Impressions - January 2015 - 67
are made using AccuRip software and an
Epson 4900 inkjet printer.)
Coudray says: "For the cleanest dots
and best tone range, use a sharp 70/90/70
triple-durometer squeegee and 305.34
mesh tensioned to at least 25 N/cm. One
of the easiest tricks you can do to really
improve your halftone printing is to add
2% by weight of clear, high-density base to
your halftone inks. This will dramatically
reduce your dot gain and improve the
tone transition from lights to darks."
Trying to print halftones with the same
squeegees that are used in the shop on
a daily basis also can be a mistake. "One
of the most common errors I see printers
make is to use a squeegee that is too dull,"
Coudray says. "For sharp dots, you need to
cut the ink, not mash it. To determine if
your squeegee is sharp enough, lightly drag
your finger across the edge of the blade. If
you can feel the individual ridges of your
fingerprint, the blade is sharp enough."
High-tension screens are best for printing halftones because they enable better
registration, controlled off-contact and excellent "snap-off" behind the squeegee.
Stir plastisol inks thoroughly before going to the press and, according to Coudray,
never add reducer to ink that will be used
for printing halftones. Reducer destroys
its thixotropic nature, causing massive dot
gain and a dark, muddy print. If you can't
see the individual dots when all the colors
are printed, that means you're mashing
the ink, he says.
"It's common for beginning halftone
printers to use 230-mesh for their prints,
and a low line count such as 45 lpi. The
line count is OK, but you need to use
305 plain-weave mesh with 34-micron
thread (305.34 plain weave). It will print as
easily as 230, but with much more control.
Keep the tension at 25 N/cm or higher for
best results."
James Ortolani has more than 30 years
experience in the decorated apparel industry,
specializing in hands-on direct screen printing and heat transfer production. He has
worked for main industry suppliers, and currently serves as product development specialist for Transfer Express. For more information
or to comment on this article, email James at
james.ortolani@stahlsdfc.com.
Suggested
Reading
Like this article? Read these and other screen printing articles at
impressionsmag.com:
* "Screen Printing on 100% Polyester Mesh"
* "Printing on Suede Fabrics"
* "Printing on Baby Rib Knits"
From film output to screen exposure, there are several variables
to consider when printing halftones. Shown is the process of inspecting
halftones with magnification.
Use Info*Action #29 at impressionsmag.com/infoaction See us at ISS Long Beach
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January 2015 | Impressions
67
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Impressions - January 2015
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - January 2015
Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
ISS Conferences
On Design
The Impressions Awards Go High Fashion
Fit to a Tee
Apparel Decorators: The Holy Grail for PPDs
Target Acquired
Shop Spotlight
Embroidery Production
Screen Printing Production
Screen Printing Technique
Digital Decorating
Classifieds
Ad Index
Online Directory
Impressions - January 2015 - BB1
Impressions - January 2015 - BB2
Impressions - January 2015 - Cover1
Impressions - January 2015 - Cover2
Impressions - January 2015 - 1
Impressions - January 2015 - Contents
Impressions - January 2015 - 3
Impressions - January 2015 - First Impressions
Impressions - January 2015 - 5
Impressions - January 2015 - From the Show Director
Impressions - January 2015 - 7
Impressions - January 2015 - FYI
Impressions - January 2015 - 9
Impressions - January 2015 - 10
Impressions - January 2015 - 11
Impressions - January 2015 - 12
Impressions - January 2015 - 13
Impressions - January 2015 - 14
Impressions - January 2015 - 15
Impressions - January 2015 - Product Gallery
Impressions - January 2015 - 17
Impressions - January 2015 - 18
Impressions - January 2015 - 17a
Impressions - January 2015 - 17b
Impressions - January 2015 - 19
Impressions - January 2015 - ISS Conferences
Impressions - January 2015 - 21
Impressions - January 2015 - On Design
Impressions - January 2015 - 23
Impressions - January 2015 - The Impressions Awards Go High Fashion
Impressions - January 2015 - 25
Impressions - January 2015 - 26
Impressions - January 2015 - 27
Impressions - January 2015 - 28
Impressions - January 2015 - 29
Impressions - January 2015 - 30
Impressions - January 2015 - 31
Impressions - January 2015 - 32
Impressions - January 2015 - 33
Impressions - January 2015 - 34
Impressions - January 2015 - 35
Impressions - January 2015 - 36
Impressions - January 2015 - 37
Impressions - January 2015 - 38
Impressions - January 2015 - 39
Impressions - January 2015 - 40
Impressions - January 2015 - 41
Impressions - January 2015 - Fit to a Tee
Impressions - January 2015 - 43
Impressions - January 2015 - 44
Impressions - January 2015 - 45
Impressions - January 2015 - 46
Impressions - January 2015 - 47
Impressions - January 2015 - 48
Impressions - January 2015 - 49
Impressions - January 2015 - Apparel Decorators: The Holy Grail for PPDs
Impressions - January 2015 - 51
Impressions - January 2015 - Target Acquired
Impressions - January 2015 - 53
Impressions - January 2015 - 54
Impressions - January 2015 - 55
Impressions - January 2015 - Shop Spotlight
Impressions - January 2015 - 57
Impressions - January 2015 - Embroidery Production
Impressions - January 2015 - 59
Impressions - January 2015 - 60
Impressions - January 2015 - 61
Impressions - January 2015 - Screen Printing Production
Impressions - January 2015 - 63
Impressions - January 2015 - 64
Impressions - January 2015 - Screen Printing Technique
Impressions - January 2015 - 66
Impressions - January 2015 - 67
Impressions - January 2015 - Digital Decorating
Impressions - January 2015 - 69
Impressions - January 2015 - 70
Impressions - January 2015 - Classifieds
Impressions - January 2015 - 72
Impressions - January 2015 - Online Directory
Impressions - January 2015 - 74
Impressions - January 2015 - Cover3
Impressions - January 2015 - Cover4
Impressions - January 2015 - ISS1
Impressions - January 2015 - ISS2
Impressions - January 2015 - ISS3
Impressions - January 2015 - ISS4
Impressions - January 2015 - ISS5
Impressions - January 2015 - ISS6
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