Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Anything and everything to do with creating artwork for screen printing. This is where you can discuss graphic software and color separating techniques plus much more.

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Catspit Productions
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Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Post by Catspit Productions »

Creating artwork for screen printing tee shirts will be the most challenging part of the process to learn for anyone who has little graphic art experience. This is the first step in which you need to sort out the graphics to be printed. The artwork must be created specifically for screen printing in order to give the best results with the minimum effort. Many people under estimate the importance of this step and often attempt to create complicated designs using JPEGS and other non-vector graphics. In fact it is vector art that will work the best and allow us the most flexibility when it comes to setting up screenprinting artwork. Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygons, which are all based on mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics. On the other hand bitmap graphics is the representation of images as an array of pixels, as it is typically used for the representation of photographic images. Bitmap or “raster” art is identified as art with file names ending in .GIF, .BMP, .JPEG, .JPG, and .PCX. Vector art often ends in .EPS.

The most common software programs used for the creation of screenprinting artwork are Illustrator and Corel Draw. Photoshop is also helpful at times when we need to do some work to high res JPEGS or TIFF files that we may then vectorize or place in a vector art file. It may also be possible at times to use Photoshop alone to create simple one color designs or even more complex designs which can then be imported to Illustrator.

There are also color separating “add ons” for Photoshop and Corel. These add ons will automate certain tasks for you and in many cases can be a great help to those who are less experienced. They also can be confusing and take some time to learn how to use properly. But in the end these programs can be a huge help.

For a listing of free vector art software and graphic programs, please visit this page of the Catspit website: http://catspitproductionsllc.com/free-g ... tware.html

You may also want to watch this video about artwork:



What type of computer do you run and what are its stats? What graphic software do you use and which programs do you find the most useful for which tasks? Does the software run well on your computer? And finally what would you recommend to a fellow beginner in screen printing T shirts from what you have learned or experienced?
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
ApeShirt
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Re: Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Post by ApeShirt »

I am completely new to this. I am having a problem vectorizing an image in CorelDraw X5. When I try to do it, white marks show up on the image and the image doesn't look like it should. Any suggestions?
Greg
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ApeShirt Apparel Printing, LLC
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Re: Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Post by Catspit Productions »

ApeShirt wrote:I am completely new to this. I am having a problem vectorizing an image in CorelDraw X5. When I try to do it, white marks show up on the image and the image doesn't look like it should. Any suggestions?
In my experience you have to use a very high resolution image to get a good vector conversion in Corel. You can also try tweaking the settings by trying different conversion settings like Detailed Logo or Line Art or whatever they are. I use Illustrator too so I could be confusing the names of the vector trace functions... LOL. Play with it and experiment with all the options.

But yea, start with the best file you possibly can to get the best results. That’s probably the best tip I could give you as I am no expert on Corel. Maybe someone else can post here too and help us out some more...
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
Fairth
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Re: Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Post by Fairth »

I only know Illustrator too, but what I recommend is doing a Google search for "CorelDraw X5 image vectorization tutorial".
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Re: Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Post by Catspit Productions »

Fairth wrote:I only know Illustrator too, but what I recommend is doing a Google search for "CorelDraw X5 image vectorization tutorial".
That’s a great idea. Would you be so kind as to maybe start a new topic on this Corel Tutorial and post a search link or maybe the link for the tutorial? You can do it in the Creating Artwork category.

I could use some help from a few good people in getting this forum going for you all. Thanks again for posting and I’m so happy to have you aboard.
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
Fairth
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Re: Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Post by Fairth »

I'd be happy to help with anything I can. I'm not a screenprinter (at least not yet), but I am a student of graphic design at my local community college. I'm interested in starting a screenprinting business in the next few years because I enjoy design, but I also enjoy working with my hands. I recently bought the one-color, one-station clamp-on press package so I can get some hands-on experience during the summer break from school, the logical next step from the reading and video-watching (mostly yours) I've been doing.
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Re: Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Post by Catspit Productions »

That’s great. I’m glad my videos have been helpful to you and I am happy to have you aboard as a graphic design person. You should pay close attention to the Creating Artwork thread and see if you can help anyone out. This is probably my weakest point because I am a printer really and I am not an expert graphic artist so I could use the input from someone like you.

I appreciate the support and I’m here for you when you start your printing. So please feel free to post those questions in the forum as well. I’ll be happy to help out.
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
bcr8tive
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Re: Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Post by bcr8tive »

To anyone:

I have learned a tremendous amount of knowledge from Tom @ advancedartist.com and advancedtshirts.com, he has lot info and tutorials especially powertrace in corel. Might wanna check it out its worth the hours and hours or watching tutorials.

Jason
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Ada, OK 74820
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Re: Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Post by Catspit Productions »

Yes, that is cool. I have seen those websites before. We’d love to have your help on the forum with creating artwork. I’m sure many people would appreciate your tips. Please feel free to post your stuff in the Screen Printing Community section as well.

You can share Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels there. Make sure to post as new topics to get the most visibility for your networking efforts.

http://www.catspitproductionsllc.com/fo ... m.php?f=28

You can also embed YouTube videos on this forum if you like. You can create new topics relative to Creating Artwork and embed any YouTube videos on the subject there too. So if you have any introductory videos about creating artwork with Corel Draw to share that would be a great start.

Thanks for posting and I’d love to see more from you :)
Jonathan Monaco
Catspit Productions, LLC
Learn how to screen print tee shirts!

http://catspitscreenprintsupply.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/CatspitProductions
hobstrabbie
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Re: Software For Creating Art For Screen Printing

Post by hobstrabbie »

Wow! Thank you for the tips and list of softwares and the video. I only know Adobe Photoshop and I am thinking of trying out Corel and Adobe Illustrator now. :D
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