# Is it possible to screen print a shadow?



## actualgrafix (Apr 25, 2007)

Does anyone know how i can create the "reflective shadow" effect underneath the "Car Show" using screen printing? If not i suppose i could just use a transfer for the shadow.


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## BLEM18 (Feb 9, 2010)

Looks like your using a gray or silver for the shadow......so just add white to lighten up your color enough so it looks like a good drop shadow


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## actualgrafix (Apr 25, 2007)

I actually used Black. I just blurred it and dropped the Transparency to 20%. I'll try using Silver with white added then Gray with white added to see which one works best. Thanks!


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## tpitman (Jul 30, 2007)

Are you aware that you'll need to produce a halftone to print the shadow, regardless of whether you use black ink at 20%, or a light gray ink at a higher tint value? Not to sound snotty, but from the way you've phrased the question it sounds as if you might not be aware of that.


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## actualgrafix (Apr 25, 2007)

tpitman said:


> Are you aware that you'll need to produce a halftone to print the shadow, regardless of whether you use black ink at 20%, or a light gray ink at a higher tint value? Not to sound snotty, but from the way you've phrased the question it sounds as if you might not be aware of that.


No i was not aware of that. I am relatively new at screen printing that is why i asked. Thanks


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## Guest (Apr 30, 2010)

With regards to halftones...I know that you can "create halftones" in illustrator. Do you have to have a RIP in order to print film and then burn the screen? Or will illustrator do the trick?


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## in2infinity (Dec 8, 2009)

To reproduce the shadow you'll need to do the following:

create the shadow with black/white gradient (or other color if you want it tinted). The top should be at least 20% black (color), fading to white or a maybe a 5% shade at the bottom.

export your films ... you'll need to select your rip (or use host) to make them. Whatever settings your rip (or host settings allow) between 30 and 75 LPI will do ok. Dot shape should be elliptical, screen angle can be 45 degrees unless you print the whole image process, then use a screen angle that works with you CMY angles.

Image your film to a screen with a mesh at least 3.5 times greater then line screen. So, if you did 53 LPI then you'd need a 185 or greater mesh. To be safe I'd probably go 225.

and voila!.... you're ready to print your shadow.

There was a question on whether or not you need a RIP. Technically no - you can use "Host based separations". Your results may not be ideal since there are a lot of things RIPs do when they make separations then just separate the colors. For example, they can mathematically adjust the dot pattern to prevent moire without affecting the colors. If you plan to just do some spot halftones you probably wouldn't miss having a RIP. If you do a lot of process printing you'd be much better off with one.


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## tpitman (Jul 30, 2007)

tomahawktees said:


> With regards to halftones...I know that you can "create halftones" in illustrator. Do you have to have a RIP in order to print film and then burn the screen? Or will illustrator do the trick?


Without a store-bought RIP, you can use Ghostscript to get the postscript features such as halftones, overprints, and so on out of Illustrator. If you've got Photoshop, you can also separate the job there and use bitmap halftones to output the tints. I do that quite often.


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