered. Early in the 1910s, several printers experimenting with photo-reactive chemicals used the well-known actinic light activated cross linking or hardening traits of potassium, sodium or ammonium Chromate and dichromate chemicals with glues and gelatin compounds. Roy Beck, Charles Peter and Edward Owens studied and experimented with chromic acid salt sensitized emulsions for photo-reactive stencils. This trio of developers would prove to revolutionize the commercial screen printing industry by introducing photo-imaged stencils to the industry, though the acceptance of this method would take many years. Commercial screen printing now uses sensitizers far safer and less toxic than bichromates. Currently there are large selections of pre-sensitized and "user mixed" sensitized emulsion chemicals for creating photo-reactive stencils.[3] A group of artists who later formed the National Serigraphic Society coined the word Serigraphy in the 1930s to differentiate the artistic application of screen printing from the industrial use of the process.[4] "Serigraphy" is a combination word from the Latin word "Seri" (silk) and the Greek word "graphein" (to write or draw).[5]

The Printer's National Environmental Assistance Center says "Screenprinting is arguably the most versatile of all printing processes."[6] Since rudimentary screenprinting materials are so affordable and readily available, it has been used frequently in underground settings and subcultures, and the non-professional look of such DIY culture screenprints have become a significant cultural aesthetic seen on movie posters, record album covers, flyers, shirts, commercial fonts in advertising, in artwork and elsewhere..

History 1960s to present[edit

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Credit is generally given to the artist Andy Warhol for popularising screen printing identified as serigraphy, in the United States. Warhol is particularly identified with his 1962 depiction of actress Marilyn Monroe screen printed in garish colours.[7] American entrepreneur, artist and inventor Michael Vasilantone would start to use, develop, and sell a rotary multicolour garment screen printing machine in 1960.[citation needed]Vasilantone would later file for patent[8] on his invention in 1967 granted number 3,427,964 on February 18, 1969.[8] The original rotary machine was manufactured to print logos and team information on bowling garments but soon directed to the new fad of printing on t-shirts. The Vasilantone patent was licensed by multiple manufacturers, the resulting production and boom in printed t-shirts made the rotary garment screen printing machine the most popular device for screen printing in the industry. Screen printing on garments currently accounts for over half of the screen printing activity in the United States.[9] In June 1986, Marc Tartaglia, Marc Tartaglia Jr. and Michael Tartaglia created a silk screening device which is defined in its US Patent Document as, "Multi-coloured designs are applied on a plurality of textile fabric or sheet materials with a silk screen printer having seven platens arranged in two horizontal rows below a longitudinal heater which is movable across either row." This invention received the patent number 4,671,174 on June 9, 1987, however the patent no longer exists.[citation needed] Graphic screenprinting is widely used today to create many mass or large batch produced graphics, such as posters or display stands. Full colour prints can be created by printing in CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black ('key')). Screen printing lends itself well to printing on canvas. Andy Warhol, Rob Ryan, Blexbolex, Arthur Okamura, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, Harry Gottlieb, and many other artists have used screen printing as an expression of creativity and artistic vision.

Printing technique[edit

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A. Ink. B. Squeegee. C. Image. D. Photo-emulsion. E. Screen. F. Printed image.

How to screen print one image

How to screen print with multiple layers using CMYK

Different samples of the printed image

A screen is made of a piece of mesh stretched over a frame. A stencil is formed by blocking off parts of the screen in the negative image of the design to be printed; that is, the open spaces are where the ink will appear on the substrate. Before printing occurs, the frame and screen must undergo the pre-press process, in which an emulsion is 'scooped' across the mesh and the 'exposure unit' burns away the unnecessary emulsion leaving behind a clean area in the mesh with the identical shape as the desired image. The surface (commonly referred to as a pallet) that the substrate will be printed against is coated with a wide 'pallet tape'. This serves to protect the 'pallet' from any unwanted ink leaking through the substrate and potentially staining the 'pallet' or transferring unwanted ink onto the next substrate. Next, the screen and frame are lined with a tape. The type of tape used in for this purpose often depends upon the ink that is to be printed onto the substrate. These aggressive tapes are generally used for UV and water-based inks due to the inks' lower viscosities. The last process in the 'prepress' is blocking out any unwanted 'pin-holes' in the emulsion. If these holes are left in the emulsion, the ink will continue through and leave unwanted marks. To block out these holes, materials such as tapes, specialty emulsions and 'block-out pens' may be used effectively. The screen is placed atop a substrate. Ink is placed on top of the screen, and a floodbar is used to push the ink through the holes in the mesh. The operator begins with the fill bar at the rear of the screen and behind a reservoir of ink. The operator lifts the screen to prevent contact with the substrate and then using a slight amount of downward force pulls the fill bar to the front of the screen. This effectively fills the mesh openings with ink and moves the ink reservoir to the front of the screen. The operator then uses a squeegee (rubber blade) to move the mesh down to the substrate and pushes the squeegee to the rear of the screen. The ink

that is in the mesh opening is pumped or squeezed by capillary action to the substrate in a controlled and prescribed amount, i.e. the wet ink deposit is proportional to the thickness of the mesh and or stencil. As the squeegee moves toward the rear of the screen the tension of the mesh pulls the mesh up away from the substrate (called snap-off) leaving the ink upon the substrate surface. There are three common types of screen printing presses. The 'flat-bed', 'cylinder', and the most widely used type, the 'rotary'.[6] Textile items printed with multicolored designs often use a wet on wet technique, or colors dried while on the press, while graphic items are allowed to dry between colors that are then printed with another screen and often in a different color after the product is re-aligned on the press. Most screens are ready for re-coating at this stage, but sometimes screens will have to undergo a further step in the reclaiming process called dehazing. This additional step removes haze or "ghost images" left behind in the screen once the emulsion has been removed. Ghost images tend to faintly outline the open areas of previous stencils, hence the name. They are the result of ink residue trapped in the mesh, often in the knuckles of the mesh (the points where threads cross).[10] While the public thinks of garments in conjunction with screen printing, the technique is used on tens of thousands of items, including decals, clock and watch faces, balloons, and many other products. The technique has even been adapted for more advanced uses, such as laying down conductors and resistors in multi-layer circuits using thin ceramic layers as the substrate.

Stenciling techniques[edit

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A macro photo of a screen print with a photographically produced stencil. The ink will be printed where the stencil does not cover the substrate.

