# How do I screen print a basic pencil sketch?



## CalvinShmalvin (Sep 20, 2008)

Sometimes I want feel like falling on the floor and crying like a child while yelling "I don't wanna be an entrepreneur anymore!"

Such is the feeling I get every time I talk to my artist and he tells me that he wants to do all these designs of sketches and gradients. 

Please someone answer the following questions without getting too technical on me, as it may make my head explode. 

From the forums I've read, I need to learn to print using "halftones". I can't afford DTG or a new heatpress, or transfers, or anything else. I'm in enough debt as it is for my age/income and I just want to do the best I can with my basic 4/4 press and epson inkjet. Can someone please explain the following:

1. What the hell is a "halftone"?
2. What mesh is best for screen printing a halftone?
3. Using photoshop, what are the key steps in preparing a design for halftone printing?
4. Do I need any new form of software to print using half tones?

What I need from you more than anything is hope! If you overwhelm me with all this technical jargon I may just /wrists! and sell my business!  Thank you so much for even reading this. If you answer any or all of these questions I will love you forever! (unless you're evil!)


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## out da box (May 1, 2007)

Halftone is a dot shaped grid arranged in a pattern to give the effect of a continous tone- i.e. a fade from black to white. The dots are necessary because screen printing is either a printed area or a non printed area. There's either ink on the shirt or not, nothing in between. 
It's like looking through a screen door- you can see the grid pattern.
Mesh size depends on detail and dot size- 35 lines per inch, 55lpi, 40lpi, etc. Lower the lines per inch, bigger the dots, smaller dots=more detail.

Photoshop has a halftone function by converting your image to a black and white bitmap and halftoning the image.

A RIP program to process and image your halftones is best, but you can fiddle your way around it.
I would suggest you do a forum search on halftones and RIP's
You'll conquer the process in no time.


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## pukingdeserthobo (Jun 3, 2008)

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/graphics-design-help/t66180.html might help you out


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