HEY BRUSHMAN!

[okdecalman]

HELLO,
I WANT TO GET TO WHERE I CAN PRINT SHIRTS. I HAVE COREL DRAW 8 AND I IMPORTED IT AS A TIFF. YOU SAID IMPORT AS A EPS FILE THEN THEY MAY NEED INGROUPING?
THANKS

 

[Brushman]

Tiff is a bitmap format ie made of pixels/dots. EPS can contain bitmaps but if coming from a sign programme ie Flexi is generally vectors because they need to be cut. You can separate a tiff but it will be cmyk and obviously go to a printer type device rather than a cutter. For screenprinting it should go to a Postscript device as you will then be able to alter the lpi and therefor the dot size. It would be useful if you can tel us if you intend to print cmyk tshirts or spot colour tshirts, can I assume the separations are to be printed on film as spot colour may be able to be cut from Ruby film which could be done in Flexi. A little more information on your workflow would assist us to give a more precise answer. Out of interest are you in the UK.
Alan

 

[okdecalman]

YES I WANT TO USE SPOT COLOR, MOSTLY FOR SIMPLE SHIRT SCREEN PRINTING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL I CAN DO WITH FLEXI. ALL I EVER USED IT FOR WAS VINYL CUTTING. FROM WHAT YOU SAY I COULD PROBABLY USE FLEXI TO FRINT OUT COLOR SEPARATIONS ON FILM TRANSPARENCIES?

THANKS

 

[okdecalman]

OH BY THE WAY I'M IN THE US.
OKLAHOMA CITY

 

[Brushman]

Using Flexisign for spot colour work shouldn't be too much trouble and I'm pretty sure it works in a similar way to Signlab but will need to be vector. If your original shape is vector no problem choose the colours you want and then either separate them to a laser printer using laser film (I use Delta film from Autotype) wipe over with white spirit or an image enhancer, I find that warming slightly makes the image far blacker, expose your screen as normal. If the solids are too big and your can't do the screen successfully, cut the shapes but instead of vinyl use Ruby film. I'm sure Flexi has a 'cut by colour' function as well as a 'registration mark' function. Sign programmes usually have some good weld routines allowing overlaps to be extended slightly only where they overlap, this is great for any slight miss-registration.
Alan

 

[okdecalman]

THANKS BRUSHMAN.
I DID AN EXPORT AS AN EPS FILE AND IMPORTED IT TO COREL, FILTERED IT AND THEN UNGROUPED IT AND EVERYTHING WORKED GREAT. I WAS ALSO DIGGING AROUND ON FLEXI AND FOUND A PLACE THAT SAYS RIP AND PRINT, BUT I NEED TO DO SOME RESEARCH. I ONLY USED IT FOR VINYL CUTTING. I DIDN'T KNOW I COULD POSSIBLY USE IT FOR SCREEN PRINTING. YOU ARE REALLY HELPFUL. I DON'T HAVE A PRINTER YET THAT IS MY NEXT PURCHASE. WHAT DO YOU RECOMEND FOR PRINTING TRANSPARENCIES?
CHRIS
WHEN I BOUGHT THIS VINYL BUSINESS THAT IS ALL HE DID, SO THAT IS ALL I'M DOING RIGHT NOW. I'M REALLY GONNA TRY THIS AS THE NEXT THING!

 

[Brushman]

RIP is mainly for large format digital stuff - Roland Versacam/Cadet and bigger, short on time now but answer any questions you have later.
Regards
Alan in Essex. UK

 

[Brushman]

okdecalman you may find it useful to go to

http://www.uksignboards.com

which a kind of forum for signmakers and although based in the UK we do have signmakers from the US dropping regularly. Topics include software, hardware, vinyl, screenprinting, digital printing, buy/sell, signmaking in general, and even politics - a good meeting place.
Regards
Alan