Retro faded look

[Gilligan]

Is it as simple as not underbasing?

Something like this:



I have a two color job coming up that I'm thinking about doing this type of print on.  White and Navy blue print on a red shirt.

[Frog]

Based down inks, higher meshes, and depending on how far you want to go with "old and faded" maybe a distress filter.
As you know, plastisol doesn't really fade, it eventually cracks.

Thing is, I've done 'em,  but I always thought that the look is a little incongruous on new shirts.

[Gilligan]

Would you suggest this is a more advanced technique?

I was thinking this would be an easier way to cover mistakes since my daughter and her boyfriend want to help print them.

We were already looking at doing a distressed look, but then I got to thinking light on dark (underbase) + distressed look might get tricky with registration.

[Prosperi-Tees]

I have done a couple of prints with an 80 percent curable reducer to 20 percent ink. It gives you kind of a tone on tone look which is pretty cool. Cant seem to find pics though. The good thing about these kind of prints is that you really cant mess up.

[Frog]

Yeah, usually, distressed and "faded" prints hide a multitude of sins.
Now, engineer your art to work without registration issues. The navy probably doesn't need underbasing, and the white is on one screen, you said that you don't want it solid, so registering the distress should not be a problem. You're not punishing the kids with your 2x4's and hinges are you? lol!

Also, solid navy over a distressed base could be interesting as well.

[Fresh Baked Printing]

I've used 230 or higher mesh with no flood stroke to achieve a nice retro soft print. I wish all print request were for the retro look! No ink mod needed. If on a dark, no ub.

[Gilligan]

Yuck yuck yuck... laugh it up Andy.

You guys razzed me enough to drop $2700 on a press and dryer, that isn't enough. :p  FYI, the bungee cord setup was smoother than my Antec Legend. :p

I'm trying to give the kids all the help they can get... didn't you read my post in the general section about their "apprenticeship" session?

I have some 200 mesh that I just reclaimed from my press purchase... other than that I got my little 158's.

Once you base down your inks you pretty much have to chunk the ink when done right?  Or keep it around for another similar job... is that really practical?

[tpitman]

Just base down what you need, or weigh it out so you don't mix a lot, but can repeat the mix if necessary 'til the job is done.
In addition to the high mesh counts, based down ink and filters, the distressed effect can be augmented doing a generally half-assed print job with a light or uneven pass with the squeegie. I've also seen where people will wrinkle up some paper, flatten in, paste it to the platen, then load the shirt and print over it. I've always used a home-spun filter for the art, but you can probably dig up some feeebies online.

[Frog]

First off, as Tom said before I got to post, lol!  don't mix a lot more than you will use. Otherwise, if you don't think that you'll need it again the the future, you can probably add more of the whole ink to make it an everyday ink.
For as long as I can remember, we have put the whack on inks that go on light garments, even Union Ultrasoft, cutting with "Clear for gold" before soft hand base was even a gleam in Richard Labov'e eye.

[Gilligan]

How important is this basing down for this print?

Will be ordering some ink and I might as well get this base if I NEED it.  I use Union Soft Ultrasoft ink for everything except for low bleed white I use Rutland Maximum Plus White.  Is there a particular base that I should get given these facts?

[Frog]

For the "vintage" faded look, all you are trying to do is make the inks more transparent. For that, virtually any clear base will work.
Now, that said, with the trend towards soft hand, most plastisol printers already have somebody's version of that in their arsenal. It also extends ink and stretches dollars with the cheaper, un-pigmented base. It just isn't used in such great proportions for normal extending and softening.

As I mentioned, even twenty years ago, we were using Union's Clear base for metallic gold and Silver for this softening and extending purpose (even with Ultra Soft). Now, everyone has a soft-hand base available.

[Gilligan]

Are you suggesting I start basing down all my inks a bit for a softer hand?

[Sbrem]

When I started printing, there was no underbasing or flashing. We'd print the darker colors first then the whites or golds near the end. Stepping on the darks wasn't so bad, and after all, there wasn't anything better at the time, mid seventies. Stapled fabric, probably wouldn't register on a meter, and multi filament threads. If you want to go true retro, do it the way it was done at the time. If you need cracks, then prepare you're art that way, but print it the old fashioned way.

[Gilligan]

When I started printing, there was no underbasing or flashing. We'd print the darker colors first then the whites or golds near the end. Stepping on the darks wasn't so bad, and after all, there wasn't anything better at the time, mid seventies. Stapled fabric, probably wouldn't register on a meter, and multi filament threads. If you want to go true retro, do it the way it was done at the time. If you need cracks, then prepare you're art that way, but print it the old fashioned way.

The trend is to LOOK retro... not to BE retro.

[Frog]

Are you suggesting I start basing down all my inks a bit for a softer hand?

if you want a softer hand