a left chest design..having some issues...mesh counts???

[Mark @ Hurricane Printing]

I revised this thread...my new topic:
Tons of issues and questions on this simple left chest print:

ok...so I did a test run of this. Used all 156 meshes...no underbase...im printing in this order: white; grey and maroon...flashing every color. Am I using the correct meshes? I find the print coming out jagged looking. Also I am using brand new, never used before, 4" yellow bladed squeeges which are 70 durometer. The prints weren't coming out as crisp as I would like so  I started using my longer 15" squeeges, which have a red blade and the print came out much better, a little much more crisp...but still jagged looking.

So I looked at my films thru loupes on a light table and my film print looks jagged under the loupe but not to the naked eye...to the naked eye they films look crisp...and the design is a vector design created in CorelDraw X5....I use an Epson 3000 ink jet printer and I cleaned the heads before I printed these films and the utility test print came out good, so I went forward with printing the films.

So any idea what I may be doing wrong? I only printed 10 and stopped because I feel it can be better. I have 132 to do.


(the following was my original post before I changed it up) I have a left chest design that is 3 colors (white; maroon; grey) going on ash colored shirts and natural (off white) color shirts.

Do I use an underbase for this or no? Since I have to make a white screen anyway I was thinking to make it an underbase....but i think, being the color shirts, an underbase wouldnt be required and i should just make the white screen just for the white in the image.

[ebscreen]

Plenty of ways to do this, but we would likely use one white screen (ash and natural are fine with this)
as the underbase and top white, colors on top of this. Only reason being that the texture/gloss will be the
same on all colors as opposed to matte on the maroon/grey and semi-gloss on white if you didn't underbase.
It also makes it look sort of patch like which we find many service type businesses like. I think texture/gloss
is one of the more overlooked aspects of a printed product.

[alan802]

I personally wouldn't do one and just print it in 3 spot colors but honestly EB makes a very valid point and either way will work fine.  I just avoid printing on an underbase whenever possible.

[mk162]

I wouldn't UB this either.  What I would do though is print my white last and leave the option open for flashing the 2 colors in case they smear into the white at all.

I would print maroon, gray, (maybe a flash) and white...you could avoid the flash by choking your white so it can't touch the other colors.

[Mark @ Hurricane Printing]

Tons of issues and questions on this simple left chest print:

ok...so I did a test run of this. Used all 156 meshes...no underbase...im printing in this order: white; grey and maroon...flashing every color. Am I using the correct meshes? I find the print coming out jagged looking. Also I am using brand new, never used before, 4" yellow bladed squeeges which are 70 durometer. The prints weren't coming out as crisp as I would like so  I started using my longer 15" squeeges, which have a red blade and the print came out much better, a little much more crisp...but still jagged looking.

So I looked at my films thru loupes on a light table and my film print looks jagged under the loupe but not to the naked eye...to the naked eye they films look crisp...and the design is a vector design created in CorelDraw X5....I use an Epson 3000 ink jet printer and I cleaned the heads before I printed these films and the utility test print came out good, so I went forward with printing the films.

So any idea what I may be doing wrong? I only printed 10 and stopped because I feel it can be better. I have 132 to do.

[mk162]

Inkjet films will look a little jagged under a loupe, the real question is "Does your screen look jagged?"  My guess is your underexposed.

I am not a huge fan of a 70 duro on a manual.

[Binkspot]

I would do the white last like mentioned before. Check the off contact, may need more. There may also be a bleed issue between the different inks. Where two or more inks touch or one on top of another one will leach into another giving an jagged edge. Could also be the white is not smooth and creating small valleys  for the other inks to fill in making a jagged edge.

[Denis Kolar]

Offcontact probably. I print with 70 squeegees every time. No issues.

[mooseman]

Printing manually we most likely would have used 156 for white , 195 for grey and maroon BUT the bigger issue that may be causing your smearing jagged issue is two fold.
No 1 is there sufficient EOM on the 156 to provide a good gasket when the grey and maroom is applied. If the EOM is low (thin) you are going to blow out the ink beyong the image edge especially if your OC is high and you are using a lot of print pressure.

No2 you may be over flooding the grey and maroon ink. Try for schnitzs and grins not flooding the grey / maroon. Instead dab some ink above the image and push through the print. Do the edges look better?
The combination of thin EOM and too much ink will mush out edge work every time. Also you might lower your off contact and use pess print pressure.
It is going to be a balance of all of the above but if you have good EOM the flooding and pressure become less important. Off contact always seems to be a + or - factor.
good luck

mooseman

[dave58]

I agree with what has been mentioned so far....checking screen  for jagged (exposure) and off contact.
Is it truly printing jagged?....or are the colors bleeding together?

[3Deep]

I know I'm going to sound like a mean on SOB here, but I think last time you posted this I said I would print it without an underbase, I know I'm missing something here as I didn't read every post but I don't really see the problem with this print very simple 3 color left chest.  I've read a little in your post why are you looking at your film thru a loupe who in sam hill gonna do that unless your in offset printing (your screen printing on clothe) you'll never see those edges once printed.   I'll say this, and trust I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but if this job is giving you fits your in big trouble beyond a 3 color left chest, seems like to me your really going way over the top with this, but you do have some great printers on here that can help you out and not be a Ahole like me....just print a sample and see what you think.

Darryl

What are you printing on? type on shirt material

[inkman996]

Totally agree with daryll.

One thing I would not have done is print the colors on such a low mesh count.

But really everyone here can only speculate on your problem with out seeing the actual result, if you provide a pic of the print you do not like then these guys can probably pin point your issue better.

[Mark @ Hurricane Printing]

I know I'm going to sound like a mean on SOB here, but I think last time you posted this I said I would print it without an underbase, I know I'm missing something here as I didn't read every post but I don't really see the problem with this print very simple 3 color left chest.  I've read a little in your post why are you looking at your film thru a loupe who in sam hill gonna do that unless your in offset printing (your screen printing on clothe) you'll never see those edges once printed.   I'll say this, and trust I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but if this job is giving you fits your in big trouble beyond a 3 color left chest, seems like to me your really going way over the top with this, but you do have some great printers on here that can help you out and not be a Ahole like me....just print a sample and see what you think.

Darryl

What are you printing on? type on shirt material

I am printing it without an underbase.
And I look thru a loupe becuase I have the tri loc...and I line up my films as I should: light table; carrier sheets; loupes..etc..etc
And every job beyond one color gives me a pain in the a$$..I am NOT a professional.

[alan802]

I can not speculate as to what could be happening without a picture of the bad prints.  Then I bet money I've seen something exactly like it in our shop years ago and could tell you how we fixed it, and I would also bet it had a lot to do with screen tension, EOM and proper off contact .

[ebscreen]

If your films look okay to the naked eye they should be fine, for now.

But how do the screens look? Jagged can be under (usually) or way way way over exposed.

My guess is underexposure without seeing a picture of the print. Usually what comes to mind
when someone uses the word jagged.

Alan's suggestions would be my next guess.