Silk Screen Printing Spot Color Separation.

This article will explain spot color separation for silk screen printing. There are many software programs capable of doing color separations each with program specific functions. For better understanding I will use more general terms that can be applied with any color separation software.

Color separation is breaking artwork down by color. This is done so stencils of the separated colors can be made, lined up on a silk screen printing machine, and ink pushed through to reproduce the original design. Color separation is a beginning step to recreating a design with silk screen printing.

The most basic form of color separation is spot color separation. This method uses solid shapes of color. By solid color is meant a single shade of color is used to fill an object. Cartoons are examples of artwork like this. Cartoons typically use a set number of solid colors. Although this method of color separation can be used with any artwork, it works best with solid color designs. If used with a full-color design, the resulting print will come out looking more cartoony and not be an exact reproduction.

The steps to spot color separation are simple. Select each color or range of color and create a new image with the selection. Turn the entirety of this new image black. For example, select the green leaves of a tree, copy this into a new image, and change the green leaves to black leaves in this new image. Select the brown trunk of the tree, copy this into a new image, and change the color of the trunk to black.

Most modern software uses layers. Layers are images or effects laid atop each other. Layers can be viewed and manipulated independently or together.

When all the colors are separated registration marks are added to each color separation. Registration marks are small cross-hair like symbols placed in the corners of each color separation to aid in registration (lining the color separations up to each other). Registration marks are crucial so you have a common reference on each color separation.

The color separations are then printed using an inkjet or laser printer onto vellum. Vellum is a paper material that light can pass through. Clear transparencies are a common alternative to vellum. Once printed they are ready for use in burning silkscreens.

The printed color separations are also called "film positives" or just "positives" by many silkscreeners.

If you did everything right you should be able to successfully burn a silkscreen. The most common failure of a film positive is not being dark enough.

When the color separation is not dark enough it does not work well in burning a silkscreen. When you learn how to burn a silkscreen you will understand why. For now, understand you want the color separations as dark as possible.

A darker printout can be achieved by changing your printer setting to disable any toner or ink saving modes. Most modern printers have a toner or ink saving mode and many are enabled by default. Disable this when printing color separations.

Be sure you are using the appropriate vellum or clear transparency with your printer. These come in either inkjet or laser varieties. If you have an inkjet printer, use inkjet vellum or transparencies. If you have a laser printer, use laser vellum or transparencies.

There is a chemical you can paint or spray over the film positive to make it darker. This chemical bonds to the ink or toner making it darker.

If you try these things and it does not help your image is either dark enough all ready or more likely you need to use a different printer. Just about any laser printer works great. Many lower end inkjet printers just do not make a dark enough image.

For information on how to burn a silkscreen take a look at my other articles.

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