A method of stenciling that has increased in popularity over the past years is the photo emulsion technique:

Hand-painted color separation on transparent overlay by serigraph printerCsaba Markus

1. The original image is created on a transparent overlay, and the image may be drawn or painted directly on the overlay,photocopied, or printed with a computer printer, but making so that the areas to be inked are not transparent. A black-and-white positive may also be used (projected on to the screen). However, unlike traditional plate-making, these screens are normally exposed by using film positives. 2. A screen must then be selected. There are several different mesh counts that can be used depending on the detail of the design being printed. Once a screen is selected, the screen must be coated with emulsion and put to dry in a dark room. Once dry, it is then possible to burn/expose the print. 3. The overlay is placed over the screen, and then exposed with a light source containing ultraviolet light in the 350-420 nano meter spectrum. 4. The screen is washed off thoroughly. The areas of emulsion that were not exposed to light dissolve and wash away, leaving a negative stencil of the image on the mesh. Another advantage of screen printing is that large quantities can be produced rapidly with new automatic presses, up to 1800 shirts in 1 hour.[11] The current speed loading record is 1805 shirts printed in one hour, documented on 18 February 2005. Maddie Sikorski of the New Buffalo Shirt Factory in Clarence, New York (USA) set this record at the Image Wear Expo in Orlando, Florida, USA, using a 12-colour M&R Formula Press and an M&R Passport Automatic Textile Unloader. The world speed record represents a speed that is over four times the typical average speed for manual loading of shirts for automated screen printing. [9]

Screen printing materials[edit

Caviar beads

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A caviar bead is a glue that is printed in the shape of the design, to which small plastic beads are then applied works well with solid block areas creating an interesting tactile surface. Cracking ink Cracking ink effect is when the ink produces an intentional cracked surface after drying. Discharge inks Discharge ink is used to print lighter colors onto dark background fabrics, they work by removing the dye of the garment this means they leave a much softer texture. The cons with this process is that they are less graphic in nature than plastisol inks, and exact colors are difficult to control. One of the pros of using this process is they are especially good for distressed prints and under-basing on dark garments that are to be printed with additional layers of plastisol. It adds variety to the design or gives it that natural soft feel. Expanding ink (puff) Expanding ink, of puff, is an additive to plastisol inks which raises the print off the garment, creating a 3D feel and look to the design. Mostly used when printing on apparel. Flocking Flocking consists of a glue printed onto the fabric and then flock material is applied for a velvet touch. Foil Foil is much like flock, but instead of a velvet touch and look it has a reflective/mirror look to it. Although foil is finished with a heat press process it needs the screen printing process in order to ad the adhesive glue onto the material for the desired logo or design. Four color process or the CMYK color model Four color process is when the artwork is created and then separated into four colors (CMYK) which combine to create the full spectrum of colors needed for photographic prints. This means a large number of colors can be simulated using only 4 screens, reducing costs, time, and set-up. The inks are required to blend and are more translucent, meaning a compromise with vibrancy of color. Glitter/Shimmer Glitter or Shimmer ink is when metallic flakes become an additive in the ink base to create this sparkle effect. Usually available in gold or silver but can be mixed to make most colours. Gloss Gloss ink is when a clear base laid over previously printed inks to create a shiny finish. Metallic

Metallic ink is similar to glitter, but smaller particles suspended in the ink. A glue is printed onto the fabric, then nano-scale fibers applied on it. This is often purchased already made. Mirrored silver Mirrored silver is a highly reflective, solvent based ink. Nylobond Nylobond is a special ink additive for printing onto technical or waterproof fabrics. Plastisol Plastisol is the most common ink used in commercial garment decoration. Good color opacity onto dark garments and clear graphic detail with, as the name suggests, a more plasticized texture. This print can be made softer with special additives or heavier by adding extra layers of ink. Plastisol inks require heat (approx. 150C (300F) for many inks) to cure the print. PVC and Phthalate Free PVC and Phthalate Free is relatively new breed of ink and printing with the benefits of plastisol but without the two main toxic components. It also has a soft texture. Suede Ink Suede ink is a milky colored additive that is added to plastisol. With suede additive you can make any color of plastisol have a suede feel. It is actually a puff blowing agent that does not bubble as much as regular puff ink. The directions vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but generally up to 50% suede can be added to normal plastisol. Water-Based inks these penetrate the fabric more than the plastisol inks and create a much softer feel. Ideal for printing darker inks onto lighter colored garments. Also useful for larger area prints where texture is important. Some inks require heat or an added catalyst to make the print permanent.

Versatility[edit

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Screen with exposed image ready to be printed.

Screen printing is more versatile than traditional printing techniques. The

surface does not have to be printed under pressure, unlikeetching or lithography, and it does not have to be planar. Different inks can be used to work with a variety of materials, such as textiles, ceramics, wood, paper, glass, metal, and plastic. As a result, screen printing is used in many different industries, including:

Balloons Clothing Decals Medical devices Printed electronics, including circuit board printing

Product labels Signs and displays Snowboard graphics Textile fabric Thick film technology

Semiconducting material[edit

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In screen printing on wafer-based solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, the mesh and buses of silver are printed on the front; furthermore, the buses of silver are printed on the back. Subsequently, aluminum paste is dispensed over the whole surface of the back for passivation and surface reflection.[12] One of the parameters that can vary and can be controlled in screen printing is the thickness of the

print. This makes it useful for some of the techniques of printing solar cells, electronics etc. One of the most critical processes to maintain high yield. Solar wafers are becoming thinner and larger, so careful printing is required to maintain a lower breakage rate. On the other hand, high throughput at the printing stage improves the throughput of the whole cell production line.[12]

Screen printing press[edit

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To print multiple copies of the screen design on garments in an efficient manner, amateur and professional printers usually use a screen printing press. Many companies offer simple to sophisticated printing presses. Most of these presses are manual. A few that are industrial-gradeautomatic printers require minimal manual labor and increase production significantly.

Further reading[edit

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J. I. Bigeleisen: Screen Printing: A Contemporary Guide. NewYork, 1972.

Example images[edit

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CMYK for Photorealistic Screen Printing

Print This Post DECEMBER 18, 2008

Print This Posthref="http://www.printcutsew.com/tutorial_photos/photo/3117464273/4-colour-silk-screenprinting.html">

If you want to silkscreen a full color accurate representation of a photo image it will require four separate colour separations (four different screens) in halftone patterns to get a great looking screen print. This guide will help you produce a four colour CMYK halftone separation of your image. Its not that difficult once you know what to do and the results are outstanding!

Step 1: Open your image in photoshop and make certain the color mode is set to CMYK and the image size matches the output of your printer. Generally that is 300 DPI.

Step 2: Go to filters<pixelate<halftone pattern and chose the max pixel radius you need. I often choose 12 but 8 gives a finer detail (youll need a higher mesh count than 110 to reproduce this well).

Step 3: Open the Channels window and switch off all but one channel. Youll notice that when you do this your image appears black and white. This is good. This is the page youll want to print onto your acetate or paper for your film positive. If you zoom into your image and you notice there are still some grey areas then you will have to adjust the levels a bit to get rid of that. You only want to print an image that is black and white. When you print make sure you print with crop marks so you can use those to register the layers on your screens.

