ARTIST AND UNDERSTANDING PRODUCTION

[Dottonedan]

KEY AREAS OF PRODUCTION THAT THE ARTIST SHOULD START TO UNDERSTAND SO THAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE GREAT PRINTS.

HALFTONE CHOICES, MESH SELECTION, STENCIL EXPOSURE, INKS, PRESSURE, STROKE SPEED, SQUEEGEE SELECTION, SQUEEGEE ANGLE, OFF CONTACT, PEEL RATE, GARMENT SUBSTRATE THICKNESS AND MATERIAL.

There would be at least a 3 page minimum article on each category above that would explain how it relates to your art so don't assume that you simply need to know the name of the ink or the mesh count number.

How do you obtain the best information?
You may have the idea that your shop may not currently print at it's best. Why that is, could come from various areas of the business and you may be a contributor and not realize it. Each shop will occasionally experience these words, "it's the artist fault" or  "It's the production departments fault". You both could be right! There may be room for change or improvements on both sides.

Dig deeper, ask questions on our forum, read previous and current articles in trade mags and ask your distributors and manufacturers. Often times, they are eager to assist and will offer guidance at no charge as a service for their customers. Call your supplier or manufacturer and get the name of their technical service person who can give detailed information on how best to use their equipment or products. Many of your distributors/manufacturers have employees that are your industry trade mag article contributors and have years of experience specifically in the area you may be needing information on.

Top level apparel artist will have a good grasp of the affects on their art within each of these categories above. A knowledgeable screen print apparel artist could be capable of handling dual positions in a pinch. Understanding more about each of these categories will help the artist design for, and call out print instructions with efficient and cost savings production, while obtaining their desired results at the same time. Understanding the above, builds confidence, in your position when you need to address specific issues and makes you, the artist, more valuable to your employer.

Thank you
Dot-Tone-Dan

[Boldline]

Great points Dan, thank you for sharing - I think it would be awesome to have a dedicated area in the art section where we can post links to articles, pics and other information that can help us become better screen print design artists. I like that you listed some areas to focus in on. I was checking out screen print design tutorials the other day and was impressed with some techniques I saw and was looking into them.
I will be using those topics you listed as a guide when i go search out youtube and the internet to learn more and improve myself. - so thank you!

[ravenmark]

5 Basic Steps For Better Prints for In-House Artists:

 Teamwork: It takes a superior team for superior results. Whether there is a failure, or awesome outcome, keep lines of communication open. As an in-house artist in a production environment you should always endeavor to be an integral part of the pipeline and remember you are part of a team. Do not shift blame or take glory, be the first to start a discussion for a solution for problems, give praise or be a source of encouragement to improve as a team.

 Awareness: Remember the press is your brush never ignore it. Take time to go out and visit the press, if something of yours is running or has just been printed, over critique it to yourself and take notes.  Ask your press guys what is working right for them ,or giving them grief on press. If it's right leave it alone, if it's wrong work on a solution. Lost time is lost money. 

 Know your print department's capabilities: During off season or slower time develop and ask for simple tests to help you figure out areas that give you problems or to try new ideas. Add halftone, line width or text size tests on the bottom of designs that can be easily taped off and ask for the results for you to refer to.

 Consistency is king: When you get great results take note and make it replicable.

 Knowledge: Know your medium, Take time to read articles and pick you press guru's brain. A good artist is knowledgeable in all areas from their initial design to the reclaiming of the screens.

I hope some of you find this useful that are more experienced and gives those who are not experienced a great start at improving. Have a good one friend!

[dlac]

And of course never get to work in the am, have 6 jobs, 2 are process, 2 are white ink on sweats and have 6 screens ready to go.. 3 with 300 mesh and three with 80 mesh.. oops.. how fast can you clean, cote and dry a bunch of screens..

[tonypep]

KEY AREAS OF PRODUCTION THAT THE ARTIST SHOULD START TO UNDERSTAND SO THAT THEY CAN ACHIEVE GREAT PRINTS.

HALFTONE CHOICES, MESH SELECTION, STENCIL EXPOSURE, INKS, PRESSURE, STROKE SPEED, SQUEEGEE SELECTION, SQUEEGEE ANGLE, OFF CONTACT, PEEL RATE, GARMENT SUBSTRATE THICKNESS AND MATERIAL.

There would be at least a 3 page minimum article on each category above that would explain how it relates to your art so don't assume that you simply need to know the name of the ink or the mesh count number.

How do you obtain the best information?
You may have the idea that your shop may not currently print at it's best. Why that is, could come from various areas of the business and you may be a contributor and not realize it. Each shop will occasionally experience these words, "it's the artist fault" or  "It's the production departments fault". You both could be right! There may be room for change or improvements on both sides.

Dig deeper, ask questions on our forum, read previous and current articles in trade mags and ask your distributors and manufacturers. Often times, they are eager to assist and will offer guidance at no charge as a service for their customers. Call your supplier or manufacturer and get the name of their technical service person who can give detailed information on how best to use their equipment or products. Many of your distributors/manufacturers have employees that are your industry trade mag article contributors and have years of experience specifically in the area you may be needing information on.

Top level apparel artist will have a good grasp of the affects on their art within each of these categories above. A knowledgeable screen print apparel artist could be capable of handling dual positions in a pinch. Understanding more about each of these categories will help the artist design for, and call out print instructions with efficient and cost savings production, while obtaining their desired results at the same time. Understanding the above, builds confidence, in your position when you need to address specific issues and makes you, the artist, more valuable to your employer.

Thank you
Dot-Tone-Dan

All of this hits home to me as it has for quite some time. A long time. Balance and synergy are key but not always well executed.Think of your internal customers. They are just or maybe more important than you might not know. Even when they don't appear to care. Sales is sales " Art is art and production is usually the red headed stepchild where the blame game often lays when mistakes happen. I have been guilty of blame gaming as well. Speaking of which, I believe that what you don't know is more important than what you think you do. Listening may be a lost skill one day but for now, I will try to do better at that.
best to all