# Half tones on a 156 mesh



## puggus (Jan 18, 2012)

I've got a 2 color job that includes a white half tone. I burned the screen on a 156 mesh screen. It washed out fine other than some very small detail of the half tone. Where it's a half tone is it possible I over exposed it?
My exposing unit is fron Ryonet with the 6 bulbs. I exposed it for 5 minutes. Should I use a 230 screen? Remember, the half tone has to be printed in white


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

Sounds like your dots were too small or you underexposed the screen or combination of both.

Halftone doesn't mean higher mesh count. The 156 will work fine. I often use around 42.5 with 156 at 22.5 degrees with success. Depending the look you want even lower mesh can be used with the appropriate line count and exposure.

Optimim exposure can be achieved through trial and error or a step wedge test but is most easily determined by a single exposure exposure calculator.


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## ScreenFoo (Aug 9, 2011)

No vacuum and a diffuse light source will make this type of screen difficult to expose.

Try cutting your LPI down. If it's a big enough image, you can even go to 25-20LPI and still get a good amount of visual info, it's way easier to print too. Hopefully Tygeron will jump in with a great pic--he has done more than a bit of this type of printing, very well.

edit: Ha, nice. He just posted while I was.


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## puggus (Jan 18, 2012)

Thanks so much for your help


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

ScreenFoo said:


> ...you can even go to 25-20LPI and still get a good amount of visual info, it's way easier to print too. Hopefully Tygeron will jump in with a great pic...


Ha-haaa! What up Foo? You rang? LOL!

25 lpi on a 110 mesh:


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

As screenfoo and Tygeron mention try cutting LPI back. I have the same exposure unit when I expose half tones I put extra weight to make sure of positive contact. A 5 gal bucket in center of board and 4 1 gal on each corner all full of water. Depending on emulsion 5 min may be a tad too long I usually drop 15-30 sec off my standard exposure time depending on size of halftones.

Ty what part of Indiana you at.


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## puggus (Jan 18, 2012)

Am I still okay with my 5 minute expose time?


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

puggus said:


> Am I still okay with my 5 minute expose time?


If you retry with lower lpi and everything else was ok I would retry first at same time. Then cut back if still problems


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## puggus (Jan 18, 2012)

I put 3 , 3 gallon jugs of water on a peice of glas...LOL. Also guys and gals. My wife does our artwork and this half tone is fairly new. Where in Illisrator will she find the tools to make sure this is around or changed to a 42.5 lpi at 22.5 degrees?


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

And make sure the film ink side with the image is in contact with the emulsion/screen. Good to do so overall but especially with fine detail and halftones. Lessens undercutting.


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

Same line and mesh count. More tonal variation:


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## puggus (Jan 18, 2012)

Thanks everyone for great feedback. Where in photoshop Illistrator can my wife find the tool to make sure we're at 42.5 lpi and 22.5 degrees?


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## mimic (Nov 28, 2011)

you find the option when you goto print. you have to select a postscript printer/file.

in PS CS4 goto print. Then under the output dropdown menu its the button titled screen.

In Illustrator goto print, then highlight output, then change the mode to separations. Uncheck C,M,Y.


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## thutch15 (Sep 8, 2008)

puggus said:


> Thanks everyone for great feedback. Where in photoshop Illistrator can my wife find the tool to make sure we're at 42.5 lpi and 22.5 degrees?


I was under the impression that you cannot adjust those setting in Illustrator... I use Illustrator, but use the print program Accurip to control those settings.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

thutch15 said:


> I was under the impression that you cannot adjust those setting in Illustrator... I use Illustrator, but use the print program Accurip to control those settings.


In Illustrator yes in Photoshop CS 5 no


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## puggus (Jan 18, 2012)

We have accurip...can you tell me where those settings are located at? Thanks


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

I don't use accurip in illustrator it's in the print menus. I use T-rip (just recently) and it let's you over ride the program settings which is nice since adobe took the screen button out in CS5 photoshop


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

sben763 said:


> Ty what part of Indiana you at.


N.E.

Fort Wayne.

You?


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## puggus (Jan 18, 2012)

Where would i go in accurip to channge the settings?


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

TYGERON said:


> N.E.
> 
> Fort Wayne.
> 
> You?


West Lafayette. Next time I'm up that way I'll buy lunch.


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## TYGERON (Apr 26, 2009)

sben763 said:


> West Lafayette. Next time I'm up that way I'll buy lunch.


