Screen printing 4 colour process on styrene with a single color machine?

[ScotJ]

Hey Guys,

I'm new here so forgive my ignorance. I currently have a large format digital flat bed and we've been doing alot of long runs (100-200 pieces) of the same image, and I'm thinking about adding a screen line for these jobs.

My question is - with a single colour machine, could we do CMYK jobs? If so, how hard is it to get good colour on things like flesh tones and such? (something like a m&r eclipse + a UV dryer)

We have an offset press as well, so we're familiar with measuring densities and such; however I'm a complete rookie when it comes to screen printing.

Any info would be apprecaited!

[NeroInferno]

Hello Scot,
the point is process with screenprinting hasn't got the same results like process on a flatbed. However if the size is really big process with screenprinting can work, because the panels/posters are read from distance. I know people who prints big posters with process usign UV inks (they dry fast witha UV oven).

You need an automatic vacuum press, especially for the big sizes and for process illustration.

The process illustrations generally are the LAST STEP on the screenprinter path. You must print perfectly or you won't have a good process image. If you haven't any experience, jumping directly to screenprinting process illustrations is quite impossible because you have to control a lot of factors.

Why do not you print them in a screenprinting shop who print process and see how they print them? in some months you'll be able to print the process jobs because you know the factors. Consider also the equipment to prepare the screens (you need to recover, degrease, dry, coat with emulsion and dry them newly, than expose).

You can ask to "squeegethree" here, he knows how to do what you need.

Another solution is to buy another flatbed..
Fabio

[NeroInferno]

Hello Scot,
the point is process with screenprinting hasn't got the same results like process on a flatbed. However if the size is really big process with screenprinting can work, because the panels/posters are read from distance. I know people who prints big posters with process usign UV inks (they dry fast witha UV oven).

You need an automatic vacuum press, especially for the big sizes and for process illustration.

The process illustrations generally are the LAST STEP on the screenprinter path. You must print perfectly or you won't have a good process image. If you haven't any experience, jumping directly to screenprinting process illustrations is quite impossible because you have to control a lot of factors.

Why do not you print them in a screenprinting shop who print process and see how they print them? in some months you'll be able to print the process jobs because you know the factors. Consider also the equipment to prepare the screens (you need to recover, degrease, dry, coat with emulsion and dry them newly, than expose).

You can ask to "squeegethree" here, he knows how to do what you need.

Another solution is to buy another flatbed..
Fabio

[Andymac]

yes you can print process on a single head machine -requires 4 screens/films/etc. an eclipse and UV would be the way to go. but there's a bunch more equipment to add.

if you haven't printed before there is a good learning curve ahead. 65-85 line screens would be the average.

best thing you could do is join SGIA and then take their process colour course. 4-5 days taught by the best. SGIA - Specialty Graphic Imaging Association

[NeroInferno]

Andy has got always a good hidden ace.