ImagesMagUK_June_2021

www.images-magazine.com KB TIPS & TECHNIQUES JUNE 2021 images 31 www.blackdogink.com.au @sigh_13 @brzfood This colourful design was created by Sigh Luxton and printed at Black Dog Ink in Port Macquarie, Australia. Head printer Chris Merrell breaks down the process behind the company’s first multi-coloured print on its new M&R Chameleon press Anatomy of a screen print All of our separations are performed in-house using Photoshop software. The image resolution for this design was 1,200dpi at the print scale, dot shape was round at an angle of 22.5 degrees at 60lpi. The final print size for the back design was 300 x 410mm, plus there was an additional one-colour pocket and sleeve print branding. The screens were exposed using a DIY, custom-built, 1000W, metal halide, point light source exposure unit. Screen preparations were also completed in-house. Screens were coated using Ulano QX-1 Emulsion, applied 1+1. Screen mesh was a combo of 90T and 120T screens from LeapFrog Ink Spot (Australia). The design was printed on our favourite and go-to blank from AS Colour, the Staple Tee in black. The back illustration was recreated as a seven-colour print, using the Rutland Plastisol ink mixing system. The print order was underbase > 185C > 3945C > 363C > 661C > 319C, and finished with a highlight white. This print was the first multi-colour design to go on press on our brand-new, manual M&R Chameleon (six- station/10 colours). Going from our well-loved Hopkins International press to a brand new M&R press, it took some getting used to the ultra-responsive, super-fine micro-reg! T he Illustration was a custom design by our good friend and incredible artist, Sigh Luxton. He is amazingly talented and the king of the barbecue merch scene – not only here in Australia, but his designs have popped up in the US and NZ as well! Sigh was approached by Adriano from BRZ Food to come up with a custom design for his brand. The brief from Adriano was simply, “Ask people about me and surprise me!” After some crazy stalking, Sigh pulled together all of the elements that represent the biggest smile in BBQ and his passion for his family and good food. We’ve worked with Sigh for years; it’s a fun process deconstructing his designs and watching them rebuild layer by layer, slowly coming back to life as a custom tee. The dry time was standard plastisol curing of approximately 170°C at two minutes through an infrared Aus-Text tunnel dryer from GJS. Watch Black Dog Ink printing this design