# Halftones-End of my rope... Please Help



## SewCrazy583 (Sep 19, 2015)

I need serious help. Newbie to screen printing, but the simple designs have all turned out pretty well for me so far. I have a family member who wants me to see if I can recreate his label on a tee. Sounds simple enough, right? 

Well here is where I am pulling my hair out....

The print is white on black tee. I have tried using bitmap and pixelate options in my PS and neither have resulted in a usable screen. I have tried playing with the exposure times due to the detail work, the size thinking that larger image may help, and nothing seems to be working. 

I thought of going to a local printer, but honestly I live in a very very rural area. It is kind of cut-throat around where I live. So trusting someone to help without trying to cut me is pretty much out of the question. I would pay for someone to make me a screen at this point. No other designs have given me this much trouble. I am almost ready to just give up and throw in the towel. If it weren't for the fact that we REALLY need the income this one print would create, I would have done it weeks ago. 

HELP PLEASE!!!!!!


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## Viper Graphics (Mar 28, 2009)

SewCrazy583 said:


> I need serious help. Newbie to screen printing, but the simple designs have all turned out pretty well for me so far. I have a family member who wants me to see if I can recreate his label on a tee. Sounds simple enough, right?
> 
> Well here is where I am pulling my hair out....
> 
> ...


Can you post a pic of what your wanting to screen?


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## SewCrazy583 (Sep 19, 2015)

For some unknown reason it is not giving me the option of uploading a photo. There is no option in the "Additional Options" box like what the link says there should be. Maybe because I am new? But I did put the design I am trying to make up as my photo.


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## Celtic (Feb 19, 2008)

Is it a psd file? 

Also, is your problem limited to the halftone creation and not the film and/or burning it on a screen?
Keep in mind, too, that you don't want to go with a low mesh screen if you've got fine halftone details.


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## ChillaxTees (Sep 12, 2015)

When you say "and neither have resulted in a usable screen" what do you mean? Is it to much ink passing or not enough? I also have to think its the mesh count... Honestly my head always hurts when doing white print on black yet halftones, Sometimes I just think I should buy vinyl transfers. but I know I cant get the same look


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## SewCrazy583 (Sep 19, 2015)

I was using a 200 mesh screen. I used this same size with another print that had fine lines as well and it turned out great. My positives are nice and dark, double layered and aligned perfectly on a registration screen. Every dot lines up. I thought the one layer was pretty dark, but doubled up just to be safe and avoid accidental exposure. 

Most of my other screens I have had to expose them for 6-7 minutes for them to wash out well with crisp lines. This one, it didn't work at all. So I reduced my time to 5 1/2 min and still no dice. The screen still had emulsion left in it (which if I am right means that it ended up being exposed minimally anyway) where the fine details like in the rifle are. So I went down to 4 1/2 minutes and it washed out either too much or not enough. 

I have watched so many tutorials on this it is not funny. I watched one tonight that said white screens act as a fiber optic during exposure. Have any of you guys heard this? Could this be a factor in my problems? If so, do you have any suggestions on how I can solve this other than buying all new colored screens? What screen mesh would you suggest for this job? The print area is about 12.5x 15 inches (what i put in the image size on PS).


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## SewCrazy583 (Sep 19, 2015)

ChillaxTees said:


> When you say "and neither have resulted in a usable screen" what do you mean? Is it to much ink passing or not enough? I also have to think its the mesh count... Honestly my head always hurts when doing white print on black yet halftones, Sometimes I just think I should buy vinyl transfers. but I know I cant get the same look


I meant that no matter how hard or how many times we have tried to print with them, ink flows in a lot of the print. However, the finer details such as the rifles, men's faces and hair don't seem to wash out. The large areas such as the lettering, and rifle stocks don't print at all. I am starting to think maybe enlarge the photos and try that. That way the details will be larger and expose better.


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## Celtic (Feb 19, 2008)

Angie, what kind of exposure unit are you using? And, are you getting good results closer to the light source, vs further outward ? Remember, too, that you need to have good contact with your film to your screen.


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## SewCrazy583 (Sep 19, 2015)

It is a tabletop unit identical to the one here:

UV Exposure Unit [SPE-24] - $449.00 : Dingword, The Key to Business Success

I put a piece of 3 inch foam between the lid and the screen to give extra pressure (tip from Ryonet tutorials on youtube) and close and latch the lid.


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## BRoeAZ (Aug 22, 2009)

How old is the emulsion you are using?


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

Angie,

I hate it when I'm in frustration mode and someone tells me to "relax...it's going to be OK".

But relax. It's going to be OK 

So, you say you're doubling up your films? If so, don't double up your films, particularly halftones. If the image is very opaque, no need to. Plus, even though the film may be clear, a certain amount of the essential UV is blocked. Doubling up blocks more and changes your exposure times. BUT sounds like you're having over-exposure (areas not washing out). Doubling up issue again...maybe. Think about the layered films. If the ink side of the film is touching the emulsion, you have emulsion, ink, film, ink, then film. You're going to get light-scatter (UV going where it's not supposed to go) anyway from multiple bulbs, but it's increased by the additional film/space layer. 