Step 4: Repeat step 3 by turning on each subsequent layer and turning off the others, fixing the levels and priting that page. Youll do this for each of the four channels.

Step 5: Once youre finished you will have the four film positives that you will print one on top of the other to create your photorealistic screen print.

When it comes time to print you will want to print the page that was the magenta channel in magenta, the cyan page in cyan etc. That will give you the right colour combinations to make your photo print. I encourage you to experiment though, you can get amazing and inspiring results by changing the hues, saturation or flipping the colour values of the four screens. Once you know how to do it right you can do it wrong and make it your own.

Happy Printing! Like this Article? Subscribe free to my rss feed to get more!

{ 1 trackback }
What is the best method for putting photo work on a shirt? - T-Shirt Forums
01.26.09 at 8:16 am

{ 16 comments read them below or add one }

ana martin 12.17.09 at 3:35 am
thank you for this article i been looking for this answer for a couple of months now, but i finally got the correct answer thanks to you. I still have one question how can i print direcly from photoshop?, if you are so king to e-mail me with answer will apreciated thanks,

ana

kongo 06.29.10 at 12:31 pm

How do you adjust the image to get rid of the grey ? Otherwise thanks! very helpful tutorial and happy printing to you too!

admin 07.02.10 at 8:08 pm

try using levels in photoshop- that can help.

Jeannine 07.18.11 at 10:04 am

What if you are printing on a dark shirt and you need a white underbase how do you create that?

admin 07.18.11 at 10:43 am

You have to print a layer of white (opaque white) before you do your other colours. Its not the easiest thing to do so you may want to expeiment first. Alternatively you can try mixing discharge with your pigment instead of printing white but that adds a bit more difficulty and youll have to steam the shirt afterwards.

Steve 01.31.12 at 7:40 pm

I will be screen printing some full colour tshirts very soon. I use Hopkins a hand printing carousel and Im not sure what the angles/channels part is in photoshop and what it relates too? What do I need to set these to before I print my artworks? Hope someone can help! Many thanks

Karla 04.24.12 at 10:00 am

My dots keep blowing out of the screen when washing the image out. How do I keep this from happening

admin 04.24.12 at 10:47 am

Likely your mesh count is too low and the dots are too small so they dont have any mesh to hang onto. Youll have to increase the size of the dots or use a screen with a much higher mesh count.

Karla 04.24.12 at 11:01 am

We are using 305 screen and the dots are set 60 line per inch.

admin 04.24.12 at 11:13 am

The mesh count and dot size are ok so it might be that you need to degrease the screen- it may have some residue on it that is preventing the emulsion to adhere- use a degreasing product or even dishsoap will work. You could also test out pressing the emulsion into the mesh harder, or putting on a thinner layer.

Karla 04.24.12 at 12:13 pm

What would you suggest as a burning time for the screen?

admin 04.24.12 at 12:20 pm

Youll have to experiment- it can vary greatly depending on your light, distance from the light etc.

Charles 10.19.12 at 2:38 pm

Thanks so much. I could have never figured this out on my own. Its people like you that make the internet great!

Panda 12.04.12 at 5:56 pm

Extremely helpful tutorial Ive screenprinted many times but mostly do hand drawn (on mylar, dura-lar, acetate, etc). I have a school project requiring me to do a half-tone CMYK print, and even though Im pretty fluent with photoshop and 4CP, I would have never known how to go about setting up something for screen printing Your tutorial was very easy to understand and to the point. Thank you!

Alec 01.09.13 at 12:13 pm

When its time to print on the shirts in what order you lay the colors?

admin 01.14.13 at 5:39 pm

experiment with your colours- always black last though.

An Approach to CMYK
By: Nigel K. Williams

I have written this article specifically for Photoshop professionals should they desire to understand the CMYK Colour Space and the ability to separate RGB to CMYK files specifically for Press operations. When desktop printers were first marketed they were generally Postscript devices. This is a language that describes a page to a printer, a universal language that enabled everyone to print to everyones printer, provided Postscript was employed. Postscript was at the time the only printer language, developed by Adobe, that allowed for Images, logos and text to be included on a single page and output together. Postscript formed the basis of .pdf acrobat technology. Basically Acrobat files are highly compress Postscript files (employing industry standard compression technology with a preview) that can be edited and viewed on any Macintosh or PC. The new generation of printers are not supplied with a built in RIP as standard and are not Postscript compatible, I believe to save manufacturing costs, but this does not allow for certain types of files to be printed (standard EPS and CMYK files) and tends to lock users into a) a manufacturers printing conversion (RGB/CMYK) process b) enables the manufacturer to control the ink and stock usage c) locks users into a manufacturers brand and supplies. Epson and many other printer manufacturers convert RGB files only, via their drivers loaded into the Macintosh or PC at installation time. It is for this reason that to enable full control of the CMYK output an appropriate Raster Image Processor (RIP) is required. The RIP is designed to accept the Postscript information and generate the appropriate instructions to the printer enabling high-resolution images to be printed on plate, film or paper. Epson market their own RIP software (Epson RIP) that is compatible with many of their output devices and has been for a number of years, priced at around the

US$350. There are other higher end RIPs that can be purchased, but their price is a barrier to the general user and really in my experience the Epson RIP can perform to the highest level. In my printing world there are obvious problems with who controls to conversion process and an understanding of the process of RGB/CMYK conversion obviously enables users to make their own choices of scanners, software, computers and printing devices. It has always been the case that manufacturers have tried to control the RGB/CMYK process at either the scanner or printer, as this tends to lock users into a vertical technology. But the comparison of features of their software and an industrial package such as Photoshop is as wide as one would imagine. If the manufacturers conversion systems are suitable for your local printer then fine, but in my experience the knowledge has made the difference between acceptable and well received, should high-end production be a requirement for your printer. I also agree that the usage of eight inks can produce excellent results, but I also believe that for 95 percent of printed output, four colours (CMYK) are capable of producing the same result and hence a dramatic saving in ink costs in the long run. I also understand that supplies of inks and paper can vary dramatically because it would be the intention of any manufacturer to supply the most cost effective solution and still maximize their profitability. For example, changes to ink types (chemical composition) can produce different results on paper and visa-versa, therefore it is impractical to use the original driver supplied by the manufacturer; this type of driver update reflecting dynamic changes to supply products is just not done. I have for many years worked in the CMYK colour space for press and printer image production. In doing to I discovered the most important area for me to consider when using Photoshop for RGB to CMYK conversion for printer or press printing, was the colour space conversion set-up to ensure the correct gamut on printers and printing presses is realised. As photographers are now encompassing Photoshop as their photo manipulation software of choice to process images, there is and will continue to be a service for printer and printing press ready CMYK files to be supplied. An understanding of the printing process and its relationship with Photoshop, will greatly assist in any a users abiltiy to ensure the maintenance of image quality and gamut control throughout the printing process. __________________________________________________________________ A gamut is the range of colours that a device can display or print, such as a monitor, colour proofing device, or printing press. The problem is that the colours displayed on your monitor in RGB may not be printable in the gamut range of your CMYK printer or printing press, and hence WYSIWYG on screen, (what you see is

