Under base on black shirts

This is the section concerning all things that relate to printing on press. Topics may include but are not limited to loading the pallets, screen set up, registration problems, squeegee durometer, how to screen print using an automatic, manual rotary press or fixed station presses and general trouble shooting on any print job.

Moderators: Shamax, Leadfoot, ApeShirt, Catspit Productions

EJBDesigns
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:58 am

Under base on black shirts

Post by EJBDesigns »

I have been in graphic designs for over 25 years but am new to screen printing. When printing on a black shirt do you have to do a white under base first or can you hit flash hit the color you are printing? For example printing gold waterbased on a black shirt.
User avatar
Catspit Productions
Site Admin
Posts: 1995
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:47 am
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Re: Under base on black shirts

Post by Catspit Productions »

If you're looking for that soft hand feel of the water based print then you would want to ideally do a discharge white under base and print the color on top of that. If you do a standard white under base or print/flash/print it is likely that the print will be built up in a heavy ink layer not being as soft as water based inks can be. The more ink you print, the heavier the print will feel. Even water based inks can feel stiff and rigid if you print a ton of ink in printing them.

With plastisol inks we can use a high opacity ink and do the print/flash/print since the printed ink feel thicker anyway. So with water based you can under base normally as with plastisol but the best under base would be the discharge base or discharge white perhaps.

Does that make any sense?
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
EJBDesigns
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:58 am

Re: Under base on black shirts

Post by EJBDesigns »

That makes perfect sense. Thank you for the reply and thank you for the videos you post. I have learned a lot from watching your videos.
User avatar
Catspit Productions
Site Admin
Posts: 1995
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:47 am
Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Re: Under base on black shirts

Post by Catspit Productions »

You're very welcome.

That's good to hear that you're learning from my video work. Glad I can help out through my videos and forum :)

Thanks for watching my videos! I appreciate your support.
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
Post Reply