Screen-Printing vs. Ink-jet

[Searcher7]

I know that the big disadvantage of screen printing compared to ink-jet printing is the cost, but I've never seen screen printed cabinet artwork or a marquee that had much in the way of detail.

Is this because of the limits of the screen printing process?

Photo quality can only apply to inkjet prints, so is it the common consensus that we can get better visual quality from traditional digital printing(for our arcade game related purposes)?

Thanks.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Searcher7@mail.con2.com

[Mike]

Depending on where you get the screen work done depends on how many colors they can do. Alot of screen printers do 4 color processing. The reason you don't see a lot of screen printed stuff for arcades is that to set up the screen involves a lot of cost. So if your not doing a large run it isn't worth it. All the artwork for my arcade came off a lightjet. Which isn't an inkjet printer but is a type of digital printer. It works very similar to developing photos. This isn't advantageous for people though either unless they have extremely high resolution pictures. Like 2400dpi. The file images really need to be about 500mb to 1gb. And the pictures have to be clean. I started my donkey kong images with pictures off of here. http://www.arcadecollecting.com/caga/ but as nice of a job as the guy did, my friend who is a graphic artist still had to spend about 8 hours cleaning up the lines on the images. When you print on a professional printer every little mark will show up. So thus why most people use home or kinko inkjets which can give you decent quality with low resolution pictures and pretty much no set up cost. Eventually when I get around to it I'll print my marquee on an inkjet to show the difference.

[PoDunkMoFo]

Depending on where you get the screen work done depends on how many colors they can do. Alot of screen printers do 4 color processing. The reason you don't see a lot of screen printed stuff for arcades is that to set up the screen involves a lot of cost. So if your not doing a large run it isn't worth it. All the artwork for my arcade came off a lightjet. Which isn't an inkjet printer but is a type of digital printer. It works very similar to developing photos. This isn't advantageous for people though either unless they have extremely high resolution pictures. Like 2400dpi. The file images really need to be about 500mb to 1gb. And the pictures have to be clean. I started my donkey kong images with pictures off of here. http://www.arcadecollecting.com/caga/ but as nice of a job as the guy did, my friend who is a graphic artist still had to spend about 8 hours cleaning up the lines on the images. When you print on a professional printer every little mark will show up. So thus why most people use home or kinko inkjets which can give you decent quality with low resolution pictures and pretty much no set up cost. Eventually when I get around to it I'll print my marquee on an inkjet to show the difference.

Did you re-up the cleaned artwork to CAGA so others might benefit?

As far as what a screenprint can do all the original art on classic cabs is screenprinted.

The real limitation of screenprinting is cost.  Small runs are just cost prohibitive.

 

[Mike]

Nope I didn't send it back into caga because It is too large. Both files run over a gb now. Plus it was cleaned up for the specific printer I was using. If anyone has access to a lightjet I'd be more than happy to send them the cleaned up images.

[neuromancer]

I know that the big disadvantage of screen printing compared to ink-jet printing is the cost

My boss used to do fine art with screen printing. He would make the screens with a photographic process, and print 7 to 10 colors.

The only advantage is being able to use any color you can mix, rather than being restricted to 6 or 7 on an inkjet. It makes the most difference if you have large areas filled with light colors.

If you have the screens and an enlarger, it only costs pennies to set it up, if you don't count your time.

Bob

[Searcher7]

Can you tell me how I can learn more about the process your boss used?

I need to do some research. :-)

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Searcher7@mail.con2.com

[neuromancer]

Can you tell me how I can learn more about the process your boss used?

He was a student at Clemson University, working under Sam Wang, who is still a fine arts professor there. My understanding of Sam is if you ask him what if, he will probably tell you to try it out, even if he knows what will happen.

Basically, you coat the screen with a photo sensitive material, sort of like coating paper for black and white print making. Then you expose the screen under an enlarger, which "fixes" the parts exposed to light, and you wash it off. He made his own emulsions with drugstore chemicals.

He would make posterized "separations" on Kodalith, and then make the prints. Sort of Warholish, but the process would be easiliy adaptable to any sort of separations, including 4 color process. Probably a book on Warhol's technique would tell you everything you need.

Obviously you need a black and white darkroom with a 4x5 enlarger and a big sink to get started.

Bob

[PoDunkMoFo]

I assume you are talking about screen printing since you said he coated the screen?  Screen printing would be far beyond what most people here would want to attempt.  I'm sure your boss had access to equipment beyond what your average BYOAC would have.  Don't forget you would have to make a screen for every color you wanted to print.  Each color would have to be trapped and then registered together perfectly.  Unless you want to take it up professionally I would not recommend attempting something like this.

[neuromancer]

I assume you are talking about screen printing since you said he coated the screen

Yes, Searcher7 asked for more details about the process that my boss used for screen printing.

As I said, he was a fine arts student, so he had access to the University's various art labs, and the minimum setup would include a 4x5 darkroom. You are right that most BYOACers don't have that, but at least one of us does...

You should see when we test new color devices for gamut.

My boss is a very methodical, detail oriented, exhaust every possible combination, type of guy -- the results he got (with screens) are striking. You have to see it in person to appreciate it, but there's no way you could come close to what he has with any printer on the market today, or for the next 10 years, probably.

Bob

[Searcher7]

I've been trying to find out more about screen-printing, but it appears that unless you go to school, you 'll find very little in the way of help or materials to learn about this method. All the books I've come across so far are from the 70s.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.

Searcher7@mail.con2.com

[rampy]

I once screened a 1 color t-shirt using photo-emulsion method... you can get kits at your local art supply place (I forget the name of the place in the mall - the one that sells all the cartooning by blitz kits) to do screen printing...  

I would think that your results, if you were trying to do a photorealistic piece would be subpar if you were'nt already talented at screenprinting... but don't let that discourage ya =P

I wonder how printshops that screen right onto lexan do it machinery wise...

I dunno... just tossing in my $.01

rampy

[neuromancer]

I've been trying to find out more about screen-printing, but it appears that unless you go to school, you 'll find very little in the way of help or materials to learn about this method. All the books I've come across so far are from the 70s.

The 70's were the heyday for screen printing. I don't think it's likely there have been any changes to the technology since then. At least not as they would apply at the DIY level.

The basic process is photographic, which really hasn't changed since it was discovered.

The hardest aspect of photo-screening is probably making the negatives, especially if you want to use a halftone technique. Well, that, and understanding enough about the pigment/ink/dye/whatever that you are using to know which colors to use in what order.

I've got a sweatshirt that was screened in a small shop in New Orleans. It's got like 8 colors on it. What a piece of work. The artist gave me a copy of the print on paper. I think he liked me. He kept wanting to show me the room where he did the work...

Bob