Screens, Screen Making, Inks, and Dot Placement > 4 Color Process
Question here???
killergraphics:
Tell me if this makes any since.
On my Brown press, I'm trying to get finer lines and dots all the time.
What works best for me is to use a screen mesh that will hold the line and only have to hit or print one stroke.
When I go to 280 or 305 many times I have to hit it twice and it muddies up later in the run.
So my question is...and what I'm doing...is it best to use a target mesh for the best one time hit and just move on (I'm doing good work...but want better) and do any of you do this.
You can look at www.KillerGraphics.net for samples and have not updated it in almost a year now...I know I'm lazy one day and busy the next. I have no problem with process or what I call nice prints...but looking for another level in my work.
Or is it my press? Its not the art, postivies or burn unit.
Is this a road block that is just there?
I just don't feel that I have the finesse as I should have on the real highend stuff and remember that I had on the last sportsman I ran, but that was a long time ago.
I'm a much better printer now than I was then.
And I am going after a finer line than I ever have before.
Linkback: http://boards.screenprintersopen.com/index.php?topic=7137.0
preston:
You did not say what inks you where using.
If I just had to guess without seeing an actual print I would say press, squeegees, or screens.
To make a 4CP print come out great you must have pristine screen mesh. Old worn mesh will never print 4CP as good as new mesh. I have screens that are only used for 4CP and nothing else and when things start looking iffy I change the mesh out. Screens should also be all around the same tension.
Squeegees must be sharp and stiff enough not to roll over too much. On single-duro squeegees you really need to watch that after the rubber gets worked it does not roll over more changing your squeegee angle.
Press must be totally dialed in. Pallets flat and true. It is also imperative that the pallets do not have a lot of lint buildup on them.
The "mudding" leads me to believe there is an issue with the screens and/or off contact. Double stroking a 4CP job with good screens, proper off contact and the right ink should not cause mudding.
The finer lines you go for the smaller the openings in the emulsion are and this will just make your problems get worse until you figure out which of the other things are causing your issues.
Another thing you may want to try is a white base plate even on white shirts. This can make a world of difference especially if your are double stroking to compensate for opacity.
SkyLinePrints:
Thanks guys. This is the type of stuff we need to see.
Good relevant questions and good follow up suggestions/answers. I learned quite a bit reading this string.
killergraphics:
I just did a run of orange gildan 100% 6.1's
Just whitebase and black.
The fiberation was so bad that the best thing that worked best was to hit the white 3 times/flash/black.
The black had solids and 3 different 1/2 tones in it and I had huge problems getting the solids, solid and the 1/2 tones right.
By the time I did get a solid the 1/2 tones were to dark and I ran it at 55 line, 22.5 in a 305, one hit.
It was supplied art, but I seem to have problems on the simple stuff more than the other way around.
Looking back on it now I should have redid the art...but alas it was 200 shirts front and back and less than a 24 hour turn.
Looking at the pos I should have been able to hold it even if it was a little dark.
I'm thinking that the base was messing with me some also.
And I tried everything on the black with the best printing being less pressure, 25 or 30 degree angle and a medium squeegee speed.
It was just tough to get a mid range of good solid...solid and a nice 1/2 tone at the same time.
The next job was a semi-process 8 color out of 5 screens and it could have not ran better.
Its just funny to have something simple to be the hardest to print. :o
JBLUE:
Are you using single or triple duro squeegees? Do you have a pic of that graphic with the black?
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