# Screen printing a bitmap



## fc (May 25, 2008)

Every screen printing job that I have done has involved artwork which has been vectored. I recently had someone come to me asking me to print a 5 color job using a bitmap. She explained that the printer she's used in the past had always printed off of a bitmap.

Is this possible? If so, how do you do your color separations? Wouldn't the quality of your print be poor given you don't have clean lines to work with?

Thanks,


----------



## alvin6661 (Dec 17, 2009)

can you post a pic of the bitmap in question?


----------



## red514 (Jul 21, 2009)

I do bitmap separations all the time, there's many methods (spot, spot halftone, simulated process, index) and techniques you can use all depending on the design and the print needs. All the separation is done in a bitmap editor (i use Adobe Photoshop)most often using channels to build your 'plates'.
the print quality/clarity for bitmap images is dependent on resolution (and how clean the original design is, "garbage in = garbage out"), you would want at least 300dpi for a clean line.


----------



## Blackwater (Feb 9, 2010)

you should be able to color separate it in Photo Shop, or use AI or Corel to trace the bitmap.


----------



## fc (May 25, 2008)

Thanks for the responses.

I've been doing a little research. Has anyone tried using this program called Spot Process Separation? It supposedly does color separation outside of PS, and is supposed to be easier.

Thanks,


----------

