# Any advice on screen printing black and white photos?



## EVIL_INC (Aug 5, 2010)

hi everyone, i have recently started a clothing line, we have a range of sunglasses and accessorys on the way, we decided we would get some promotional t-shirts made, then figured we may as well make some shirts to sell, we looked into getting them made in the UK and the numbers were crazy, as a start up they were asking for 500 minimum in one colour, then the more we delved into this the more we realsied the cost would sky rocket.

so i purchased a 2nd hand screen printing machine, and all the bits to go with it, im going to learn how to screen print, as i guessed it would be good for making samples and actual products.

i would love to get some advise off you guys, as eventually i would like to print black and white photos on to shirts, im pretty handy with photoshop and was curious if it is possible to do something like this via screen printing making a screen with dots on to make up the picture from distance.

im sorry to go on a bit, but this is new to me, any advice or things i should consider are greatly appreciated.

thankyou so much

james


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> i would love to get some advise off you guys,


What kind of specific questions do you have?


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## EVIL_INC (Aug 5, 2010)

basically, is it possible to screen print image as complex as photos? or should i stick to designs more cartoon like?


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## oldbox (Apr 25, 2010)

it is possible on muli colour setups. 
and wellcome to printing business


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## EVIL_INC (Aug 5, 2010)

thankyou, i know it is going to be tuff but i honestly think it is the most economical way to do it.

ok so if i wanted to do something like this ?

http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/UrbanOutfitters/14077002_10_a?$cat$

how would i go about doing it?


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## PatFinn (Jan 13, 2010)

very easy.. 1 color grayscale bitmap.. 

use a 230-305 mesh. 45 to 55 line screen (lpi/dpi) 

i do things like that all the time. super easy..


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## EVIL_INC (Aug 5, 2010)

so as for prepairing the image in photoshop there isnt much you need to do?

just choose the right mesh for the screen? then print with black ink for white shirts, and white ink for black shirts ?


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

EVIL_INC said:


> so as for prepairing the image in photoshop there isnt much you need to do?
> 
> just choose the right mesh for the screen? then print with black ink for white shirts, and white ink for black shirts ?




Just resize the image to actual printed size at 200-300dpi. Convert image to gray scale, then to bitmap. Select halftone method, 22.5 angle(Tseo recommends 25), 50-60lpi, ellipse and that's about it for a 1 color halftone. You may need an underbase for darkshirts though unless you are printing opaque colors on contrasting shirt colors (like your black on white and white on black)

But if you want an "essentially" monochrome image that has 3-5 shades of the same color a color separation plugin like t-seps. quickseps, and others will be an easier way to do it. Sepias can give a richer shade of basically the same color.


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## EVIL_INC (Aug 5, 2010)

thankyou for all your help guys, i am very new to this, is there a rule of thumb for working out what mesh to use..

we will be looking to make 
solid colour logo shirts
photo prints
and catoon esc images like kidrobot

and in relation to the photoprints do they always need to have a half tone added to them, and do i need to seperate colours to add the "grey" element or will just printing black or white give the impression of grey due to the size of the ink allowed through the mesh.

sorry to ramble


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

The mesh count to use depends on how detailed you want the image to be. For photographic images or "photo prints" with plastisol inks, I would not use anything below 150. 200 up seems ideal although I still use mostly 180 because that's what I have on most frames. However, for "solid colour logo shirts" or cartoon images "like kidrobot", especially if the logo looks better with a thick ink, you may need lower the mesh count like 110.

To add another layer of gray, or not, depends on the image as some prints will look better with an extra grey or another shade/highlight. I use to print mostly 1-2 color prints. I was able to sell shirts without the extra shade (the gray in your case) although others look better with it. I guess you need to do some test prints and judge for yourself.


