Minimum size lettering for Manual

[Denis Kolar]

I have a customer that wants to put a list of cities and venues where they have played in the last few years.
When I lay it out, the uppercase letters come to be .1636".
I have a decent press and I have newman frames with a decent exposure unit. I was wandering if that small lettering would be an issue.

Of course, it is white ink on black tees.

TIA

[IntegrityShirts]

Shouldn't be an issue.  Use a 200+ mesh screen and PFP with the same stroke each time. Only thing I'd play around with is choosing between a push or pull stroke.  With higher detailed prints, pushing can sometimes shift the mesh under pressure and blur the print if you're not super careful.

[mooseman]

it will be an issue if you use low mesh screens 123 110 .
We have done this with success several times, this is the stupid approach we take............
Suggest you specifically coat a 195 and a 155 mesh. carefully coat the screens at least 2/2 or more to get a solid gasket seal on the shirt side.
You will need an even EOM especially at the outer edges
Expose your screens carefully maybe even ad 10 to 15% to expose time unless you are sure you are properly exposing otherwise you may wash out thinner lines and edges etc. When you wash out DO NOT BLAST we soak and take a soft brush and simply paint the emulsion away while flooding.
Go print a test sample, plan on PFP possibly thinning or at least warming up your white ink and save yourself a bunch of grief at the start of an actual  run.
Don't be afraid to burn a couple three screens guesses sometimes work but options are better insurance when a guess goes wrong.
mooseman

[easyscore]

I would suggest using a block style font if that is an option. Less to worry about compared to serif style fonts.

[Denis Kolar]

This is the current stage of the art, we are still working on it.
Yes on higher mesh. I'm looking at 195 or 230.

[easyscore]

Just a heads up.

Why does the hyphen look different on Pirate's Cove line. 2nd line on the right.

[mooseman]

if you can eliminate the scroll work on the header and footer, just apply down the sides you will have a bunch more length for text.
Also you might try a thin vertical line smack down the middle of the design and shoot the lines aligned center and as they fall right & left, might be a cool unique look.
Just be thankful you are the printer and not the roadie for these guys.
mooseman

[IntegrityShirts]

I'd ditch or move the bullets closer to the text and add some character spacing and print it as is. 195 or 230 would be fine. What emulsion are you using?

[Denis Kolar]

Thanks guys for the pointers. I have noticed the hyphens and asked them which ones to use. They have sent it in like that.
Mooseman, thanks, I just used Jack Daniels scrolls that they requested and just placed the type in to see available area and size. I will still need to re-arrange the stuff and ad few more design element. Line in the middle was one of them.
Integrity, emulsion is ImageMate PC701. I was going to take the bullets out completely.
It is not a finished design yet. I did not want to do too much before I discuss the letter sizing on the forum.
How that I know that this size should work, i will do some more work on it.

[ScreenFoo]

I'm pretty sure you'll be able to nail that down with a 230, easy.  Even a bit of a nasty one like that. 

Maybe do one or two more passes coating, definitely makes printing easier.


As far as what size will work, run a film (or even part of one) and put it over a 230 on the light table.  Are the smallest details still spanning a few threads?  You should be fine. 

[Dottonedan]

.1636  is about a 17 pt type in TIMES.

[Sbrem]

I think you could go with a 140 or 156 too. I've seen finer detail on those...

Steve

[3Deep]

Choosing the right font also plays a big part in this, some fonts you can print and get every detail at 17 pt, some are to fat and close up with a PFP and some are so thin you can't get all the detail.  customers don't really know works and what want, we kind of have to move them in the right way.  If was a one pass ink print you can darn near use just about any font style or size...just my 3 cents

Darryl

[Evo]

Just my opinion, but that font is a pain in the eye to read, especially at that size. (or any size really) Maybe try something a little less "flowery" and it will be more readable and easier to print it sharp.

[Denis Kolar]

Here is the finished print.
They wanted me to revise the artwork "a bit". They have sent me a two column list and I was suposed to use only one.

195 mesh, Newman @ 33N PFP  Streetfighter ink with a tad of curable reducer.
Nice small details in the sculls, I believe that the reverse line is less than .5 point