[GalaxyHead]

So I just began using Photoshop CS3. I normally only do graphics for web content, but I am trying to create a document for screen printing. I know this means to increase the DPI atleast at or over 300 DPI. Is this the same as the resolution? I usually only do my graphics/art at default resolution (I know, bad, but then I am not a professional). Also, if the DPI is over 300, does the image itself have to be a certain dimension (pixel x pixel) to print well? In other words, does the image itself have to be huge if the DPI is high enough (huge being around 6000x6000 pixels)? Thanks.

[Greng]

is this going to be screen printing in colour? How many layers will there be as it gets more complicated than just DPI. for screen printing you will need cmyk seperations.

Ok I was typing an explanation but this seems to be clearer...
http://www.rogercavanagh.com/pstips/tip01-1.stm

edit: and then the cmyk bit is explained well here...
http://www.screensilk.com/2007/01/full-color-screen-printing-with-photoshop/
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[Agent Orange]

Dude

DPI = Pixels / actual size


So the thing about 300dpi is corrent though for screening 150 might do.
Now take your desired screen size in inch and multiply it by your resolution (the dpi number). Voila, there you have the necessary amount of pixels.

The thing is: Photoshop does all this for you.
Go to the resize dialogue or create a new image. Enter your width/height in an actual unit of your preference, set resolution to 150/300 and watch photoshop calculate the pixel size.

So, a 6000 Pixel wide image at 300 dpi would be 20 inches wide when printed correctly.

[GalaxyHead]

You know what is amusing is that the company states they can use raster images as long as they are over 200 dpi. I am assuming they use the techniques in that second tutorial to prepare art for screen printing. Or else, I really have no clue. So would I be safe to draw something in Photoshop as long as it is over 200 dpi even if it is not a vector? Because I have no clue how to vector and my computer can run illustrator well.

Thing is, I am paranoid. If I make a new file in Photoshop to draw with a 300 dpi resolution it looks the same as if I was drawing with a 72 dpi, so how do I know if it saves the difference?

[sawtooth]

if you look at a drawing at 100% it will show you 1:1 pixels/dots on screen, but if you choose print size it will attempt to show you a real-size version of what you made (unfortunately this is almost never the case, as the 72dpi screen ->print translation was made void as soon as 96dpi pc monitors became the standard, and now that laptops have made weird dot sizes fashionable). Even though it won't be right, if it's a lot smaller than the view at 100%, it means that the dpi measurement stuck.

What's your image look like/what will it look like?

Here are some prepress tips:

PDFs are really awesome, use them whenever possible ,who cares if they're not open source shut up benren

screen printing is the worst for continuous tone/full process color images. the image in the linked example would look better as 4 layered spot colors (dark orange/yellow/dark blue/light blue), with no halftoning whatsoever. process color on screen printing takes more futzing around with the screen than spot colors, and you lose detail as well.

vector art is far better for screen printing than raster-based art for reasons outlined above. You can make a really large screen with a relatively small file, and colors are easier to manage with illustrator's/indesign's swatch palette. vector art is far easier to do trapping (hiding off-register prints by expanding colored areas underneath outlines), too. I've used photoshop to make separations before, but only if I'm using it to convert a series of scanned images into hi-res 1bit tiffs that I can print off on to transparencies right away.

If you're sending your image to an outfit with one of those crazy expensive garment printers just forget what I said and go nuts i guess.

hope this helps
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