Question for Dan the Man

[inkman996]

Hey Dan I have a job coming up that uses three colors red/kelly green/yellow. I want to create a fourth color out of the red and green. What i am hoping to do is get a good darker color than all the rest, i never did it with a green and a red in the past. What would you recommend for parameters. Solid on solid? Halftone one? 110's screens? red on green or reverse? I am assuming the color will be some what of a muddy drab green?

[blue moon]

can I play, too?

here's my guess . . . Dan tha man can correct!

red and green mixed should give you a brown. If you are just looking to darken up the green and you are using a darker red, I would print a solid green with a very fine halftone of red on top. 20%? Maybe less . . .

For spots, we would use 230's and if it is a raster type image with photo type gradients, it would go on 305's. Yellow first, then solid green and little bit of red on top.

this also changes depending if you are printing on an underbase or not. Total ink that can safely be deposited on a light color shirt is higher as the cotton will soak it p. When printing on an underbase, the ink stays on top of it and only about half the qty can be laid down safely. In some cases the green might not be 100% but 80% or so (if there are other colors going into the mix). From what I am understanding, on cotton 250%+/- works, on underbases 150%+/- is OK (or you can think of it as 150% plus underbase has to be less than 250%).



here's an approximation of the results . . .

[inkman996]

You have the same thoughts I had. But needed to be sure. The image is all spot colors so mesh counts probably 160 or 200. I figured solid green and some percentage of red on top. Colors are not specific so i am going to use a darker than flag red for this print.

Thanks!

[blue moon]

You have the same thoughts I had. But needed to be sure. The image is all spot colors so mesh counts probably 160 or 200. I figured solid green and some percentage of red on top. Colors are not specific so i am going to use a darker than flag red for this print.

Thanks!

with or without the underbase?

[JBLUE]

Heres my two cents even though it is not even worth the two pennies. If this is a job that you have time to play around with I would play with the percentages and see what you get on press. Its a great way to learn what you can pull off. If it is not just bite the bullet and throw down the fourth screen for the color you need. It will take less time to do that then it will to re burn a screen, new film, set it up again and trying to dial in your percentages. Those two colors together get pretty nasty looking quickly if your off.

[blue moon]

Heres my two cents even though it is not even worth the two pennies. If this is a job that you have time to play around with I would play with the percentages and see what you get on press. Its a great way to learn what you can pull off. If it is not just bite the bullet and throw down the fourth screen for the color you need. It will take less time to do that then it will to re burn a screen, new film, set it up again and trying to dial in your percentages. Those two colors together get pretty nasty looking quickly if your off.

I am going to go "borrow" the thread for a sec . . . I just never cease to be amazed with the great different perspectives offered/shared here. So many times I look at something, post the answer and see a follow up drastically different from mine, but so valid and appropriate. 'worth a lot more than $0.02! I would say at least two beers on me if we are ever in a same room.

Thank you!

[BBB]

how about playing with the green and yellow?...So many times while dealing with two or three colors it only hits you later, there are multiple ways to make more colors...halftones of the ink your using, like yellow over green, halftone green, Photoshop is the place to play...Just think, with ONE color, you can do a multitude of shades..so can you with colors...three, four, shades of green, yellow, and others on top of one another...With two colors you can make a kelly and a "lighter" green, a 100per cent and a halftone..of any color you have to use...

[BBB]

What I'm trying to say is you can do alot with percentages to make a one color, two color job impressive to the customer,,,If you dont..someone will..

[inkman996]

This job is three colors on white tanks in the spirit of rasta hence red green yellow. They do not want to spring for a fourth color which I think should be black it really needs it. I love projects like these I have mixed colors in the past with great results but never red and green. I am thinking if it is a crummy muddy color it still will play well with the rasta colors almost an earthy feel. If I did not enjoy trying something new I wold probably toss in the black and say screw it would rather our print look good out there.

[BBB]

Show the art...maybe Dan or others can help...Red and green are the start of brown...

[JBLUE]

Go back to you ink and do a little mixing with the kelly and some red. Even if you use a bright red the kelly over powers it and it does not look brown. More like a swamp mud color.....lol

[Evo]

This job is three colors on white tanks in the spirit of rasta hence red green yellow. They do not want to spring for a fourth color which I think should be black it really needs it.

Do red/blue/yellow. Percentage of blue over yellow to get green. 100% blue/red stacked for dark keyline areas. Yellow/red for orange highlights. Go nuts!


Hey it's an idea!
 

[Evo]

Oh and whatever you do, think of dot gain.