ImagesMagUK_March_2022

www.images-magazine.com MARCH 2022 images 31 KB TIPS & TECHNIQUES www.theshirtsmith.com Justin Vu of The Shirtsmith shares the technical details behind the design and printing of one of his passion projects, a recreation of a highly detailed shot by the multi-award-winning photographer Laura Sheridan Anatomy of a print I created this design from scratch on Photoshop, starting with two separate assets: a photo of the veiled woman (shot by photographer Laura Sheridan) and a photo of the intricate rose window that serves as the background. It took several hours to painstakingly remove the background from the original photo of the veiled woman and to process a few additional colour corrections before it was ready to be meshed into the final composition. Each screen was hand-coated and EOM (emulsion over mesh) measured with a DeFelsko PosiTector 6000, and then exposed using an M&R NuArc MSP 3140 exposure unit. This print used five screens: 305tpi (threads per inch) Saati Hi-Dro Mesh on aluminium static frames all around. The design was screen printed on Next Level Unisex Cotton Crew T-Shirts. The design was printed on a six-colour, eight-station M&R Sportsman EX automatic screen printing press. With a single flash cure unit, the number of printable colours was reduced to five, so printing an intricate design like this required some compromises, but the results were ultimately stellar with the utilisation of Union Ink’s Tru-Tone 3X CMYK Process Inks. The print was cured in an M&R Economax D conveyor dryer at 850°F (450°C) with a 55-second dwell time. The extra opacity boost from the triple strength process inks helped create a striking image that seems to leap out from the dark-coloured garment. The print order is as follows: Eclipse Low-Bleed White, Process Hot Magenta, 3x Process Yellow, Process Black, and Premium Brite Cotton White. M y attention has always been drawn to religious iconography,” says Justin Vu, owner of The Shirtsmith, a California-based print shop. “A certain mysticism usually surrounds this type of imagery, whether you’re viewing it in a museum, church, temple, etc. It leaves one in awe. That’s the feeling I was trying to replicate.” Here he breaks down the approach he used to achieve this stunning T-shirt print. 1992-2022 As a new company to the industry, Images has provided us with information and inspiration in abundance. To be asked to feature in response to one of our promoted embroidered garments gave us a massive boost, letting us knowwe are on the right track and doing a good job!” – Steve Skinner, Arlo Original