Art & separations · 2 of 6 · 1 min read
Four ways to separate
| Type | What it is | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spot color | One named ink per screen, solid or tinted | Logos, text, line art. The most common technique. | Underbase, choke and spread are manual work |
| Simulated process | Opaque spot inks plus halftones, usually on a white base | Photos and complex art on any shirt color | Needs higher mesh and good tension; not ideal for fine text |
| CMYK (4-color process) | Transparent cyan, magenta, yellow and black halftones | White and light garments | Limited color range; may need “bump” colors; harder halftone control |
| Index | A limited palette of same-size square “pixels” printed next to each other, not overlapping | Light and dark shirts; easy to print | Usually 6–8+ colors; hard to tweak once separated; 180–225 dpi at final size |
Above about 225 dpi, index “pixels” get too small to burn reliably, according to Scott Fresener.
Sources for this guide (13)
- ScreenPrinting.com, CMYK vs. spot vs. simulated process
- Scott Fresener, T-Biz Network, Index color separations
- Atlas Screen Supply, Mesh count chart
- PrintFilmReady, Mesh count to LPI chart
- ScreenPrinting.com, AccuRIP Emerald RIP software guide
- Solutions for Screen Printers, Halftone angles demystified
- BQ e-learning, Four-color process (CMYK) technical manual
- Screen Printing Magazine, Choosing a halftone dot shape
- Layersmith, White underbase for screen printing
- Scott Fresener, T-Biz Network, Choking, trapping and cleaning up type
- Impressions, The challenges of screen printing on caps
- Solutions for Screen Printers, Ink and film density
- Screen Printing Magazine, Stencilmaking in the age of CTS
Where sources disagree, the page says so.