SCREEN PRINTING TECHNIQUES
Spot colors, Full Color Process, Simulated Process, High Density, Goop, Water base, Discharge, Dye Gain & Resist.
We do it all!
SPOT COLORS
Most printing today consists of "spot colors." These are individual, solid colors each in a separate screen, which fills in different parts of a design. This is cost effective and efficient in
printing images that have limited colors (no halftones or shading) such as cartoons, text and line art. Colors may be custom matched to over 1,600 Pantone colors. When printing on dark garments with
more than one color an underlay or "base" is required to yield the desired opacity and bright colors. The base must be dried to allow the other colors to be printed on top, called "flashing"
which the underlay is quickly (flashed) heated by high temperature units during the printing process and then cooled before the next color is added. While enabling light colors to be printed on
dark shirts it often creates undesirable ink build up on the shirt that many people find undesirable.
FOUR COLOR PROCESS AND SIMULATED PROCESS PRINTING
State-of-the-art silk-screen printers, THE T-SHIRT SCREENERY specializes in Four Color Process (CMYK) printing on light garments and a new technique called Simulated Process which yields
brighter colors and softer "hand" on dark garments.
Four Color Process printing is the method for reproducing multicolors, detailed art such as original paintings, drawings or color photos on white T-shirts. It is much more complicated to
produce such intricate arts on a textured, woven surface than it is on papers. Because Process inks also known as "CMYK" are transparent, this technique is optimal on white
garments.
At THE T-SHIRT SCREENERY our Four Color Process (FCP) uses a fifth screen in addition to the normal four colors and produces brighter, livelier prints by filling in all "empty" spaces with the
ink. This allows us to print on other light colored garments, such as natural and ash, in addition to white. Approximately 90% of our process work now employ this technique. We also provide a
"Digital Proof" that for the first time allows our customers to see what the finished shirt looks like before printing. This is the best pre-production press check tool available.
Simulated Process is a technique utilizing halftones for printing opaque, spot colors on dark garments. This sophisticated printing technique eliminates the thick, "chest protector" feel of
multiple "flash" layers of ink often found on dark garments. It also yields bright colors with that nice soft feel. Light shirts can also be printed with the same look and feel as the
darks.
HIGH DENSITY
The latest and greatest in new printing techniques. We can make your design look like an applique, a leather patch, or almost anything else. It is so new you can't imagine what we can do for
you. Want to make a zipper, with actual teeth? Want to make a mesh look, with real holes? Use your imagination. High-Density printing requires large minimum runs because of the complexity and high
initial cost of screens and setting up the desing.
GOOP
Want to make your design look like it was printed in the 1950s? Use Goop. A thick plastic coating that gives all designs a retro, old-fashioned transfer look. It's so cool!
DISCHARGE PRINTING
Don't like thick ink on your dark garments? Let us discharge them for you. We have some new colors that will make even the simplest designs stand out on our special T-shirts.
DYE GAIN/DYE RESIST
Use your dyes to color your designs. We print special dye "gain" ink with your design, when you dye the fabric the color in the dye is concentrated in the print, resulting in a tone-on-tone
effect, without any feel. It's like fabrick printing only in smaller lots with a lot more flexibility. Want to leave part of the design in the original fabric color, we can do that too by using dye
resist inks. For Gain/Resist to work, the garments must be dyded with reactive or direct dyes only. This technique will not work with pigment dyes.