Gradients

[Spud]

On the art side of setting up gradients, how would I go about making and printing out on vellum smoother gradients..

i know the mesh count is going to impact it, just wonderin on my side if there's little tricks I don't know

high lpi makes it better right?

I print normally 40lpi, 22.5 degree angle, elipse dots

[Spud]

here's the design i'm working on that i REALLY would like smoother fades in..

[Jackpine]

I would digital print them depending on the use, size an how many.

[Spud]

Yeah but we don't have a printer, and I doubt the owner would want to sub-out when we can screenprint them in house.

[Jackpine]

Yeah but we don't have a printer, and I doubt the owner would want to sub-out when we can screenprint them in house.
I can agree with you if the finished product would work as well and be cost effective.

[Spud]

I can agree with you if the finished product would work as well and be cost effective.

Our printer is great, he's ALL about quality so they'll turn out better. Just trying to find information on what I can do better to smooth out the gradients even more!

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

How about a photo of the finished product so we can see just what you don't like about what you have already got?

You're going to suffer problems at the 92 % & 8 % tones and the extremities from them anyway, and it will be especially more obvious if you go for a finer linescreen.

You could maybe try an index print instead of a halftone?

What extent of in-house do you do, or do you already sub it out & just call it 'in-house'?

What quantity are you talking about- 10 shirts, 50, 200...?

[bob]

Screen printing gradients is much easier accomplished by judicious use of split fountain printing rather than relying on a photographic effect. Split fountain being the term for using multiple colors of ink for one impression.

The downside to split fountain printing is that the gradients can only run perpendicular to the path of the squeegee, you can't do radials and angles. After some number of prints, in the 100's, the colors tend to mix too much and you have to clean out the screen and start again. The printer will hate you. He'll do it but he'll hate you.

Upside is you get multiple colors for the price of one screen. The gradients are far more pleasing than something rendered in half tone photography. Each print is slightly different, so slight as to be undetectable from piece to piece, due to continuous ink mixing.

The thing with split fountain is that you have to create a design with this in mind. While adapting the design to the process may be off putting the results can be stunning.

[Jackpine]

" split fountain printing", any printer that has a bit of experience would know how to use that technique. They' re great effects with screen print techniques when, as Bob stated, it it is created in the designed for it.

[Spud]

Interesting I'll do some research and look into it more.

Ian, i'll snap a shot monday when we print them. We have a 5 color auto press in the shop so it's actually "in-house".

[Pro Image]

Try a line count of 45 and use a circular dot and burn on a 255 mesh screen............I have never got a "great fade" using elipses ......

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

Spud, do you understand Bob's split fountain idea- put say three blobs of screen ink on the screen, mix them a bit with a straw, stick, spatula, where they meet till you get a blend you like, then squeegee across, and you'll get say red, orange & yellow all in the one print with the one screen.

I did one a few months ago like that for a local childcare centre- the design was originally made for a white print on a dark colour, but I decided to put green then red then blue, and squeegee sideways across the shirt, to make a multicoloured print on white- the picture was a child-drawn garden, house & sky, so the grass & flowers came out greenish, the building reddish, and the sky blueish, with maroony & browny blends where they mixed, but it was liked for the time it took. You have to clean it up after a bunch of prints or it gets messy.
HTH

[Spud]

Try a line count of 45 and use a circular dot and burn on a 255 mesh screen............I have never got a "great fade" using elipses ......

Thanks for the info! I'm quite new to this, and I was told otherwise that ellipses lay it down to where the color is more solid, but that was only one mans opinion. I'll try this out and let ya know, it'll be later this week for pics of the final product so be patient!

[Spud]

Spud, do you understand Bob's split fountain idea- put say three blobs of screen ink on the screen, mix them a bit with a straw, stick, spatula, where they meet till you get a blend you like, then squeegee across, and you'll get say red, orange & yellow all in the one print with the one screen.

I did one a few months ago like that for a local childcare centre- the design was originally made for a white print on a dark colour, but I decided to put green then red then blue, and squeegee sideways across the shirt, to make a multicoloured print on white- the picture was a child-drawn garden, house & sky, so the grass & flowers came out greenish, the building reddish, and the sky blueish, with maroony & browny blends where they mixed, but it was liked for the time it took. You have to clean it up after a bunch of prints or it gets messy.
HTH

I sorta caught on but you're explanation helped alot. I don't think we'll be able to try this at the current time, but I have a project coming up that we'll set time for it sounds interesting and i'm sure the right application it'll will have the best effect.

I'll keep you guys posted!