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screen printing => Ink and Chemicals => Topic started by: Prosperi-Tees on May 17, 2013, 07:11:53 PM
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I have a order where they specd out their pantone color which is 3 shades of the same color. Well in the directions it is really for print as it states Pantone 647 100%, 80% and 50%. How do I translate that when mixing my ink? I know in the paint industry when we wanted 50% of a color we would just cut the formula in half. Will the same principle still work in ink? I would imagine so and I am probably overthinking this. I am using QCM QMX system.
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I may not be understanding fully but couldn't you handle that with halftones?
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That is the problem. It is text and probably wouldn't look good halftoned. Image attached
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Awe, I see now. Ok. All you need to do then is look at your pantone book, and reference that main color you will be using, and then pick another pantone that resembles closest to the other shades...and mix those up as pantone solids. If you were not provided a (printed image) to reference the colors. then you may be spit out of luck as your color printer might be off a few shades and could distort you choices. Horse shoes and hand grenades.
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I have had that situation, and I believe that I mixed the original Pantone ink with different amounts of white.
Otherwise, get your custy to browse the book with you, and have them pick.
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I have had that situation, and I believe that I mixed the original Pantone ink with different amounts of white.
Otherwise, get your custy to browse the book with you, and have them pick.
In theory you should be able to just cut the formula back 20% and 50% respectively and come up with those shades without adjusting the amount of base white, just adjusting the pigments.
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I don't know about inks. I'm not that experienced at it, but I am at paint and such. Seems to me if you cut back on the pigment and have the same amount ot base, it will be a more translucent ink of the original. That may not be on par with the need. Would be good for some ghosting effects. I donno. Could be wrong. Adding white tho, like Frog mentioned should work decent.
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I have had that situation, and I believe that I mixed the original Pantone ink with different amounts of white.
Otherwise, get your custy to browse the book with you, and have them pick.
In theory you should be able to just cut the formula back 20% and 50% respectively and come up with those shades without adjusting the amount of base white, just adjusting the pigments.
Sure, do the math, and in the end it's the same, but my way, you start with a constant, and then get a visual aid. That visual aid can also be observed as you gradually add the white to get an idea of if it's working right.
Depending on what inks, or pigments are used, they may not all be created equal, and straight percentages may not result in the desired tint.
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the original Pantone ink with different amounts of white.
Yep. Pulling back the % of pigment is an option but would only work going on a white base or shirt and probably still be a finicky pain in the ass compared to mixing an opaque spot. Dan's notion of matching to like pantones is good too but, in the book, it's essentially going to be doing the same thing, adding white.
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647 C
5415 C
644 C
:D
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BTW -
Never tell a customer you'll do an exact Pantone match. Tell them it's impossible, because a shirt cannot adhere to the same standards as paper and other substrates. (coated, uncoated, etc) You can get "simulated" Pantone matches, but the surface of a t-shirt and the multitude of other variables (monitor calibration, lighting conditions, ink mfr batches, etc) make it a "close as possible" scenario.
Most of the time you tell them this, and they are fine with it, and sometimes even pleasantly surprised with the results.
In other words, under-promise, over deliver.
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Good thinking guys. I think though as was eluded to that cutting back the pigment may work better in this instance as they going on white shirts. I feel by adding white you are almost shooting blind as its an educated guess at best to know if you are at 80% or 50% of the color. Theoretically if you add 50% or 80% of the pigment you will know more or less that it is the right shade. Does that make sense?
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you are making this too difficult. burn it on a 305, adjust the curves for two strokes (-20 in the middle) and print with one screen. They will get the percentages they are asking for. If they want three colors, have them specify the PMS numbers. . .
pierre
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you are making this too difficult. burn it on a 305, adjust the curves for two strokes (-20 in the middle) and print with one screen. They will get the percentages they are asking for. If they want three colors, have them specify the PMS numbers. . .
pierre
Are you saying cut the percentages back 20% and double stroke to "fill in" and make up the 20%. I dont understand what "adjust the curves" is. Must be a Photoshop thing?
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I thought it might just have been me. I didn't really understand that one either.
