Dane Clement explains how Photoshop's Layer Styles can help you to optimise your artwork for direct-to-garment digital prints, and provides a step-by-step workthrough to show how it's done...
What are the main selling points of a direct-to-garment digital printer;
what was it that made you buy one, or is tempting you into a purchase?
The answer will, no doubt, vary from printshop to printshop, but one benefit must surely be
high on everybody's list – namely, the capability to print full-colour designs at the 'click of a
mouse button' (or two). All you have to do is select 'File' from the menu in your graphics program
and then click 'Print'! A matter of minutes, or seconds, later you have a garment bearing a
stunning full-colour print. What could be easier?
The fact is, whilst printing direct-to-garment is simple in theory, in practice there is a bit more
to it – at least if you want to end up with top quality, saleable results. There are numerous
factors that you need to know and learn about to optimise your digital prints – from equipment
maintenance to garment choice and how to cure your prints effectively.
Design for digital
One of the most important factors that will have a bearing on the quality and appearance of your
finished prints is your artwork. In an ideal world you really could just take a piece of art and
output a stunning print. In the real world, it's a little more complicated than that. The key is to learn to design for digital (which is likely to involve a different approach to the one you are used to using when designing for screen printing).
For starters, when you are designing artwork for screenprinting, you will generally be looking to limit the number of colours you use - this will cut down on the number of screens you have to make and reclaim, and lower the cost of production generally.
With digital, full-colour printing is the norm. That's a benefit of digital printing, right? Well yes, up to a point.
Since digital direct-to-garment printers use transparent inks, you may be printing in full-colour, but you could initially end up a little disappointed that your prints do not produce quite the same rich, vibrant colours that you are used to achieving on a screen printing press.
Similarly, inkjet technology involves the printing of ink through small openings in the machine's prinheads. This means that it's all too common for one or more of the openings to become clogged, causing banding (streaks) on your print, which spoils the finished result.
So, how do you ensure that your digital prints 'zing', and how do you avoid banding and other unwanted effects? In short, how do you design artwork that plays to the strengths of digital direct-to-garment print technology?
Texture fills
When used properly, Layer Styles can lift
your designs for digital direct-to-garment
prints, adding visual interest and masking
any minor banding or other print issues
that could otherwise compromise the final result
You can achieve these goals quite simply, by avoiding the use of large areas of solid colour, which will exaggerate even minor banding issues, and instead using fill textures, bevelled edges, drop shadows and other creative effects to add variety and interest.
In other words, using creative effects, and especially textured fills, will help your transparent inks to 'jump out' from the shirt, rather than looking flat and lifeless. They will also help to hide any imperfections created
by the printhead. (I'm talking, here, about imperfections/minor banding:
even a heavily textured fill will not be capable of masking major banding
caused by seriously clogged printheads. In this instance, your only recourse
is to stop production and implement your machine's head cleaning
cycle. Hopefully, you will have in place a regular maintenance schedule
and this eventuality will not occur too often.)
Adding texture fills is quick and easy using Photoshop's powerful Layer
Styles function. Basically, it's just a case of selecting the style that will best suit your design. For example, say you're working on a team sports name, (see the Pirate Football design). You could put a texture or gradation inside the letters: the textured fill creates variations of colour and shade, which keeps the letters from looking smooth and flat, lifts the design and adds interest, plus it guards against visible banding.
To get started you can use the stock textures that are supplied with
and each copy of Photoshop. However, you'll soon want to add to these, even
creating your own textures to make your work unique.
Creating a custom texture is straightforward and you can save it (as a style), so that it is
ready for you to use again in the future. Before long, you'll have built a library of unique styles to play with. What's more, you can quickly and eas ily swap out different styles, making it a breeze to try a variety of looks on
a particular piece of artwork until you find the one you like best.
From fur and rust to metal and diamond plate, Photoshop Layer Styles
can lend your artwork a wealth of inspiring effects and creative looks —
so many, in fact, that it's impossible to list or describe them all.
Instead, why not visit the Adobe community forum: www.AdobeStudioExchange.com.
Select for Photoshop > Layer Styles to see some stellar textures
created by the army of Photoshop users. You can download stock text-tures, or gain inspiration for creating your own original effects. Alternatively, you could use photos and artwork as pattern overlays.
No matter how you obtain or create your textures, you'll find that they're
an ideal way to add interest and hide printing imperfections, resulting in
digital garment prints that will have your customers clamouring for more.
Working with texture fills
Figure 1.
To demonstrate how to use Layer Styles to add texture fills, I'll show you
how I created the Pirate Football design. You can download the American
Football texture styles I used for this design from my website, free of
charge, so that you can follow the instructions and practice recreating the
effects for yourself. (Click on the Free Downloads Area link on the Home
Page; select Free Styles; and then click to download the .zip file – 'GDG
vol.1 Layer Styles'.)
Start by setting the type in your preferred typeface. Then 'Arch' the text
– Layer > Type > Warp Text > Arch. (See figure 1.)
