Hitting the Right Color – Consistency in What We Print
Let's talk color, the lifeblood of screen printing! If you've been in this business as long as I have—30 years and counting—you know that what you see on the screen isn't always what you get on the shirt.
The Fabric Color Challenge
Here's the deal: when you're printing on a bright white tee, that red ink will pop just as you expect. But throw that same red on a gold shirt, and suddenly it's looking a little too orange for comfort. That's because the shirt's color affects how the ink appears.
Enter the Underbase
The underbase is our secret weapon! It's a layer of white ink laid down first to give us a clean canvas, so your colors stay true, regardless of the fabric color.
The Pantone Problem: Not All Books Are Equal
Now, let's clear up a common issue: not all Pantone books are created equal. There are Solid Coated, Uncoated, Process, Textile—you name it, they've got it. But in screen printing, we live and die by the Pantone Solid Coated book.
Why? Because it's designed for the kind of bright, vibrant inks we use on coated surfaces, like your favorite t-shirts and promotional gear. So when you send us color codes from the wrong Pantone book, we have to kindly say, "Thanks, but no thanks." The Solid Coated book is our gold standard, and it keeps us all on the same page—literally.
Hex Codes: Your Quick Fallback
And for those times when customers don't have a Pantone color handy (which we need to mix inks precisely), we can work with hex codes. Hex codes are always available from programs like Illustrator or Photoshop, making them a quick and easy fallback.
Once we've got that hex color, we plug it into our system, and it gives us the closest Pantone match. While it's not a perfect science, it's a great starting point. From there, we can mix inks to get as close as possible to your desired color, ensuring that even if you don't have a Pantone reference, your print still comes out looking spot-on!
Harris Birken is the owner of The Winning Team, California's leading screen printing and embroidery provider since 1993, trusted by resellers for quality and consistency.
www.thewinningteam.com - 800.310.8326