I'll PM you later with some additional suggestions on mesh and line count.


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## Ripcord (Sep 2, 2006)

If you want, you can email me your PS file and I can send you a file with the halftone that you can print out. If you're burning the screen correctly it should work fine.


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## SewCrazy583 (Sep 19, 2015)

Less than a month old.


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## SewCrazy583 (Sep 19, 2015)

I THINK I GOT IT!!!!!!

Stupid rookie mistake, but hey that's what I am and I will proudly own it! My ink was way too thick. 

I know how silly it sounds, but in my starter kit they had thinner for the PVC inks, but that was it. I went to the plastisol ink because I figured it would be easier with the opacity (thinking that was what I was doing wrong because I hadn't tried it). That didn't work out. 

So today went to watch more tutorials on problem shooting and differences in the two inks... water-base and plastisols. Got looking at the ink they were using and BAMMMM! It hit me.... water based paste (what I got.... ya I know but I had to buy it cheap) would be thinned by adding (DUH!!) water! Ya I feel really silly by now. Thinned out my ink, burned a 100 mesh screen with the same settings just enlarged the photos a little thinking it would be easier and this evening I printed my first shirt. All the detail was there. 

Need to make another screen with just the lettering to darken it up because the photos were perfect with one swipe but blurred with the second. The wording is too light with the one. But hey, that is nothing in comparison to the misery I have been putting myself through. 

I really truly appreciate all the help you all gave me. I really didn't think about the thickness being an issue. It was such a miserable ride getting to where I am now. I really thought it was my images or my screen not being done right. I wonder now how many of those attempts would have worked right if I had thinned my ink. I was so frustrated because everything else I have done has been great except for this one project. Now I know I won't forget my ink in the future.

I still don't have the option to post a photo in here, but I will add a pic to my album so you all can see. I am quite proud considering I have only had my press for 3 1/2 weeks and never even watched a video on the process until 4 weeks ago. I think I am doing pretty well considering how long I have been working with this form of art. And yes, it is art. Some of the stuff I have seen on here is breath taking beautiful. I only hope I will get that good in time.


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## ChillaxTees (Sep 12, 2015)

Hey.... sounds good and youre on your way.
Good luck and hope to see your final work


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## TSwindall (Mar 15, 2012)

just curious, but what inks are you using?


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## williekid (Apr 22, 2009)

Sounds crazy to me, i'm confused. LOL Glad you got things to working out. Just curious, wouldn't 100 mesh count be too low of count mesh? Typically on plastisol 110 is the standard and if printing halftones you want to go with a lower dpi. So i've researched that when printing waterbase inks you want the mesh count to be higher, 160-230. I mean if its working for you and you like your results cool, but sounds to me like your putting yourself way through much more than needed.


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## SewCrazy583 (Sep 19, 2015)

QUOTE=TSwindall;3288658]just curious, but what inks are you using?[/QUOTE]

TBH They were in a start up kit that I got off of ASC365.com. I knew they would be cheap, but thought they would give me something to play with and learn. I mean, honestly, I got my 4 color 4 platent press, flash, 10 squeegees, 5 yards of 60, 100, and 200 mesh, screen dryer cabinet, UV exposure unit, screen stretcher, 10 aluminum frames, 1/2 gal emulsion, emulsion remover & hardener, thinner, several sizes of spatulas/putty knives, 5 PVC inks, plus the water base ink set and didn't even pay $3000 after shipping and all. Honestly, the only thing in the whole kit that I would complain about would be the inks. The equipment (whole reason I chose this pkg) works really nice. And from what I saw, I got an awesome setup for the cost.


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## SewCrazy583 (Sep 19, 2015)

QUOTE=williekid;3288849]Sounds crazy to me, i'm confused. LOL Glad you got things to working out. Just curious, wouldn't 100 mesh count be too low of count mesh? Typically on plastisol 110 is the standard and if printing halftones you want to go with a lower dpi. So i've researched that when printing waterbase inks you want the mesh count to be higher, 160-230. I mean if its working for you and you like your results cool, but sounds to me like your putting yourself way through much more than needed.[ QUOTE]

I only had the three (60, 100, 200) at the time. I was desperate so I was trying everything. I knew the 100 would not work propperly unless I adjusted the bitmap to work with the mesh count. 

My whole problem was my ink. Not my positive, my screen, exposure, or anything else. I had only done larger items or names that kind of thing learning until this print. They worked fine on them because where they were wide open and the ink didnt have time to stop them up. Looking back at them now I can see on my first prints where it tried though. I am a rookie though so I own it. It was just a small thing that created a HUGE headache for me because I was doing everything I could to make it work and it was still killing me. 

Now the stencil I am using is on a 160 mesh. I am still using the WB ink, but now I have a true ink and not some knock off. The ink quality truly is key to gradients and halftones. 


Many people told our cousin this was a very advanced print and would be extremely difficult for them to print. Several have even turned the job down. Wish I had known this before last week after I already started printing them, but it makes me feel good to know I can pull it off PLUS put an extra color on there for him.


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

Can you post pics of the job?

Save as jpg and scroll down to "manage attachments" and follow the directions.


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