Haa-haaa!! THAT'S why Hoosiers Rock!!!


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## Flagrant-T (Nov 11, 2009)

puggus said:


> Where would i go in accurip to channge the settings?


I'm not near my computer with Accurip, but I believe its under "Set-up" and then when you scroll down toward the bottom, there is a tab called "How Would You Like this Screened" or something like that. Open that up, and its pretty easy once your in there.

Good luck,
Nick


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## piezo (Oct 13, 2010)

In Accurip go to File > Setup. Then "How would you like this screened?" change the frequency. The lower the number LPI, the bigger the dots.

I believe the angle defaults to 22.5


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## cattman4 (Jul 6, 2010)

i was wondering how to print half tones i have tried a few times but no luck does anyone has any cure to my problem with half tones


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

cattman4 said:


> i was wondering how to print half tones i have tried a few times but no luck does anyone has any cure to my problem with half tones



Randy a little more info and we can help. I take it your not using a rip. is your problem not printing on the printer of not exposing on the screen.


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## calink (Feb 21, 2008)

TYGERON said:


> Same line and mesh count. More tonal variation:


I know this post is a over a year old but this is AMAZING!!! I've been printing endless films to get something like that on a 110 mesh and all I get is... nothing. Great job, firstly! Secondly how do you get something like that? Detailed to come out so nicely? I don't use RIP and I'm using Adobe & Photoshop both CC (that creative cloud thing program).... any suggestions? I know it's much to ask but my head is pounding bc I cannot figure it out!! Thank you anyone for your help. 
:-D


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## Ripcord (Sep 2, 2006)

TYGERON said:


> Halftone doesn't mean higher mesh count. The 156 will work fine. I often use around 42.5 with 156 at 22.5 degrees with success.


Yep, I do too. For years I thought you had to use 230+ mesh for halftones and recently I've been experimenting with coarser mesh and I've been pleasantly surprised. It's WAY easier to print through 156 than 230, especially when your design is a combination of halftones and solids. The key is to make sure you have a nice thick layer of emulsion, and you need to anticipate a little more dot gain.


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## calink (Feb 21, 2008)

Ripcord said:


> Yep, I do too. For years I thought you had to use 230+ mesh for halftones and recently I've been experimenting with coarser mesh and I've been pleasantly surprised. It's WAY easier to print through 156 than 230, especially when your design is a combination of halftones and solids. The key is to make sure you have a nice thick layer of emulsion, and you need to anticipate a little more dot gain.


Interesting! Forgive me but I'm rather new with AI & PS... how would you personally print a fine detailed image say on a 110 or even 156... I too thought that 230 is the way to go! Thanks for you feed back in advance! =)


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## Ripcord (Sep 2, 2006)

calink said:


> Interesting! Forgive me but I'm rather new with AI & PS... how would you personally print a fine detailed image say on a 110 or even 156... I too thought that 230 is the way to go! Thanks for you feed back in advance! =)


I've been using the same lpi and angle that I use on 230 and adjusting for more dot gain in the darker areas. They key is to get a nice thick shiny layer of emulsion, because the emulsion is what holds the dots, not the mesh.

The same is true when you get a sawtooth edge on a print. Many people think it's a result of mesh being too coarse, but it's a result of too thin a layer of emulsion.

Also for haltftones it's important not to under or overexpose your screen.


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## calink (Feb 21, 2008)

Ripcord said:


> I've been using the same lpi and angle that I use on 230 and adjusting for more dot gain in the darker areas. They key is to get a nice thick shiny layer of emulsion, because the emulsion is what holds the dots, not the mesh.
> 
> The same is true when you get a sawtooth edge on a print. Many people think it's a result of mesh being too coarse, but it's a result of too thin a layer of emulsion.
> 
> Also for haltftones it's important not to under or overexpose your screen.


Thank you so much! I've done exactly that and it's getting better, much better, I can now hold detail on a 156 mesh, stuff I only printed on 230 before, I have a long way to go but it's a great start... thanks very much. I'm still having issues b/c the white plastisol ink is obviously still thick and for finer details it comes out very light, grey almost.... do you use 2 coats?
&
Do you ever diffuse? instead of halftone? 

Thanks again for all your help!


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## CCClothing (Apr 1, 2011)

Wow this is some good stuff here!

Going to start experimenting soon with Halftones to see what I can pull off. Don't have any RIP though, so pretty janky!


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