Author Topic: Getting the hang of halftones  (Read 3139 times)

Offline galatieatthis

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Getting the hang of halftones
« on: February 24, 2013, 12:51:06 AM »
Another local printer gave me the rundown for Creating/Designing halftones.
So I'm getting the hang of it.

I stick to printing, Not so much designing!

But check these out.

What do ya think?


Offline Dottonedan

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Re: Getting the hang of halftones
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2013, 10:29:40 AM »
Looks pretty smooth. Halftone are never anything to be afraid of. It's almost like printing flat spot color, just very much smaller areas of spot color. :)

Once you find out all of the details on what to watch our for, halftones are a normal part of your every day process.

I think it would be beneficial to every printer who start out to put down a first print using halftones and solids in the same screen. Your going to do it, may as well start out doing it.


Nice job.
Artist & high end separator, Owner of The Vinyl Hub, Owner of Dot-Tone-Designs, Past M&R Digital tech installer for I-Image machines. Over 35 yrs in the apparel industry. e-mail art@designsbydottone.com

Offline tonypep

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Re: Getting the hang of halftones
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2013, 06:40:41 AM »
Once you get the hang of it try two screens. Often when printing black solid vector in conjunction with halftones many use a low mesh black for solid areas and high mesh for halftones. Gives you more control.

Offline tpitman

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Re: Getting the hang of halftones
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2013, 07:34:52 AM »
Once you get the hang of it try two screens. Often when printing black solid vector in conjunction with halftones many use a low mesh black for solid areas and high mesh for halftones. Gives you more control.

A lot more forgiving on a manual press. I always use two screens with a mix of halftones and large solids of the same color. Might seem like a crutch to some, but the end result is what's important.
Work is the curse of the drinking class . . .

Offline Command-Z

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Re: Getting the hang of halftones
« Reply #4 on: March 06, 2013, 11:29:28 AM »
These look great. Are they one color?

I like providing a black sep to crisp things up just in case the client wants it.
Design, Illustration and Color Separation for the Imprinted Apparel Industry for over 20 years. SeibelStudio.com
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Offline galatieatthis

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Re: Getting the hang of halftones
« Reply #5 on: March 06, 2013, 11:48:38 AM »
They are all two color images.
But the halftones are all single colors(if i'm saying that right?)

Top one is white Underbase
& Black Halftones on top of it.
(it's on a Navy T), If it was a Black T, I would have just done white.

I believe the 2nd one is Hit/flash/Hit of white.
Then flash for the 2nd & toss a single hit of red on.

& the Bottom one was Single hit white.
& 2 hit's of orange.
I planned on doing a white underbase on the orange.
& for some reason, when burning, It warped the word "Widower"
On one of the screens, So they were WAY off.
So I just did multiple hits of orange & I was fine

Offline ScreenFoo

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Re: Getting the hang of halftones
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2013, 11:51:34 AM »
I think they were more getting at having just one white or black screen with the halftones and solid areas, instead of a halftone screen and a spot screen.  The whole black over a white underbase thing can be pretty tricky, but it looks great.  Nice job, for sure--the title of the thread should be 'got the hang of halftones'.   ;)


Offline galatieatthis

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Re: Getting the hang of halftones
« Reply #7 on: March 06, 2013, 11:56:19 AM »
Thanks for the kind words.

Well more so I was referring to the "halftoning" process.
To me printing halftones is a no-brainer, Just don't push to hard.
Or put to much weight on your squeegee & you'll be fine.

I don't handle much design work at all. It's just me, start to finish.
So I never ventured into any of that.
I push for the client to have the design print ready(like that ever happens)
& I've had dozens & dozens of people toss me photographs & say, "print this"
So eventually I just said.. I'm going to learn how to do these.
Another local printer(in a nearby state) helped me out via a computer screen sharing program.
Showed me the ropes & it seems to be working alright.

I've been taking on more design/editing responsibilities, just because I need to pull the job.
& most designers that handle the artwork I want to print. Have NO idea how to make them print ready.
From color separations, to halftones, to making a high quality image(which is sad)

Thanks.

I'm a bit new, Haven't even been printing 2 years. So these were a big step for me.

Offline tonypep

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Re: Getting the hang of halftones
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2013, 11:58:02 AM »
They look quite good!