How many colours for waterbase?

[TCred]

May I ask for a bit of help from the brains trust? It's our first time, yeah yeah I know :-)

We have been tasked to print the attached image on a bright red, pique knit, polyester polo.

I am using Virus and Amex water base inks. The basics are of course a sublimation blocker as well as a white under base and high light white. I am just not sure about the colour separations.

I've tried 4CP using the Virus high density 4CP inks previously and had little success, but am prepared to try again. From what I can see simulated process maybe a better option?

We have Ultra Seps, and it looks like it can be done in 4 colours + UB + HL white. We have 3 flash units, 2 are spoken for; Sub Blocker/Flash/UB white/Flash, so our ability to flash colours is limited. However we have a ROQ Eco that can print in multiple revolutions (I think M&R call it revolver mode?).

Any advice on the seps, including if need be that we should run a mile is appreciated.

P.S. We do have a Kornit Breeze DTG, but the job is 150 shirts so it would be painfully slow, and anyway I like playing with Marvin the big green machine.

[Homer]

May I ask for a bit of help from the brains trust? It's our first time, yeah yeah I know :-)

We have been tasked to print the attached image on a bright red, pique knit, polyester polo.

I am using Virus and Amex water base inks. The basics are of course a sublimation blocker as well as a white under base and high light white. I am just not sure about the colour separations.

I've tried 4CP using the Virus high density 4CP inks previously and had little success, but am prepared to try again. From what I can see simulated process maybe a better option?

We have Ultra Seps, and it looks like it can be done in 4 colours + UB + HL white. We have 3 flash units, 2 are spoken for; Sub Blocker/Flash/UB white/Flash, so our ability to flash colours is limited. However we have a ROQ Eco that can print in multiple revolutions (I think M&R call it revolver mode?).

Any advice on the seps, including if need be that we should run a mile is appreciated.

P.S. We do have a Kornit Breeze DTG, but the job is 150 shirts so it would be painfully slow, and anyway I like playing with Marvin the big green machine.

printing and seps aside, here's your biggest battle...all those gradients and transitions on a rough knit, I would explore other decoration options.

[Printficient]

I agree with Homer.  The Kornit for the job and maybe play around with the print on the Eco for R&D

[Ross_S]

Kornit for the order or atleast try.  Yoo may find it doesn't block the migration.  Pique surface plus polyester for process printing are 2 huge strikes in my opinion

[Sbrem]

I have to agree, the pique knit kills the idea of screening that art, go with the Kornit...

Steve

[mk162]

how big is the print?  You could always go with a sub-block digital transfer.

[DannyGruninger]

Personally I think you can print this how your suggesting. Printing the blocker base + white underbase should provide a flat printing surface for the process top colors as the ink your using has some of the best matting ability out there(much superior to plastisol imo). If I were to tackle that with 3 flashes and waterbase inks I would run blocker base plus two white bases then base back my top colors with an additive that can reduce tack like the gg slipstream silicon additive. Run some black in your first white underbase so you can run your flashes fast. Blocker black flashes super quick I run my flash around 85*c then my 2nd flash at 90-95*c as I'm printing a gray ink there followed by final white base true white. Important not to let pallet temp go high as that will start to gel ink on screens. When you start only add enough ink to print the first 40 or so shirts then add fresh ink/card ink around during the print run. Keep the ink fresh is key to printing this stuff from what I see in my shop. But this def can be done with waterbase inks since you have them and worst case scenario you might have to spin the press once to make coloring look correct which would still be less then an hour in printing time and far less then doing dtg. Lots of other things like mesh, blades, off contact, among so much else will/can make or break you but it can be done with good execution pre press to on press.

[TCred]

WOW I am humbled that you blokes take the time with so much advice. I am such a noob I did not even think that the fabric would create issues.

Yes we have CAD cut, and one option is definitely to sublimate the black text under the graphic and then CAD cut the image.

However, In my ignorance I have printed solid whites on Pique knits several times and after some mucking around got really great results, I guess it was beginers luck and good ink by chance (this job will be my fourth ever screen print if I ignore the tees we printed in Scouts 35 years ago).

Danny, Your Da Man! If I get your jargon right, you are suggeting blocker/flash/UB white/flash/UBwhite/flash and then 4CP printed twice using the second revolution of the press to double up the colour and make it punch? We have an imagesetter (we are old skool pre press ops), so seps are a doddle. We have the EVO temperature sensing flashes,so no probs with controlling pallet temps.

Thanks again all for your help.

Green Galaxy isn't available here AFAIK, so I have pinged an enquiry to Italy to see if they have an equivalent.

[Colin]

Virus is made in Italy.