Next, open the Styles palette (Window > Styles) and click on the small
icon in the upper right corner and select Load Styles from the pull down
menu, (see figure 2.) Select the 'GDG Style set 1.asl' file that you down
loaded from the website, then click Load – this will load all the styles in
that volume. Here, you're going to use style, 'Football 1'. You can see the
name of each style by simply moving your cursor over its icon. (Alternatively,
switch to 'Text' or one of the 'List' views, which display the names
in the pull down menu.) Click an icon to assign that Style to the layer you
are working on – in this case, the layer holding the text.
The Layers palette lists each effect that you have applied, underneath the Layer's name.
You can customise the applied style by double clicking on the 'f' icon on the layer. This
opens the Layers Style palette, which offers many different effects and settings that afford
fine control over the look of the final design. (See figure 3.)
Figure 2
Figure 3
Now it's time to add an edge effect to the type. Photoshop gives you
only one outline stroke in its Layer Style window, but it is quite easy to
'fake' a two-colour stroke. The technique involves applying an inner glow
together with a stroke. You can use this technique to add a 'double' stroke
effect to any type or object.
Assuming you are working with Football 1 Style, 'turn off' Outer Glow
on the left of the Layer Style window by deselecting its check box. Select
Inner Glow – click on its check box – then click on its name. This will
display all of the options that can be used to alter the appearance of the
Inner Glow effect, in the main window on the right – Blend Mode, Opacity,
Noise, Quality contours and so on. Change the opacity to 100&percent; and
change the colour to white by clicking on the small yellow coloured square.
Move the Choke and Size sliders to get the 'inner stroke' how you want it.
Figure 4
Next, 'turn off' Bevel and Emboss, and click on and select Pattern Overlay.
Move the Scale slider and notice how this changes the texture. Select a
Scale setting that gives you the desired effect. (See figure 5.)
Figure 5
Figure 6
This figure shows all of the layers that make up the completed Pirate Football
design together with all of the Layer Styles that have been applied to the artwork.
Click on the check box and select Stroke. Change the colour by clicking
on the small coloured rectangle at the bottom of the window. This brings
up the colour picker: you can choose a colour from this, or do as I did and
sample a colour from the image itself (just move the cursor over the image
and it will change into an eyedropper tool: click on the area of the image
you want to sample the colour from). Finally, change the size of the stroke
using the slider until you're happy with the result. And there you have it, a
'faked' two-colour stroke. (See figure 1.)
Once you're happy with the style you have created save it by clicking on
the New Style button, and give it a
name. Your new style will now appear
in the Styles palette. To recreate precisely
the same effect in future all you
have to do is click on the name of the
new style in the Styles palette and it
will be applied instantly!
IMAGES is published by: CN Publishing, 9a, Kings Road, Flitwick, Bedfordshire, MK45 1ED, England.
Tel: 01525 718890/717655
IMAGES website designed and hosted by Cyberscreen Internet Services
Dane Clement is renowned for his expertise in
computer graphics and colour separations. He
works as an application specialist and is the
founder of Great Dane Graphics – a supplier
of high quality vector artwork for garment
decoration.
Web: www.greatdanegraphics.com
Most recent articles by Dane Clement:
Enhancing type using Layer Styles
IMAGES' computer graphics expert Dane Clement gets creative with Photoshop Layer Styles to show how easy it is to produce stunning edge effects and fills for digitally printed type…
Optimising Photos for Print
IMAGES' computer graphics expert, Dane Clement provides some essential tips on how to manipulate
photographic files to give the best possible printed results…
How to create a Multiple Outline Effect
Adding multiple outlines to text and numbers is a great way to add interest and value to your T-shirt
prints. Graphics expert, Dane Clement shows you how it's done
Other articles that may be of interest:
Target Transfers
Your Digital Printing Choices
Which digital printing system would best meet your commercial short-run requirements? Robin Bull,of Target Transfers, summarises the options, and explains why he believes print/cut to be the most rounded of all the digital print technologies currently ava
Dane Clement
Brush up on your Paint Skills
Dane Clement puts the latest version of Corel Painter through its paces and gives his expert opinion
on both the full program and its 'little brother' – Painter Essentials.
Geoff Baxter
Direct-to-garment Troubleshooting
Geoff Baxter, of M&R, looks at the most common causes of poor quality direct-to-garment digital prints and provides expert solutions to ensure top quality results every time…
Dane Clement
Underbasing for digital prints
Dane Clement explains how to create a digital underbase for a direct-to-garment printer…
Brian Walker
Profiting from Digital Printing
Brian Walker turns his attention to how garment decoration businesses can profit from adopting direct-to-garment digital printing technology.
Brian Walker
Investing in Digital
Brian Walker offers some buying tips for businesses looking to invest in their first direct-to-garment digital
garment printer…
Johnny Shell
Direct-to-Garment inkjet devices - a technology update.