what you get), may differ considerably with the finished result on your printer or press. Why do we print in four colours when there are 16.9 million colours that the human eye can theoretically see? It is because if I wanted to print a picture with 16.9 million colours I would have to have employ a printer or printing press with 16.9 million colour inks that would stretch around the world a couple of times. In the printing process I can print with four inks only, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black to represent all colours within the gamut range of printers and printing presses. If one was to visualise the RGB to CMYK separation process as the conversion of a single colour pixel (smallest point of colour in the original) to four spots of ink on a press designed to trick your eye into believing that it is the original pixel of colour, the user would see that it is the control of these dots shape, size and pos ition on the printed paper that is critical. Control of the dot through to press will ensure that quality is always produced. In my experience, the most probable cause of out-of-gamut for any device is that... a) you have no real control over the RGB/CMYK colour space change by working in or sending RGB files to printers or printing presses, or... b) If you are working in CMYK, Photoshop has not been setup with the colour settings for specific printer or printing press operations. There is nothing wrong with working in the CMYK space in Photoshop, as ultimately any printed image will need to be converted to four colours for printing in my world. That is why Photoshop provides a conversion from RGB to CMYK on screen in the mode change sequence. It is this conversion that allows the image to change from an RGB to CMYK in a fully workable environment, with I might add, a lot less knowledge of the effect of RGB colour manipulation, as in CMYK if you wish to remove cyan you adjust the C plate, or magenta for the M plate and so on. In other words, it offers a real time adjustment of screen images, emulating a printer or printing press. Therefore, my first objective when an RGB file is imported into Photoshop is to convert to CMYK at the first available opportunity. Then, with good levels usage, image sizing, brightness/contrast, un-sharp masking, saturation and mid-tone variation for dot gain, presto you have cracked the code for colour on the press. If you work in CMYK you will have far less problems with colours out of gamut range on screen if you load the correct colour setups first, to reflect dot gain, ink %, GCR, UCA and black limit for your know chosen printer or printing press. So, would it not be better to work directly in CMYK, with the correct readings in Photoshop, emulating a CMYK printed version on screen and work in real time?

Alternatively if you are working in RGB, utilizing the proof setup option, you can view the job in CMYK, even change to other profiles and see what the job would look like on other output devices. But ultimately you have to either rely on the colour spaces provided by manufacturers in the proof setup, or load your own know calibrated values and then embed thaat profile, without 100% knowledge that it will be used for conversion by the printer or printing press operations. Worse, it may be included and sent to the wrong press, as in multiple press operations changes to press configurations are a regular occurance. I agree that one can work in RGB real time in the digital video colour space world, as the output devices are RGB monitors with little conversion except for the specific screen colour spaces in RGB. Much the same as calibrating monitors on computer screens. But one cannot escape the fact that the representation of an RGB space on a monitor is a vastly inferior science than the CMYK colour space on a printer or printing press. The area of Photoshop that allows for representation on screen and control of the dot on the press within the program is in the: File/Colour/Settings/CMYK/Custom

When considering the changes to be made one must be aware of the following: a) The type of printer or printing press b) The dot gain of the printer or printing press c) The ink percentages of the press to paper d) The preference you have of either UCR or GCR

So lets take them one at a time: a) Type of printer or printing press there are in my world three types of commercial presses used i) Offset ii) Heatset iii) Newspaper. b) Dot gain -(how big does my dot grow) which is due to the absorption of ink into the paper as determined by the type of pre-press, type of paper, type of ink and characteristics of the press. c) Ink Percentages the amount of ink the paper on the press can absorb so that it does not drip or smudge. d) GCR or Grey Component Replacement Lets go back to basics, in the RGB colour space (light) a combination of equal amounts of colour produces white, whilst in the CMYK colour space (ink) a combination of equal amounts of ink produces black. We cannot use the RGB (ink) space when printing as it will not be suitable to represent colours in my printing world, hence we have to convert all RGB values in Photoshop to CMY values. The problem is that a combination of equal amounts of CMY produces a muddy grey, and therefore we use GCR to replace combinations of muddy grey with black. Thats why we refer to printing on presses as the CMYK space. Where K came from to replace B for black, is a mystery but could be that K was always termed as the key line or black line around printed pictures, or then again it was used to be less confusing when using Red Green and B for Blue. In my industry CMYK means Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. UCR is Under Colour Removal, which is the same principle as replacing colour for black (K). In practice I have found that GCR removes all colours equally and promotes black, whilst UCR leaves more combinations of colour and less black. The difference is always in the printed version, and I have found over the years that

results for my world are better if utilising GCR because its all about perceived quality by the user. So lets look at the set-up in Photoshop as supplied by Adobe:

Adobe have obviously set-up Photoshop to produce a result on any press. Their set-up is what I would call a mid-point for all presses. You will get a result but the variation for the same document on say three different presses (Offset, Heatset and Newspaper) would be unacceptable if using the same set-up. One must understand that each press is different and therefore I have produced what I believe are the correct settings to enable quality to be maintained through printer or press. To achieve this the following values are used for each press (I have included the standard Photoshop set-up for reference:

From the above table you can see that Adobe sets Photoshop up with 20% dot gain, GCR, Medium Black Generation, 100% Black Limit, 300% Total Ink and 0 UCA.

I can only describe this set-up as politically correct, and you will see that with Black Generation set to Medium, less colours are used in the separation process, dampening the colour gamut range in CMYK on paper. This process is cheaper on the press as black ink is less expensive than colour. They have left Total Ink limits at 300%, which is half way between a Newspaper and Offset press and no Under Colour Addition for greater gamut at the shadow end. __________________________________________________________________ So lets look at the set-up in Photoshop for Offset Presses:

Lets take the first reading for Offset. 10% dot gain is the maximum expectation on an Offset press, some would say a little high but there is a consideration for prepress from output to film or plate, and the processing cycle prior to hitting the press. GCR is our replacement of choice, Black Generation is set to light to ensure that the maximum colour (CMY) values are used, Black ink is set to 100% and the total ink limit lifted to 350%. UCA or under colour addition is given a value of 10 to ensure greater colour effect at the shadow end of the Gray Ramp. You will see in a comparison with the Adobe default that the inks are greater as seen on the Gray Ramp, black does not kick in until 50% and the colour lay down on the press is much greater in the CMY areas. Couple that with a slight increase in the UCA and you have a colour separation that will produce the correct gamut range on an Offset press.

