How to Utilize Registration Marks Correctly

[yoonbokim]

Hey guys!

Just got into screen printing, haven't even printed my first t-shirt yet. As I am still waiting for some equipment to come in, I am trying to best prepare myself so I can get to printing as soon as everything comes in.

I know that the registration marks are supposed to help you position your design where you want it to exactly be on the shirt esp for multiple color designs
Can you guys help me better understand exactly how I am supposed to utilize the registration marks in screen printing?

Much Thanks,
Kevin

[Frog]

Hey guys!

Just got into screen printing, haven't even printed my first t-shirt yet. As I am still waiting for some equipment to come in, I am trying to best prepare myself so I can get to printing as soon as everything comes in.

I know that the registration marks are supposed to help you position your design where you want it to exactly be on the shirt.
Can you guys help me better understand exactly how I am supposed to utilize the registration marks in screen printing?

Much Thanks,
Kevin

Except for templates and/or jigs that use consistent locations of the marks for burning as well as positioning screens on press, registration marks are much more for exactly what they imply, registration of all of your screens and colors to line up as one.

[Frog]

btw, I think that you are diving in to the deep end, if indeed, you have never ever printed a shirt.
 I have always encouraged baby steps.
1. 1  dark color on a light shirt.
2. 1 color white on a dark shirt.
3.  2 or more colors on a light shirt
4. 2 or more colors on a dark shirt

Easily, half of my business is single color prints.

[mooseman]

Kevin
I will probably get kicked off the boards for this but i would never join a group that would have me as a member any way, so here goes......
You are going about this all wrong.
Screen printing is a relatively complicated process made up of a properly sequenced series of real simple steps.
It is first necessary to gather  the sequence of steps that result in a printed tee shirt. Then develop an understanding of each step and finally the execution or process of each step.
From what you are asking you are kind of starting in the middle and running in several directions, it will get you nowhere fast.
for example registration marks do not help you (normally) place a design on a shirt. What they do is give you a reference to associate mutiple colors in a given design relative to each color. Take the American flag for example, 3 colors red, white & blue. Once you have the art created all on one layer you can add a registration mark in sever suitable places actually anywhere you like on your art. Then when you seperate the 3 colors each color layer will print with the exact same placement of the reg marks . Now if you were to toss the 3 layers (films) into the air and get them "mixed up all you would need to do is align the reg marks on each layer exactly over the other marks and your art would be perfectly re-aligned relative to the 3 colors. This comes into play earlier than on the press usually when you are burning screens to assist you in getting all colors situated in the screen so you can align them when you set up the press.

Your best friend right now is youtube you will get instruction and visual associations on literally every aspect of the screen printing process. While you may not fully understand the lessons there you will get a solid foundation such that this group of guys and gals will have some real value to you.
Or go to Google and ask how to print a tee shirt and read your brains out.

If you are not willing to do some of your own work you may not get the help you expect from the guys and gals here...just saying.

BTW have you told the boards what equipment you purchased, would be helpful if we kind of understood if you bought manual multi color equipmant , a table top single color set-up or an automatic press.
What kind of inks are you planning to print, plastisol, water base , discharge ?
best of luckmooseman