Direct-to-garment digital printing has come of age
in 2007, and if the rumours are to be believed, it is
set to make further technological leaps ahead over
the next 12 months. Johnny Shell provides the
timely advice and information
Scott Fresener
Mastering Photoshop Layers
Scott Fresener
explains how to
build memorable
designs for print
using Photoshop
Layers…
New bags and jackets from Regatta
Regatta’s schoolwear offering for 2010/11 goes from strength to
strength with the launch of a new range of school bags.
The new bags include the TRB035 Kids Gymsac, TRB036 Book Bag,
TRB039 School Backpack 20l, TRB008 Highschool Rucksack 10l,
TRB029 Scholar Backpack 20l, and TRB058 Sports Bag 30l. All feature
ample areas for branding and will be available in a range of colours
that co-ordinate with the Regatta schoolwear range.
The brand’s school jackets include the TRW432 Fresher – a lightweight
water-repellent and windproof fleece-lined jacket, in six school
inspired colours.
The TRA652 Kids Uproar softshell is Regatta’s first kid’s softshell for
the school uniform market, and provides a sporty, stylish alternative
to conventional school outerwear. Made from resilient Regatta Softshell
fabric with water-repellent finish, it features reflective trim and a
printed name label. "This jacket is ready for the rough and tumble of
the playground,” Regatta advises.
The TRW418 Kids Dover Jacket, with its snug fleece lining and Thermoguard
insulation, is the children’s version of the popular adults’
waterproof Dover style. Made from Hydrafort fabric, the jacket’s waterproof
protection is guaranteed, states Regatta.
A staple of the Regatta schoolwear range, the TRA900 Kids Term
Time waterproof reversible jacket is made from peached polyester
with a reversible fleece inner, making it a versatile choice for the winter
term. It can be worn as either a warm lined waterproof jacket, or
reversed and worn as a fleece with waterproof lining.
The Regatta TRF542 Kids Thor III Fleece is made from 250 series
anti-pill Symmetry fleece. It has two lower pockets, an adjustable
shockcord hem on sizes 7 years and upwards, and is available in five
traditional school colours. The Kids Thor III is, "A hardwearing and
smart addition to any school uniform,” according to Regatta.
The brand also offers the KW943 Kids Breathable Packaway II Jacket
and KW944 Overtrousers, and the W908 Kids Stormbreak Jacket and
W808 Overtrousers. "These continue to be great sellers in the schoolwear
market," says Regatta.
www.regattacorporatewear.com.
New bags and jackets from Regatta
Regatta’s schoolwear offering for 2010/11 goes from strength to
strength with the launch of a new range of school bags.
The new bags include the TRB035 Kids Gymsac, TRB036 Book Bag,
TRB039 School Backpack 20l, TRB008 Highschool Rucksack 10l,
TRB029 Scholar Backpack 20l, and TRB058 Sports Bag 30l. All feature
ample areas for branding and will be available in a range of colours
that co-ordinate with the Regatta schoolwear range.
The brand’s school jackets include the TRW432 Fresher – a lightweight
water-repellent and windproof fleece-lined jacket, in six school
inspired colours.
The TRA652 Kids Uproar softshell is Regatta’s first kid’s softshell for
the school uniform market, and provides a sporty, stylish alternative
to conventional school outerwear. Made from resilient Regatta Softshell
fabric with water-repellent finish, it features reflective trim and a
printed name label. "This jacket is ready for the rough and tumble of
the playground,” Regatta advises.
The TRW418 Kids Dover Jacket, with its snug fleece lining and Thermoguard
insulation, is the children’s version of the popular adults’
waterproof Dover style. Made from Hydrafort fabric, the jacket’s waterproof
protection is guaranteed, states Regatta.
A staple of the Regatta schoolwear range, the TRA900 Kids Term
Time waterproof reversible jacket is made from peached polyester
with a reversible fleece inner, making it a versatile choice for the winter
term. It can be worn as either a warm lined waterproof jacket, or
reversed and worn as a fleece with waterproof lining.
The Regatta TRF542 Kids Thor III Fleece is made from 250 series
anti-pill Symmetry fleece. It has two lower pockets, an adjustable
shockcord hem on sizes 7 years and upwards, and is available in five
traditional school colours. The Kids Thor III is, "A hardwearing and
smart addition to any school uniform,” according to Regatta.
The brand also offers the KW943 Kids Breathable Packaway II Jacket
and KW944 Overtrousers, and the W908 Kids Stormbreak Jacket and
W808 Overtrousers. "These continue to be great sellers in the schoolwear
market," says Regatta.
www.regattacorporatewear.com.
Dane Clement explains how Photoshop's Layer Styles can help you to optimise your artwork for direct-to-garment digital prints, and provides a step-by-step workthrough to show how it's done...
When used properly, Layer Styles can lift
your designs for digital direct-to-garment
prints, adding visual interest and masking
any minor banding or other print issues
that could otherwise compromise the final result
Figure 1.
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Dane Clement is renowned for his expertise in
computer graphics and colour separations. He
works as an application specialist and is the
founder of Great Dane Graphics – a supplier
of high quality vector artwork for garment
decoration.
Web: 
