Screen tension is highly overrated :-D

[Dottonedan]

I also think that this eagle print is a good example of (how we get comfortable with our shop setup) and “adjusting seps” to how we print.  Like that old saying, “What works in one shop will be different in another shop”.

Screen printing is screen printing BUT, rightfully so, we learn to adapt and make adjustments to what we use daily.  For example, (it could be) that this guy who printed the eagle did indeed adjust his seps so much (to accommodate the environment) he’s accustom to printing with.
In this case, you would over compensate for the low tension, “stick” and smear/drag. You do lose dot crispness this way and becomes more “photorealistic” so to speak so this is one benefit of his printing method. Just one that I can see. But even that is another example of expectations and results.
One shop like his, may expect blur the print a little due to the tension. Another shop may flash each color and get a very different print.

We all know that if you take great seps and have 3 shops print the same thing, the results will be different. I’d for sure tho, use much smaller reg marks

I’ve sent seps out with expectations (in a standard way) and get back results where the print is very light/airy while if I sent those seps to other shops I know, they would be almost opaque.

Sort of like the results of printing a solid vector logo.  That can be done to look old school athletic/solid or it can be done with a waterbase feel and vintage.

[zanegun08]

farmboygraphics, thanks for sharing, those are good results for CMYK and Index (a lost art).  If the customer is happy that's all that matters.

I've always found CMYK on a base is difficult, but was printing manually when I was really experimenting so auto probably makes that easier.  But also haven't been happy with washability of CMYK on White without a base due to fibrillation and inks being so thin.

For all those images you posted I would approach those as sim process, but the coffee print looks really cool. (underbase peeking but let's call that a test print)

I tried to do the Virus system of Inks / CMYK where they do the separations, but after all is said and done, you need two bases, CMYK and then probably a couple spot colors so you are already approaching the same amount of screens as sim process with easier workability.  But also had access to larger presses where color counts weren't quite a concern so it's cool to see you are making four color process printing work well for you.

Good on you for sharing.

[mk162]

I was actually impressed with that print.  Those registration marks were something else, but the end result was pretty damn good.

[Sbrem]

In my earliest days, we had thin wooden frames, stapled mesh, and would not register on a tension meter; not that we had one. We did some pretty decent work (White inks still had lead in it) but we had to compensate for everything. By the time we bought an actual stretcher and CA adhesives we were "wowed" by how much better it was. It's a good thing that there are some good vids out there for newbies, and places like this forum to help them.

Steve