You will be able to separate RGB to CMYK without changes to the colour in Photoshop, except for perhaps some unique colours that fall outside the colour gamut of a particular press. In that case you would see a slight change in colour when mode changing form RGB to CMYK but in general one should see little change. If you do see dramatic changes then you have not set-up the separation process properly. There is a lot of discussion with regard to the type of file sent to a printer, e.g. do I send an RGB or CMYK file?. The answer in my world is that I am utilizing a local printer or printing press that uses the CMYK colour space and therefore I work in CMYK and send the same to a printer or printing press. If you send RGB files to either, then somewhere along the line an RGB to CMYK transformation takes place. If you rely on the printer manufacturer to convert then you have no control over the separation process as the variations in ink and materials changes quickly. Remember that a manufacturer will supply printable material and inks that would be the most cost effective and most profitable. This has changed the gamut range of many devices, unbeknown to the user. It is for that reason that I recommend anyone who is printing colours on printers or print presses takes time to learn the CMYK colour space conversion process for quality results. Of course you can send an RGB file to your local printer at any time but this may not represent the specific press or printer CMYK colour space. You will see that I discuss profiles during the colour proof stage and say that as a rule I do not use profiles. By this I mean that the profiles I do use are the ones that I have generated in Photoshop specifically for certain press or printer RGB/CMYK transformation requirements. It allows me to use the same profile to check for colour gamut problems prior to printing. I am not against profiles being adopted as the colour safeguard of choice but the complications for most users is so great that I believe that for most of the industry of Photoshop user's profile embedding is a nightmare. It would be simplier if everyone had information regarding the printer or printing press operations they were using. Then an environment of profiling would only enhance both parties experience of colour production. I do have a choice to either save the profile within the file for transfer to printing operations, or save the file in a layout program without profile usage. The choice is up to the user. I prefer not to use attached profiles as the danger of replacement or change is too large. There has to be far more standardization and control of colour representation and education of this specific markets requirements for quality.

There are many organizations that allow for the reception of electronic material, but will reject the image if the profile does not match their settings, which could be quite wrongly exasperat. So I learn to control my own files as CMYK images ready for specific press operations. The following images are the standard supplied Photoshop sample files of which I am sure many of you are very aware of. The first image is just the file saved as a RGB/JPEG and the second with the colour settings and simple adjustments CMYK/JPEG.

RGB sample file from Photoshop supplied by Adobe

CMYK printer or printing press ready for Offset

The trick for calculation of dot gain of a particular press is to hold the printed image against the original CMYK image in Photoshop. By varying the dot gain in the separation set-up you will see a dynamic change on screen. Once the image on screen matches the printed version by adjusting the dot gain within the separation process, you will be able to see the exact dot gain for that particular printing process and make the reading standard for that press.

Screen calibration is of course a major consideration, but as each program has its own colour engine for RGB screen representation, it is difficult to accurately display colour in anything other than Photoshop. Therefore Photoshop is the reference point for colour. Calibration is really a compensation by the monitor and program manufacturers for their inability to display colours in the RGB space correctly. If one were to purchase a screen with a guarantee of RGB representation to a standard model then the only thing that needs to be done is to white balance the screen. On a Macintosh, calibration can be achieved by using the Monitor/Calibration in the System Preferences and following the simple guides as a professional user. Once completed the screen should display white areas without a colour cast. Other considerations for output to printing presses or your local printer are line frequency, resolution and the avoidance of further CMYK separation process, which are automatic on many higher-end printers. To combat this problem I do not include any profiles unless I have specifically discussed my job with the printer, or I layout the images in a layout program such as Quark or InDesign, and then output the file. The profile ensures that the end user's Photoshop is set-up with the same Colour Space conversion settings. In my experience most profiles are discarded by the end user or the image displays on a non calibrated screen, and the end user will manipulate colour according. Without profiles or by embedded images in a layout program, one can ensure that a Leave Colour As Is principle is obeyed, stopping any further changes to the image through the printing process. In many printing organization it is standard to discard profiles and adopt an in-house CMYK separation process. In my experience there is very little knowledge of the actual process, and reconversion puts images back to the Adobe standard set-up, which may not be the press you have specifically separated for. __________________________________________________________________ So learn to control your separation process, and you have control of quality. As I have always said, there are 50 ways to produce a printed version, and every manufacturer has their own piece of software to control the process of colour production. For example in many systems the scanner will control the separation process, the operator will then unknowingly do the same and the output device will again do a colour space conversion. The output file has been through too many changes due to an uncontrolled process. For your information most colour printers on the market have the same specifications as an Offset Press, therefore I use the Offset settings for my model of Epson printer. One can also duplicate the printer Offset Press readings and slightly amend to ensure that both the local printer and the printing press are within 5% of each other allowing for accurate printing on inexpensive printers.

Out of Gamut CMYK printer warning working in RGB

If you are working in RGB, using a CMYK printer or printing press, and wish to see if any RGB colours are out of gamut once converted to CMYK, you can emulate this on screen prior to printing. 1 Open your RGB image in Photoshop.

2 Setup Photoshop colour settings for an Offset Press (very close to most colour printers) as described earlier. 3 In the view menu -> choose proof setup -> select the working CMYK profile which is the profile (colour settings) that you have loaded in Photoshop colour settings e.g. offset, heatset or newspaper prior to proofing. Alternatively you can choose a manufacturers profile for further press or print simulation. 4 In the Select Menu -> choose colour range -> the dialog box appears. In the top drop-down box -> choose out of gamut -> OK. 5 When the dialog box disappears, all the out-of-gamut colours are selected.

If there are any colours out of gamut range you can use utilize hue and saturations for quite complex control of printing quality. I also have a set of action keys available on request that will ensure RGB to CMYK is made simple. A method that ensures the correct colour space values are loaded for each press and the necessary standard manipulation of the image for press ready operations.

The following are definitions of colour management for reference:

Color Matching Method -CMM: A software component that adjusts the numerical values that get sent to, or received from, different devices so that the perceived color they produce remains consistent. The "engine" in color management systems. CMS -Color Management: A set of software technologies that seeks to match color across input, display, and output devices by referencing their color behavior to a known standard by means of device profiles. The signals each device receives are adjusted in such a way that the perceived color remains consistent.

CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage): The international standards organization responsible for setting standards for color and color measurement. (The French name translates to "International Commission on Illumination.") CIE XYZ (1931): The first of a series of mathematical models produced by the CIE that describe color in terms of synthetic primaries based on human perception. The primaries are imaginary mathematical constructs that model our eyes' response to different wavelengths of light. Such models allow us to specify perceived color unambiguously, unlike models such as RGB and CMYK, which define amounts of colorants rather than actual colors. CIELAB (CIE L* a* b*, CIE Lab): A mathematical derivative of CIE XYZ (1931) that describes colors using three synthetic primaries: L* (which indicates Lightness), a* (which indicates red-greenness), and b* (which indicates yellow-blueness). ICC (International Color Consortium): A group of hardware and software vendors dedicated to developing cross-platform standards for color communication and consistency. ICC Profile: A standard format developed by the ICC for a data file that describes the color behavior of an input, display, or output device, or a color model, by referencing it to a device-independent color model such as CIE XYZ or CIELAB. Used in almost all current color-management systems. Workspaces or Color Model: A means of specifying color numerically, usually in terms of varying amounts of primary colors. Examples include RGB, CMYK, and CIELAB. Profile: A data file that describes the color behavior of a physical device (such as a scanner, monitor, or printer) or that defines the color of an abstract color space (such as Adobe RGB 1998 or ColorMatch RGB) in terms of a device-independent color model (such as CIELAB or CIE XYZ). Used by color-management systems to define and match color. Gamut: The range of color a device can produce, or the range of color a color model can represent.

Gamut Compression: The process where a large color gamut (for example, that of transparency film) is reduced to fit the smaller gamut of a print or display process (for example, color printing). Metamerism: The phenomenon, where two color samples appear to match under one light source, and differ under another. Two such samples are called a metameric pair. Rendering Intent: A method of handling out-of-gamut colors when matching one color space to another. The ICC profile specification specifies four rendering intents: Perceptual, Absolute Colorimetric, Relative Colorimetric, and Saturation. Perceptual Rendering: One of the four ICC-specified rendering intents used for handling out-of-gamut colors in color matching. Perceptual rendering attempts to compress the gamut of the source space into the gamut of the destination space in such a way that the overall relationships between the colors --and hence the overall image appearance --is preserved, even though all the colors may change in the process. Relative Colorimetric Rendering: One of the four ICC-specified rendering intents used for handling out-of-gamut colors in color matching. Relative Colorimetric rendering first scales the white of the source space to the white of the target space, adjusting all other colors relative to that white. Then it matches the adjusted colors in the source space that are inside the gamut of the target space exactly, and clips out-ofgamut colors to the nearest reproducible hue, sacrificing lightness and saturation. Nigel K. Williams www.homepage.mac.com/theozmacshow May, 2006 __________________________________________________________________ _____ UPDATE I knew that this would be somewhat controversial when I published it. Just as the digital photography world is going through massive changes on an almost monthly basis, so to is the world of offset printing.

What Nigel describes above is but one approach to the topic, and in many ways it can be described as "old school". In its defense it should be noted that the printing trade (read printers the human beings doing the work) have been slow in changing their craft, and so while there are indeed other more contemporary approaches to this subject, anyone working with the printing trade may well find themselves dealing with printers (people) for whom Nigel's approach is the one in use. Please also read this thread on our discussion forum for different perspectives on this topic.
Screen Printing CMYK (External Funding & Business Enterprise Head)
Saturday - One day course
Qualification: Practical skills/crafts, Arts, Media and Publishing (SSA 9) Duration: 1 Weeks Study Type: Part-Time Venue: Inc.Workshop Start Dates: 09/03/2013 , 31/08/2013 Run: 6: 10:00 - 16:00 Tuition Fee: 45.00 Exam fee: 0.00 *Note fees are subject to change, please confirm all costs associated with this course when submitting an application.

About the course

This is a one day intensive workshop to learn the skills involved in CMYK screen printing.

What you learn

You will be taught how to print multiple colours and will be using a CMYK printing process on paper and fabric.

Benefits / Skills you will develop

Working in a fully equipped workshop alongside a specialist tutor, you will be learning about the photo emulsion process, discovering about colour separation and using processed colours to produce your own multicolour photo quality prints.

How you will be assessed

This is a non-accredited course. However, you will be initially formatively assessed in order to aid your progression.

Entry requirements
There are no specific entry requirements.

What's Next
You will have learned a range of skills which you can use practically. You will also be able to take out an annual membership with inc.Workshop to continue to develop your skills using the workshop?s facilities.

Where is the course delivered (facilities / classrooms)

The course is held at inc.Workshop in Sheepscar House, a pay-as-you-go industrial workshop, which offers business support to young and start up businesses alongside creative courses. The workshop is fully equipped with everything you need for screen printing, wood working, jewellery making, furniture restoration, upholstery, picture framing and laser cutting. Inc Workshop is supported financially by the European Union. It has attracted 1 million investment from the European Regional Development Fund as part of Europe's support for the region's economic development through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme 2007-13.

Further information
9 March 2013 - Saturday - 10am-4pm 31 August - Saturday - 10am-4pm

How to apply
If you wish to apply for this course please contact the course enquires team.

Tutorials\ Tools & Tips \Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

A Beginners Guide to Digital Textile Printing

Kate McInnes on Oct 5th 2009 with 48 Comments Download Source Files

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This is a basic illustration tutorial combined with a practical overview of file preparation for Digital Textile Printing. After a long process of trial and error Ive developed a streamlined process for creating files for digital textile printing. This is the perfect tutorial for people wanting to learn basic file preparation and color management. Youll learn the details of prepping your vector file for digital textile printi ng and these skills transfer well to larger projects. Lets get started!

Introduction
Digital printing is by far one of the most exciting developments in the textile industry. Not only does it open up endless opportunities for customization, small run printing, prototyping and experimentation but it also puts textile printing within the budget of your average illustrator. Digital textile printing can reproduce unlimited colors and shades but as with most forms of printing what you see on screen is not necessarily what you get back. After a long process of trial and error Ive developed a streamlined process for creating files for digital textile printing. This is the perfect tutorial for people wanting to learn basic file preparation and color management. The skills learned from this tutorial are easily transferable to more complex designs and are simple enough for absolute beginners to start producing patterns quickly with little (to no) Illustrator experience.

Final Textile Print Preview

Below is the print we will be working towards. Want access to the full Vector Source files and downloadable copies of every tutorial, including this one? Join Vector Plus for just 9$ a month.

Tutorial Details

Programs: Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop Version: CS4 (preferable) Difficulty: Easy Estimated Completion Time: 1-2 hours (10mins with pre-prepared artwork) Advanced users may want to use their own illustration style.

You Will Learn

How to prepare a basic vector file for digital textile printing.

You Will Need

Drawing tablet (preferable)

Step 1a Set the Workspace

Since were making a basic repeating tile, the workspace should be set as a square. I like to use 10x10cm tiles, increase the size of your square for larger repeats.

Step 1b Set the Color Swatches

When working with files for print its best practice to delete all unused Swatches, Gradients, Brushes and Graphic Styles. Do ing so makes it easier to manage and save colors later on. To delete all unused swatches simply click Select All Unused in the Panel Menu then click Delete Swatch. If any unused swatches remain, simply select and delete them.

