To accommodate artwork for press and substrate variables, it is necessary to slightly overlap the edges of adjacent colors to prevent gaps from appearing. This process, called trapping, is necessary for most printed graphics. Often referred to as chokes and spreads, traps are applied to artwork on the computer prior to film output.
Since there are many factors that contribute to determining proper trap sizes and methods, it best if trapping is left to the pre-press department at Creative Sign Inc. We consider substrate type, ink density, image size, and type of press before we trap your art. We trap within various graphic applications including Scitex Full Auto Frame™ trapping software. Full Auto Frame allows for complex and customized trapping in a minimal amount of time. Together with our skilled pre-press professionals, we will trap your artwork with results we know you will like for your next screen printing job.
Trapping is used to accommodate for mis-registration, substrate instability and environmental factors that may affect your print rung while on press. Knowing about trapping and why it’s used will help give you a better understanding of the print process.
“Spread” Trap – Yellow is spread to create trap with red.
Trapping is basically the intentional overlapping of colors. When an image is printing, if there is any mis-registrations, an undesirable gap can occur between two colors. To prevent this, the colors are set to overlap so that this gap is not evident. Usually, lighter foreground colors will be “spread” under a darker background color. Darker foreground colors need the lighter background color “pinched” or “choked” under them.
“Pinch” or “Choke” Trap – Yellow is choked under blue to create trap.
The concern most people have is that the overlapping of colors can sometimes create an undesirable third color. This third color is usually darker than the other two colors. Larger images require heavier traps because there is more room for mis-registration. Substrates such as pressure sensitive vinyl and static clings often tend to shrink slightly with each pass through the dryer, thus affecting registration.
Undesirable third color – Notice the color created when trapping two transparent colors such as green and purple. We try to minimize occurrence of this effect.
Our Art Department keeps the traps on your artwork to a minimum to ensure the best quality print. One thing to consider when designing artwork for screen printing is color selection. Different shades of colors are chosen from the Pantone Matching System. When looking at the Pantone fan color selector, colors in the middle of the fan tend to be more transparent since they lack white or black in their color formula. Colors at the top of the fan have white in them, and colors at the bottom have black. The more transparent the color, the greater chance of an undesirable color mix within the trap. Colors with more white or black will tend to be more opaque, creating less of a noticeable third color on the trap. Also, the two color values in general will dictate the mix color. For example, trapping red and yellow will look better than trapping green and purple (see example above).
Traps are essential in the printing process. Knowing more about trapping and how it affects your prints can be essential in creating your design and how it partners in screen printing. Contact us for more information about screen printing for your business.
Art created for litho printing can hold a hairline outline.
When designing for screen printing, what is the finest line that should be used?
Use a one-point width for a dark line. But use a two-point width if the dark line traps over another color.
What are the advantages of using Ultra Violet (UV) ink?
There are advantages to the customer, the environment and the printer. The customer gets a higher quality printed piece. UV inks allow the printer to hold the smallest detail, enabling higher resolution, four-color process. The sheen ranges from satin to a very high gloss. The surface if the ink is rub and scratch resistant making it more durable.
UV inks also are environmentally friendly and meet South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) air quality mandates.
We must be very aware of our color rotation and traps because UV inks are transparent. The inks are cured by a UV light at split second speeds.
The inks will not dry into the screen, which allows printing even the thinnest lines and good tones. This gives our clients the best results that screen printing offers.
Let’s face it – it’s a competitive world out there these days. Everyone is looking for the lowest price and quickest turnaround to meet tight deadlines and budgets. But one should be careful in choosing the lowest price right off the bat. Quite often the lowest price doesn’t always mean the best, most complete service. There are few “extras” that can be overlooked, that may require additional charges in the long run.
Art charges are one of they key areas that can be missed. Does your bid include film? How about packaging? Often times, big jobs with multiple items have specific packaging requirements. Has this been accounted for? Your job has to be delivered, did your bid happen to include shipping and freight? Assuring that these items are included in your quotes will help give you a better idea of the complete price of your job.
Our Planning Department can quote your job any way you would like. Usually, we will include everything in our quotes, including shipping. This will ensure that order for multiple vinyl banners will be delivered to your front door. For big jobs with multiple items, we break out packaging and shipping charges as separate costs. We can do the same for your art charges.
Make sure you are comparing apples to apples the next time you review job bids. Getting to know how your job is priced will help avoid any surprise costs that make that great price not so great after all.
The Pantone® Matching System is the standard color matching system for the print industry. Pantone offers many different books to define colors. From spot colors to process colors, Pantone has the match that’s right for your project. Let’s get to know some of the books.
Everyone is familiar with the standard PMS solid color book. It contains over 900 spot colors on both coated and uncoated stock. These colors are often chosen when screen printing. These colors appear in both the Pantone Matching Guide, which contains perforated chips, and the Pantone Formula Guide, which comes in a fan style book for easy reference.
Pantone also categorizes process colors. The Pantone Process Guide contains over 3,000 process color combinations contained in either two binders of removable chips, or a convenient fan book. These colors are arranged chromatically and have been assigned easy referencing numbers.
Another helpful guide is the Solid to Process conversion book. It shows the closest simulated process match to Pantone’s solid colors. Some colors don’t convert as well as others, so this guide is invaluable when choosing spot colors that will be separated as process.
We recommend investing in any of these color guides. They provide an accurate color reference before the job prints and provide your printer with a way to match your colors exactly.
Pantone Solid Colors Over 900 colors to choose from. Popular colors for screen printing. C or U after the number indicate coated or uncoated stock.
