Preparing art work for screen printing

[sharond10666931]

Hi,

I am an artist and fairly new to PS 22.30. After I scan my artwork into PS I will often create a new layer,  make adjustments with levels, etc.  And then spotcleaning.  My screen printer wants a .jpeg without the background.  Do I make my improvements first and remove background as final step?  Lastly, is there a good reference source for artist?  
Thank you

sharon

[mglush]

Hi Sharon!

Yes, make all your improvements first, and save your file as a .psd. Does your screen printer want a white background or no background at all? Because -- jpgs cannot be saved with transparency. If they want your file as a jpg, then ask them if a white background will work for what they need.

If they want transparency, then you would need to save it as a .png, a .tif, or a .psd. 

The workflow I would suggest is: Open your image, duplicate the Background layer (then turn off the visibility of your background layer) and make all your improvements on the duplicate layer (just in case you want to ever go back to your original). Get rid of any part of the background by using a Layer Mask so that only whatever part of the image you want to keep is visible. Make sure to save your file in its native Photoshop format, and then do a save as into whatever format your printer wants.

Did they also tell you what resolution they need?

There is a ton of reference material for Artists, but you need to be a little more specific about what kind of info you are looking for. There are some great tutorials and courses online. Just let me know what you are looking for.

Let me know if you have any questions?

Michelle

[sharond10666931]

Hi Michelle,

Thank you so much for your prompt reply!  I was able to send it as a jpeg with a white background.  I am presently using watercolor as my medium.

I generally use PS for spotcleaning and minor adjustments.  I would like to be able to make my own prints.  I often run into issues with Liquify not recognizes faces, which is annoying.  I don't have a great understanding of layers, mask, etc.

When I search for answers pertaining to my issues I generally run into answers pertaining to photography.  Currnetly, I would benefit greatly from any beginner tutorial or courses online for PS beginners for artist currently using PS 2021.

Thank you again for your help!

Sharon