P7-14News final:p5-14 NEWSJanuary 09 21/01/2009 11:16 Page 14
INDUSTRY TROUBLE SHOOTER
BEHIND THE
SCREENS..: A Stitch in Time...
Dr Hackett’s sideways
look at screenprinting
There are many issues facing embroidery companies
today, so P&P aims to tackle some of the most taxing.
Hello again my little screen wipes,
and welcome to another walk in the
This month, printwear expert Tony Whitmore speaks to
wash booth, another peak behind
managing director of Your Embroidery Service, Roy
the dark room curtain.
This month we'll be looking at Burton about designing patterns.
squeegee technique, thanks to a
letter from Larry Le Touche at Screen
Queens in Soho, 'Dear Doctor, is
there any science behind a printer's
The Pattern: always easy to use and generally much information. There is no such
squeegee blade pulling action?
operates on the WYSIWYG (What thing.
Should it be a pull, a flood and a
This is all too often a forgotten You See Is What You Get) system One size
pull, a pull and a push, or a flood
subject and yet it is the key to good with wizards to help generate the does not fit all.
and a push and a dry stroke? Larry, embroidery. No matter what level of correct stitch density etc. Also most
One pattern
it may sound straightforward, but equipment you have and how good modern packages can convert TTF’s will not
this is one of the trickiest questions
you are at your job, if the pattern is (True Type Fonts) found on all PC’s necessarily fit
I've had since I was at last year’s
poorly produced then the embroidery into stitched letters. There are a few all uses. If the
Screen Print Symposium in Helsinki.
is likely to follow suit. May be we are rules about the size of letters etc same pattern is
Before we can look at the flood pull
being too harsh in saying “forgotten” but these should be covered in your to be
push dilemma though, let's touch on
the tool at the centre of this debate.
but, unfortunately, many see the software training. Some packages embroidered on
Many printers of prefer aluminium:
pattern as just being there and being such as WINGS MODULAR allow you shirts and caps
easy to clean, lightweight and warp
right but all too often this is not the to buy just certain modules of the then, sorry, but
free. I prefer a good long handled
reality. These days, mainly due to software so you can expand it as you may need
wood, made preferably from the computerisation, embroidery patterns
your skill grows. to splash out
Giant Sequoia, warmer to the touch are much easier to produce. Much of Check the filtered stitches. All on two
and famous for its ink repellent
the individual skill required in earlier software, no matter what the patterns. The same goes for a design
qualities, it really is in my view a
years is now handled by “the vendors say, generates short that is to be used on different size
king among
software program (PC)” and, stitches and some of the shirts such as children’s through to
trees. It's
whilst in the main this is a less able ones still XXXL.
the blade
that is key
good thing, it has also produce what are Tell them when you need it. I know
though -
opened the door for, let’s say, known as blank that this sounds silly but you would
naturally
the less knowledgeable, stitches. Both of be surprised how many forget to
they should
and that includes the these are your mention this until the day before they
all be UV
embroiderer, to produce sworn enemies need it. If your digitiser knows that
and solvent designs. Naturally we and will create the job is urgent it gives them the
resistant,
cannot deliver an in- problems for you. opportunity to schedule the work
with low
depth digitising course If the studio you accordingly. They have not got
compression
within the pages of this are using is good acrystal ball so tell them when you
features and
magazine but we can at what they do need it.
enhanced
functional edge sharpness, that's a
give you a few pointers these should
given, but from soft to hard do we
as to how to avoid the have been Final thoughts..
use red, green, purple or blue?
common pitfalls. filtered out before the pattern gets Difficult and intricate patterns
Because practising safe printing and
If you are new to embroidery use a to you but, sad to say, this is all too require a greater level of skill and it
using the right rubber, will dictate
professional digitising studio. You often not the case. Luckily most may be that this type of work is
your pulling style. A nice soft blade have enough to learn with the modern machines and software always better contracted out. It has
will usually put more ink down and
machine and the techniques without have the ability to isolate and get been known in the past for a design
may mean no need to flood before
loading even more pressure on your rid of these stitches for you. such as a ceremonial badge to take 8
you pull - an even heavier layer can
shoulders getting to grips with a new Information is king. The end quality – 10 hours. That’s a full day’s work
be put down using a round edge
piece of software. That doesn’t mean of the design may well depend on for one design.
rather than a square. A firm sharp
blade in contrast will clear the
to say that should not buy the information that you give to the Ensure that the software suits your
screen more easily, hold sharper
embroidery software because you digitising studio. Give them as much needs.. The software vendor should
detail, and reduce the need for a dry
should. Lettering forms a major part as you can such as the type of fabric be able to offer guidance here.
swipe. Like so many things in life
of most embroidery patterns and that is being embroidered leather for
Larry, It's a suck it and see, but very
today’s software delivers very good instance has different needs to Remember that this is your
generally, those are the rules. All that quality text (in most cases). knitwear (send a sample if you have column so, if you have a problem,
said, manual screen printing is about
Add your own text. As mentioned one), the type of product to be ask the question. If we can’t
feeling - when you understand that,
above most packages these days embroidered (patterns for caps may answer it then we know a man
it will seem natural to learn that in
generate good quality text and by be different to those for polo shirts), who can! Send you questions to
my early days as an apprentice at
doing this yourself you will save the real size that the embroidery will nbarston@datateam.co.uk and
Count Dooku's Print Shop, we learnt
to print, blindfolded....
money and, quite possibly, time. This be (don’t approximate the size). we’ll do our upmost to ensure we
module of the software package is Don’t worry about giving them too provid the answers.
| 14 | February 2009 www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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