Pantone Process Colors 3,000 color mixes to choose from. The “S” stands for SWOP inks (Specifications of Web Publications). The number is the page number in the guide with the row number on the page after it.
Pantone Solid to Process Solid color side by side with its closest process equivalent. Remember, solid PMS colors don’t always convert to process as well as expected.
Colored is viewed in many different ways as a job moves through production. When a job is designed on a computer, colors are viewed on a monitor. Monitors use RBG color (red, green and blue) and is displayed using transmitted light (light passes through the screen to create colors). While the display looks great, the color gamut (the range of viewable colors) on RGB monitors is very broad and displays many colors that are ultimately unprintable.
From the monitor, to the printer, to press – colors may have different appearances.
As the design is printed on paper, the colors are created using CMYK inks. Process inks have a much smaller gamut than RGB, limiting the number of reproducible colors. The colors on a print are also viewed using reflective light (light from around you reflects off the ink to create the colors). Unless you have calibrated your monitor to match your print-outs, your colors are likely to shift. Calibration can be accomplished by following your hardware and software manuals’ guidelines. Setting monitor profiles to match specific printers will improve your color matching capabilities.
When your art is screen printed, it will be printed in either CMYK inks or spot colors. The spot colors will match the specific swatch call-outs exactly, not the PMS representation on a computer print. If you need your colors to match your print-out or another printed piece, please make this request.
Knowing how colors are displayed and reproduced will help you get the colors you expect when your job is printed. Your sales representative can answer all your questions about color, and even offer ink swatches and proofs to assure that your job is printed just the way you want.
The monitor – RGB color is made from red, green and blue via Transmitted Light.
Computer print or actual printed piece – Process printing CMYK color mix to make other colors via reflective light.
When your sign needs to go outside for extended periods of time, it’s good to know the limitations and expectations of a printed piece when planning for outdoor use. You’ll need to consider the various effects of different weather conditions. Direct sunlight, wind, and rain can all have adverse effects on your signage. Screen printing is the perfect print process for these applications. Screen printing can be done on different substrates that will handle the rigors of outdoor use. Because of the thickness of the materials, we can print on a variety of plastics and vinyls that traditional offset lithography simply cannot touch.
Size, location, and application of the sign is key in determining the substrate. Direct sun is probably the most harmful to your outdoor sign. Sunlight can rapidly age certain stocks, causing yellowing and brittleness. The best substrate for a typical outdoor sign would be Sintra, a PVC material. It is rigid, lightweight, and comes in thicknesses from 1mm to 6mm. It does not yellow, making it the perfect material for outdoor use. Other substrates for outdoor use are rigid and pressure sensitive vinyls, which can be limited in thickness and styrene, which can be aged by the sun. Fortunately, styrene does allow for UV inhibitors to be added when it is made, thus extending its life. For larger signs and banners, reinforced vinyl is suggested. This material will hold up well to both sun and wind.
When planning an outdoor sign, another consideration when you design your art is color selection. Certain ink colors, such as reds, yellows, and fluorescents will fade faster than other colors. Avoiding these colors, or keeping their use to a minimum will also extend the life of your sign. Screen printing inks are very durable and hold these colors much longer than alternative print methods.
The use of special substrates, durable inks, and well-chosen colors make screen printing the best choice for your outdoor signage.
What are UV stabilizers and UV inhibitors?
UV inhibitors and UV stabilizers are additives used in the production of certain substrates that will extend their use in UV light. These built in stabilizers will protect your material from cracking and yellowing in outdoor conditions. Substrates such as styrene and acrylic can have stabilizers added while being manufactured that will add years to the life of the product. This material will be a special order depending on the level of UV resistance desired. UV clear coat will also extend the durability of a print, though not as long as built-in stabilizers. Your Creative Sign Inc. sales representative can elaborate more on this subject.
Have you ever wondered where the term “Screen Printing” actually came from? The term originates back to the early 1900’s when printers were looking for the best material to use when making stencil. It turned out that a silk cloth that was being used for sifting flour was the ideal solution. The silk cloth was strong, thin, affordable and, at the time, readily available. The silk was stretched over a wooden frame which provided ideal support for creating a stencil in order to print. The silk was the perfect screen, and thus the term “silk screen printing” developed and soon became the industry standard name for that type of printing process.
Today, silk has been replaced by synthetic materials such as nylon and polyester. These materials help increase strength and reduce costs. Since silk isn’t used any longer, it’s now known as Screen Printing.
Are you looking for a unique hang tag? Something different from the standard hang tags you’ve been using? Consider having your next hang tags screen printed! No other print process offers as wide a range of possibilities as screen printing.
Let’s go over some of the benefits of screen printed hang tags …
First, the wide selection of substrates allows for hang tags that go far beyond your standard paper tag. Materials such as rigid vinyls (both clear and white), pressure sensitive materials such as vinyls and mylars (perfect for decal hang tags), card stocks (12 to 24 pt. or more) and specialty papers are a few of the wide selections available.
Our in-house finishing capabilities also offer many options for a hang tag. Die cutting is very popular – giving a unique shape for your tag. Kiss-cutting a pressure-sensitive stock will create a removable decal for a hang tag. Other options include mounting and laminating. Card stock can be mounted together to form a thick and sturdy hang tag. Laminate a pressure-sensitive material to a card stock, kiss-cut and die-cut it, punch a hole for the cord, and you have a custom-shaped, durable hang tag with a removeable decal! Just think of the many other possibilities. Top that off with great print quality, and you’re set!
We also offer a variety of cords, strings, and other attachment hardware to complete the tag.
Your Creative Sign Inc. sales representative can answer all your questions and even offer some helpful suggestions to get your next hang tag project off to a good start