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## 211chucky (Mar 23, 2010)

BroJames said:


> The mesh count to use depends on how detailed you want the image to be. For photographic images or "photo prints" with plastisol inks, I would not use anything below 150. 200 up seems ideal although I still use mostly 180 because that's what I have on most frames. However, for "solid colour logo shirts" or cartoon images "like kidrobot", especially if the logo looks better with a thick ink, you may need lower the mesh count like 110.
> 
> To add another layer of gray, or not, depends on the image as some prints will look better with an extra grey or another shade/highlight. I use to print mostly 1-2 color prints. I was able to sell shirts without the extra shade (the gray in your case) although others look better with it. I guess you need to do some test prints and judge for yourself.


you have helped me out several time in the past but i am having a hard time getting a responce to a question. i would like to print simular images to the one above but keep hearing you have to invert the image. any feedback on that subject? i found this link but no how to on it, any help would be great and i am trying to do images just like the one in the link. Grayscale Photo Screen Prints | American Screen Printing Association (ASPA) | Learn silk screen printing, tshirt printing


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## StampedTees (Jun 15, 2011)

Evil how many color press are you working with? Do you have halftone rip software? Would you have the means to get a separation software?

These details can mean a huge difference in your future if you're planning to mainly print pictures like that.

If you don't have these things you can actually outsource to have your positives made.

Also what are you exposing your screens with?


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

211chucky said:


> you have helped me out several time in the past but i am having a hard time getting a responce to a question. i would like to print simular images to the one above but keep hearing you have to invert the image. any feedback on that subject? i found this link but no how to on it, any help would be great and i am trying to do images just like the one in the link. Grayscale Photo Screen Prints | American Screen Printing Association (ASPA) | Learn silk screen printing, tshirt printing


If the outline of the image is in black and you want to print the black on light colored shirts then you do not invert. 

But if you want to print the white or non black on a dark shirt (so that the black in the image is actually the color of the shirt) then you invert the image.

Try press Ctrl+I.


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## 211chucky (Mar 23, 2010)

BroJames said:


> If the outline of the image is in black and you want to print the black on light colored shirts then you do not invert.
> 
> But if you want to print the white or non black on a dark shirt (so that the black in the image is actually the color of the shirt) then you invert the image.
> 
> Try press Ctrl+I.


K I've inverted the image but now everything around the image is black. I can't print that to my transparency. Hmmm, I'm still confused!


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## StampedTees (Jun 15, 2011)

There's another thread going on right now that goes into more detail about this process of inverting the image with the back ground not going black. Search around, it's got what you need Chucky


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## 211chucky (Mar 23, 2010)

StampedTees said:


> There's another thread going on right now that goes into more detail about this process of inverting the image with the back ground not going black. Search around, it's got what you need Chucky


Do you have a link can't find it! Hopefully it isn't one I.started earlier


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## StampedTees (Jun 15, 2011)

HA ! Found it .. http://www.t-shirtforums.com/screen-printing/t160417.html

I was wrong about the background staying white though. Sry bout that.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

211chucky said:


> K I've inverted the image but now everything around the image is black. I can't print that to my transparency. Hmmm, I'm still confused!


If everything around the image is now black,that means it was white (or an empty area) before the inversion. Select the unwanted area with the magic wand tool, then click Select->Modify->Expand to expand the selected area by few pixels to remove unwanted speckles of black. It may take a few trial and errors but try with 2-3 pixels. There are other ways to do it but this is simpler to post here.


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## StampedTees (Jun 15, 2011)

BroJames that's what I'd do as a simple solution as well .. Magic wand with continuous set to on, get rid of the background. I wouldn't increase the selected area at all though. I go in with the eraser set real large and just run over the area where the background was to make sure it's clean. 

All of this in photoshop.


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## 211chucky (Mar 23, 2010)

BroJames said:


> If everythging around the image is now black,that means it was white (or an empty area) before the inversion. Remove it. I forgot what the name of the tool is. It is like color range but it selects only the contigious area. Then increase the selected area by a few pixels to remove unwanted speckles of black. There are other ways to do it but this is simpler to post here.


OOk so remove white background then invert image, soon as I get home I'm gonna try it. Thanks for the help, its been driving me crazy!!


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

Yes Phil, the eraser may be better especially if the image border is critical or will be affected by the expand(which actually cuts into the image area).


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