Step 1c Open the Color Library.

The easiest and most cost effective way to color match a project is to use a Color Library. All major printing companies have their own color libraries available for download. These libraries are composed of swatches that fall within the printers gamut range. If you dont have a color profile be sure to use colors that arent too bright or saturated. If you have downloaded a library, then load it by going to the Panel Menu in the Swatches p ane and select Open Swatch Library > Other Library then navigate to your file and click Open. For this tutorial Ill be using Spoonflower.com as my printing service. There are many other print bureaus out there, but for the purpose of this tutorial Spoonflower stands out, as it has no minimum order and international shipping. You can find Spoonflowers color Library for Adobe Illustrator Here.

Step 1d Make a Color Group

Once the color library is loaded into Illustrator you can choose the colors you want to use. I like to brush the colors next to each other so I can get an idea of how they will sit together in an image. I do this using the Blob Brush (Shift + B) but filled shapes work just as well. Once you have a selection of colors that youre happy with, drag the Swatches from the color Library into the Swatches Pane. This is why we deleted all the swatc hes in Step 1b. Note: Notice that the swatches used here have a white corner on them. This means that theyre Global colors. Global Color Swatches are swatches linked to the fills and lines that use it. If a Global color Swatch is changed, then every color in the document that uses that particular color is also changed. This is extremely helpful for editing a document, such as a pattern, thats reliant on accurate color management. To change a standard color Swatch to a Global swatch, double-click on the color in the swatches pane (being careful not to have any objects selected) and select Global, then click OK.

Another way to keep track of your colors is to make a color Group. To make a color Group select the colors in your swatch pallet (Command-click) then click the New color Group button at the bottom of the Swatches pane, this will open a dialogue where you can name your color Group. You can also save these swatches for later use by going to the Panel Menu in the Swatches pane and select Save Swatch Library ASE Adobe Swatch Exchange (ASE swatches can be used with other adobe programs such as Photoshop). Advanced: If youre working from a pre-existing vector file you can create a swatch pallet by selecting your image and clicking the New Color Group button at the bottom of the Swatches pane, this will open the New Color Group dialogue. Name your color group and check Convert Process to Global, then click OK. To change a color Swatch to make it suitable to print, simply double-click the swatch and change the CMYK values accordingly. If your color is out of gamut (Printable color range) a warning should appear in the Swatch Options dialogue either manually change the color values yourself or click the yellow alert triangle to change it to the nearest color value thats within gamut. If youre still unsure of how your document will print or want greater accuracy of color I would suggest replacing each swatch with swatches suggested by your printing service. You can do this by loading the printers color library and choosing the colors you want to use. Replace the old swatches by holding down Alt and dragging the new color swatch on top of the color you wish to change. This is where its important to have the s watches set to Global, as each of the colors in you image will then change to be the colors youve chosen from the library. Easy!

Step 2a Lets draw!

We now have a set of colors to use in our pattern its time to draw. For the absolute beginner the quickest way to start drawing in Illustrator is to use the Blob Brush (Shift + B). Ive used the Blob Brush to draw three different objects using the Color Group I defined earlier. To change the settings of the Blob Brush such as size and accuracy, double-click the Blob Brush icon in the Tools Pane. The basic features of the Blob Brush are Size, Fidelity and Smoothness. Size is self explanatory. Fidelity is how accurate the line is, the higher the value the smoother and less accurate the line will be. Smoothness is the amount of smoothing applied to your stroke the higher the percentage, the smoother the path. Note Advanced Users: You can either draw your own pattern in any method you like and skip to Step 3 to learn how to test your repeat OR if you already have a working repeat pattern you can skip to Step 5 for instructions on exporting your file for print.

Step 2b Copy and Reflect Objects

Here are four images Ive drawn using the Blob Brush. As you can see theyre fairly complex. To make the objects easier to wo rk with select the image with the Selection Tool (V) then press Command + G to group it together, repeat this for each object. Because this is the quick and easy version of how to make a repeating pattern Im going to copy these four objects to save myself having to draw more. To do this select the objects you wish to copy, select the Reflect Tool (O) and Command-click on a blank area of the artboard, this will open the Reflect Dialogue. Select Vertical and click Copy. You should now have a reflected copy of your four objects.

Step 2e Re-Color
We will now re-color the copied objects. Since each object is grouped, this should be fairly easy. Double-click the object you wish to re-color, this will take you to the objects isolation mode from there you can re-color your object without accidentally changing the other objects. To change every instance of a color to another color you can use the Magic Wand Tool (Y). First, double-click the Magic Wand icon in the Tools Pane to bring up its settings, change the Tolerance to 0 this way you will only select exact color matches. Once the color you wish to change is selected using the Magic Wand, click the color you wish to change it to in your color Library. To exit isolation mode double-click outside of the isolated objects. Repeat this process with each mirrored object.

Step 3 Arrange
Now that we have our objects, its time to arrange them on the artboard as you can see Ive added a few hearts, stars and signatures to fill the blank spaces. This layout is looking pretty good to me, but before I export it for print, I want to test my pattern. To do this first draw a square the size of the artboard with the line and fill set to None, then select the square and send it to the back (Object > Arrange > Send to Back).

With the transparent square at the back of your image, use the Selection tool (V) to click and drag a selection box around your artboard. Take the selection and drag it into the Swatches Pane. You should notice a new swatch is created, this is your pattern.

To test your pattern, draw a rectangle anywhere outside of the artboard and fill it with the pattern swatch. Remember to make the rectangle large enough to repeat the pattern a few times, this is better for detecting anything that needs to be changed.

Step 4 Save As PDF

This is the tricky part. Once your happy with the positioning of the elements save the file as a PDF. One of the most popular file types (and recommended by Spoonflower) is an 8-bit, uncompressed TIFF in the LAB color space, as its impossible to export LAB color directly from Illustrator we have to sa ve the image as a PDF and open it in Photoshop. I use PDF as it preserves color values so all the hard work choosing swatches isnt ruined on exp ort. Go to File > Save As > PDF (Command + Shift + S). This will open the Adobe PDF Dialogue Box. Go to Output and set the color Conversion to No Conversion, then click OK.

Step 5 Open PDF in Photoshop

If you havent already done so, open the PDF in Photoshop (go to File > Open and select your saved PDF). This will bring up t he Import PDF Dialogue. Choose the following settings to import your image: Page Options as Crop to Bounding Box (this will import only whats inside the artboard) Resolution as 150 pixels/inch (this is the optimal resolution as specified by Spoonflower, other printers may differ be sure to check.) color Mode as LAB (I will explain LAB color in a moment.) Bit Depth as 8 (again, this is specified by Spoonflower), then Click OK. LAB color, unlike RGB or CMYK has tones and colors separate so one adjusts without affecting the other. L is light, A and B are color so if A+B is red you can subtract L to make maroon or add L to make pink. LAB color is also the only device independent color-space in Photoshop, which makes it perfect for digital fabric printers as they work with color differently to a standard commercial print machine.

