4 Color Process- Order of overprinting

[TripleStampPress]

I just finished my first 4 color process print on paper using Speedball process colors. The registration is tight. All colors are printing perfect and consistent. We are used to printing 4 color process on shirts where we can print wet on wet C,M,Y, and then K.

On paper we tried this order, drying between colors, and it all leaned yellow with orange and an army green in the color bars. We also tried Y,C,M, and then K. The color bars look pretty close to being on-point, but the photo seems to be heavy in the reds.

My best guess is that the correct order for these inks would be Y, M, C, and then K. Can someone confirm this, so I can stop running fancy tests for my personal satisfaction, and get back to work on client orders?

Thanks!

[RichieGoodtimes]

Here's a hint: Your print order, while fucking goofy, is not the issue. Dot gain between a poster and a shirt will be different. Waterbased inks gain differently than plastisol. You need to go back to Photoshop and correct your issues there and make new films.

[RADAR]

what he said.

[lil_tuffy]

Also, speedball process colors leave a lot to be desired.

[TripleStampPress]

Thanks. Always impressed by the quick feedback on this forum.

We don't actually print with plastisol, but I get your point. Still as you can see from the photos posted below, there is a huge color shift resulting from print order. We only did about 20 of each, but they were consistent in each run. Seems to me that printing Cyan second to last would've put us in pretty good shape. I'll give that a try later in the week if I have time. All of the specks in the photo are the recycled paper.


PrintedCYMK


Printed YCMK

[Andymac]

use some decent process ink. get some process clear. Adjust your ink transparency to match your colour density targets. Process inks out of the can will be way off depending on the mesh you are printing through, because they are transparent - so if your cyan is not matching your proof cyan, your blue will be too heavy. Same with magenta. same with yeller.