Screen printing shadows

[rogerv47782856]

Need help! I am a new user of illustrator. I have been trying my hand at designs on t-shirts. I am having trouble screen printing this shadow (image below). Can anyone help? or is there a tutorial/video I can look at that can help me set up this process. I tried looking up past inquiries on this topic, but to no avail. Thank you 🙂

[Monika Gause]

You're doing the screen printing yourself?

What do you expect to happen to the shadow?

What equipment do you have?

[rogerv47782856]

Thank you for your reply. Like I said, I am new at this and may have the terminology reversed. I am strictly designing, but want to transfer the shadow on my monitor to the t-shirt for the printers. I tried screening the shadow but that only came out looking silverfish grey. Does that help any?

[Monika Gause]

So you expect the shadow to be made into halftone dots?

Have you talked to the printer and asked them how exactly they expect the artwork to be? They usually have the equipment to do this.

[rogerv47782856]

Yes, if that what it takes to get a shadow effect on a t-shirt. And, no I have not talked to the printer. I will do that. Thanks

[jdanek]

There are a few different print methods used for t-shirt printing these days.  That's why it is of paramount importance you talk to the t-shirt print vendor now.  For instance, there are direct-to-garment inkjet solutions that would have no problem printing a soft shadow.  You also have the option of thermal transfer ( depending on the size of the artwork ). Silkscreen printing is the most limited when printing soft shadows ( the screen mesh itself, the shirt fabric, and the type of screen material and press.  If you decide on silkscreen, you will need to know the halftone screen frequency and angle best suited for the job and then create a halftone 1-bit Photoshop .tiff or just give your file to the printer and have them output a suitable halftone ( typically Elliptical or Ellipse ) film positive positive.

[rogerv47782856]

Lots of good information. Thank you very much for your time!

[JonathanArias]

for screen printing to have to separate the layers/colors. so you will need a layer for each color, you have two tones in that photo, the solid black and the light one of the shadow.  so make a layer for each and the screen printer will be able to work with your file. 

[rogerv47782856]

Thank you for your reply as well. I am creating the images into .png. files in photoshop, therefore do not the images (created in illustrator) now become one static image? How can the printer tell that there are two layers?  Again, thank you!

[JonathanArias]

The printer will asked you for the illustrator file that is separated into layers.

[rogerv47782856]

Didn't know that. He never divulged that info. Thank you

[happie_97 · Accepted solution]

Hi Roger,

If you really want to learn all about t-shirt design and have a Lynda.com account, Sebastian Bleak has a step by step tutorial on T-Shirt Design and printing. You should check it out.

Learn T-Shirt Printing and Design

[rogerv47782856]

Awesome! That's the ticket. I love tutorials; step by step. Much appreciated