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You can either run one screen and try and keep you pressure/speed/viscosity/off contact, etc, the same
across all prints to hit three halftone colors or you can burn three screens with three different standard ink
colors that will print almost exactly the same no matter how hard or soft you hit them.
Halftone tiny text/lines, blech.
But if you must, in Illy you can just assign an opacity/transparency for each different color, (IE 10% opaque, %30 etc.)
And don't forget to compensate for your gain on press, probably ~%20 printing manually.
(burn three)
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Gerri is this a big order? I'm there with blue you are going way to deep, but hey that's what makes your work stand out, but lazy me would halftone the heck out if it with one screen on high mesh and be done, or I would do like Frog suggested and add white, plus how do they know that it ain't those % tints..if they are that good let them mix there own inks LOL, and you just print it.
Darryl
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i would burn 3 screens...you'll get better detail and perfect results...that being said, i would simply add some white to the darkest color and roll with it.
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It is for 650 pieces. I may test one halftoned 305 screen and see what happens. I guess I am being kinda anal about this lol.
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650 pcs, do 3 screen...no doubt..wait, you don't have an auto yet, correct?
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650 pcs, do 3 screen...no doubt..wait, you don't have an auto yet, correct?
No not yet, you are correct
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650 pc is worth the extra work, could be a nice repeat order, and white shirts to boot, I thinking this was for a small order.
D
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i'd outsource it...not worth printing it yourself
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you are making this too difficult. burn it on a 305, adjust the curves for two strokes (-20 in the middle) and print with one screen. They will get the percentages they are asking for. If they want three colors, have them specify the PMS numbers. . .
pierre
Are you saying cut the percentages back 20% and double stroke to "fill in" and make up the 20%. I dont understand what "adjust the curves" is. Must be a Photoshop thing?
yup, that's what I was saying. In Photoshop there is a diagram with a curve that you can grab and drag up or down to adjust the percentages.
Not sure how to do it in Corel, but if you can somehow make the adjustment in the middle of the range (around 50%) and make it 30% that's what you are looking for. Obviously, the transition would have to be smooth, so if you have to do it manually, that would mean -20 at 50%, -15 at 40/60%, -10% 30-70% and -5 at 20/80% or something along those lines.
pierre
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I might have missed something else, but I thought I saw it was 600 shirts. So why bother with getting halftones right and just split it into 3 screens and pick colors. Solid type beats out the look of halftoned type any time unless its really large type and printed at a high line count so you have smaller dots.
I very much dislike the look of small type with anything higher than 20% fill on the average line halftones in fill (dots get too big between the 20 and 80% range) If at all possible, I prefer adding a small % of another similar color to help with the blending. I think this is similar to what Pierre is tryi g to do with the double hit of a light %. With that tho, you gotta also consider how thick your ink is. Pierre's ink is super thin. So a double or triple hit of halftone may look good. A double or triple hit of thicker ink may over do it and end up with solid type where your halftones should be.
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I answered before reading everything, DUH!
As eb said, keeping it consistent on a manual might be a problem (don't really know how much of a problem though, I only used the manual for few months and did not get to do much halftone work with it).
It should be easier/faster to print with one screen rather than three, but I guess it will depend on your customer now.
And yes, small type with halftones might be a problem. You can always explain it to your customer and suggest going with three colors (and charging them for it. This way you are not giving away additional work).
pierre
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yeah, or outsource to a shop with an auto. I agree with dan, I don't like halftones in my text. I think it makes it look fuzzy. You will probably end up with 3 screens, which is almost 2,000 print strokes, that is a whole day. an auto shop could run that off in 65 minutes once it up and registered. ( i print 50 doz an hour usually)
send it to them and go out cold calling or work on a marketing campaign...time better spent...the money is in selling, not printing.
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send it to them and go out cold calling or work on a marketing campaign...time better spent...the money is in selling, not printing.
So unbelievably true. So many dont believe this and cant take their mind off the money they are letting walk out the door. When in reality they are losing money by not being able to bring in more money.
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i am sitting here putting the finishing touches on an email campaign, while my printer is out back sending shirts down the belt and the DTG machine is humming away with another person running that. If I don't spend my time getting orders through the door, I am not using my time wisely