Step 6 Save as a TIFF

Each printer has their own recommended file types, some like jpg some like gif, Spoonflower asks for TIFF (8-bit, uncompressed). I personally like to use TIF because its a lossless file type, which means there is no quality loss due to compression. To save your art as a TIFF go to File > Save As > then choose TIFF make sure the image compression is set to None, then click OK.

Conclusion:
You should now have a print ready file with (almost) foolproof colors, all you need to do now is go tospoonflower.com, or your preferred printer, and upload the artwork to print.

Set your creativity free: Digi-T

Home Frequent Questions CMYK printing Quote/Contact Gallery

Like

We offer 2 Digital Direct to Garment techniques please choose the most suitable one for your needs/and send us your print ready files:

Understanding this technique:

Best for darker materials or true white ink effect. Just like the "1) DTG White ink" image above: ink falls and adheres on top of fibers so it can be seen, were technique (2) CMYK Traditional is absorbed into material. NB: Artwork to be supplied on a black background for a transparent effect or interlaced PNG files with an transparent background (see sample images 1-3). How do I make a print ready PNG file in Photoshop? Any other background colours will be read by the printer and printed. This will add to the cost of printing. If you really can't provide your artwork print ready we will do our best to assist (edit fee might apply). Also please note this is a more costly technique than CMYK Traditional (featured below), due to high cost of specialized white ink. Excellent durability and digital printing of the highest quality 1200dpi

Understanding this technique:

Artwork to be supplied on awhite background for this technique.

The printer is CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black), so it has no white ink.

Artwork must be darker than the fabric you want printed. Ink is absorbed into fabric.

This means that the colour of the fabric will always influence the colour of the print. in other words, if your artwork contains white elements (like teeth or eyes) this will be the colour of the garment, e.g. a green shirt = green eyes and teeth.

This is a more cost effective technique as no white base needs to be printed. Below are samples of Traditional CMYK printing effect on different colour material: Photo's and shirt colour:

White textiles are best for artwork with important white features. The printing will get lost on dark colours using Traditional CMYK printing.

Text and shirt colours:

Line art, text and artwork where true white is of no importance, look great on brightly coloured fabrics.

Pastel shirts and effects:

Printing to pastel-coloured fabrics can have a beautiful and interesting results, because the background colour complements the ink colours. Plain text, multi-coloured artwork, line art and some photos work best on pastel colored garments.

Print ready sample 4

Digi-T: Cape Town's Digital Direct to Garment specialists.

Instructions
1.

1
Open Adobe Photoshop. Once Photoshop is running, click on the "File" menu from the top panel. Select "Open" and choose the image file you would like to convert.

2
Change your image to RBG format if it is not already. Click "Image" from the panel menu, and then go to "Mode" and change to "RBG color."
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3
Make your image file transparent if it is not already. You can use either the magic wand tool or the magic eraser tool.

4
Make an image transparent using the magic wand or lasso tool. Click the left mouse button and drag to select the desired area of transparency. Once you have selected the proper area, hit the backspace or delete key.

5
Use the magic eraser tool to create a transparent image. Click and hold the eraser tool icon, and select "Magic Eraser" when the menu pops up. Click the color on the image that you want to make transparent. You can set the tolerance, located near the top of the screen, to a lower number if the magic eraser removed too many pixels.

6
Save the image file as a PNG image. Click "File" and select "Save As." Select PNG for the file type and click the "OK" button.
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Tips & Warnings

Create a new image, and adjust settings ahead of time, i.e. RBG format, enable transparency and select image size. You can copy and paste your image file and Photoshop will convert it automatically. Transparency is displayed as a checkered background in Photoshop. Transparency must be enabled when you save your PNG image. Merely enabling transparency does not make your image transparent. You must convert it using the methods described above.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_2034277_make-png-photoshop.html#ixzz2e4hjWq7l

FABRIC DESIGNS
CREATE NEW TOPIC

Showing 1 - 10 of 10 Comments

ketisse
POSTED NOV 30, 2010

I am interested in creating fabric from some of my designs. I saw www.spoonflower.com is in partnership with Colourlovers. How do I go about getting a design printed on fabric? Please also let me know if I can change the size of my design (as one might change a font size when typing letters). I'd really like to know with whom I could speak (e-mail or call) about this. Thanks, poetatete

review design
POSTED FEB 6, 2011

I am wondering the same thing. Did you receive answers?

ketisse
POSTED FEB 6, 2011

No - this is where the answer would have been posted and no one contacted me personally. i took a look at Spoonflower and joined the Group. I think I'll have to follow-up there. If you find out anything, please let me know (here). Thanks, ketisse

Just Perfect Color

POSTED FEB 7, 2011

Create Your Own Fabric Since I started the linked thread many other companies in addition to the three I mentioned have emerged and the variety of fabric options has expanded. Shop to find the fabric you need for your project. Many sites have design engines that allow you to choose whether you want to float a single image on fabric for something like a mural or to use one of their pattern generators for a drapery, clothing or upholstery application. Rather than listing them all here, I would suggest you search for "Digital Fabric Printing" or "Digital Textile Printing" in something like the Google search engine for current options. I have nothing against Spoonflower by the way. I've had no use for fabric myself but others I have sent there were happy with the service.

Craftyallsorts
POSTED NOV 22, 2011

So do we know how to get our designs over to spoonflower.com or?? I'm desperate to so I print some fabrics! :)

izzanniznadia
POSTED JUN 19, 2012

I've googled for other companies that is providing this kind of service, however, there are actually not many of them. Only designs that are made by us originally can be uploaded into spoonflower. You can request for sample of fabrics first. If you are satisfy, you can order your own fabric print. Some of the blogs I read before recommended spoonflower..

magentasecret
POSTED 1 MONTH AGO

Have you read the facts and questions on the site? That might be able to help you.

Liebling
POSTED 1 MONTH AGO

If you have created the template yourself (and only if it's your template) there will be an icon on the side of the swatch that says "Fabric" and if you click on that picture, it redirects you to Spoonflower and loads the fabric swatch. Pretty convenient. I've actually printed and ordered a few things from spoonflower. Made some great pillows for my couch, and I love them because I created them! You do have to order a swatch, but you can also sell your designed fabric there and get credits to your account if other people buy them. I have created swatches for a few people on CL and allowed them to purchase fabric with my patterns on them.

coryslater
POSTED 1 MONTH AGO

Very helpful platform.

FairyPartiesSydney
POSTED 2 WEEKS AGO

Was that sarcasm coryslater?