Plain-English guides on separating, pricing, and prepping artwork for screen printing and DTF — from the team behind AI Separations.
Learn how to separate colors in Photoshop for screen printing using channels, indexed color mode, and manual layer techniques. Step-by-step guide.
Learn what a white underbase is, when you need one for printing on dark shirts, and how to separate files correctly. Try AI Separations free today.
What does color separation mean? Learn the definition of color separation in screen printing, how it works, and why every print shop needs it. Try AI Separations free.
Learn how to calculate screen printing setup fees, screen charges, and minimums that cover costs and protect margin. Includes a breakdown of real shop expenses.
Simulated process vs spot color separation for screen printing — how to choose by artwork type, garment color, and ink count, with simple rules of thumb.
Vectorize a logo or design free, right in your browser — turn a fuzzy PNG/JPG into a clean, scalable SVG. Here's how, what vectorizes well, and how it's different from color separation.
How to separate colors for dye migration, sublimation bleed, and printing on dyed garments. Fix polyester ink ghosting with blockers and separation strategy.
Stop buying new plastisol for every job. Ink inventory matching lets you separate designs to the stock inks you already have. Save money, reduce waste.
Learn how to separate a photo for screen printing using simulated process. Step-by-step guide to halftones, underbase, and turning photos into printable separations.
Break down the true screen printing cost per shirt: blanks, ink, screens, labor, and overhead. Learn how to calculate profit margins and price jobs right.
The Adobe PostScript + Distiller method for making screen-printing film positives on an inkjet, why people use it, and how to export press-ready halftoned film positives directly — no AccuRIP, no Distiller.
Tonal grayscale art gets destroyed by flat color separation — but not by halftones. How to print monochrome artwork as one-ink halftones, duotones, and gray-plus-accent-color seps.
Learn how to match PMS colors with plastisol ink on press. Understand Delta E tolerances, mixing vs. pre-mixed, and when screen print spot color is close enough.
Learn how to mix plastisol ink for custom colors: weight vs. volume ratios, base selection, color-matching systems, and how to separate designs to your stock.
Is my artwork print ready? Use this pre-flight checklist to check resolution, colors, underbase needs, and file format before you commit. Try AI Separations free.
Index separation screen printing uses exact spot colors for bold vector art. Learn when to choose index vs simulated process and how to separate faster.
Learn how to price screen printing jobs with a proven step-by-step formula. Calculate costs, labor, markup, and profit margins. Try the free quote calculator today.
Learn how to do color separation for screen printing with this complete guide. Spot color, simulated process, and automated workflows explained. Try it free.
Learn how to estimate screen count for any design. Spot color, simulated process, underbase—get accurate screen counts before quoting. Try AI Separations free.
How many colors can you screen print? Learn practical limits by press type, color count vs screens, and when simulated process beats spot separations.
Learn how halftone LPI and mesh count work together in screen printing. Avoid moiré, dot gain, and print failures. Real formulas and shop-tested settings inside.
Customer sent a tiny JPEG that needs to print large? Learn practical ways to fix low resolution artwork, upscale images, and when to refuse a file. Try AI Separations free.
Most DTF prints don't need halftones — DTF lays down full color directly, so continuous tone and gradients print as-is. Here's the plain-English answer, the few times you DO want to halftone for DTF (fades, distressed looks, lighter ink, single-color transfers), and a free in-browser tool to do it.
Learn how to reduce colors in screen printing to boost profit margin. Fewer screens means lower setup cost, faster press time, and higher per-job profit.
DTF vs screen printing: run length, detail, turnaround, and profit margins compared. Learn when to use DTF or screen print for each job. Try AI Separations free.
DTF glue residue and adhesive halos ruin transfers. Learn what causes transparent edges, powder blooming, and hazy halos — and how to fix them. Try AI Separations free.
Learn how choke and trap fix registration gaps and white halos in screen printing. Practical guide to trapping, overlap math, and when to use it. Try AI Separations free.
You don't need Photoshop or an Adobe subscription to pull press-ready color separations. Here's the standalone, AI-assisted workflow for screen printing and DTF.
What file format is best for screen printing? Vector vs raster, resolution requirements, and what to send your printer. Get the file-prep checklist.
How to generate a mockup for every design in your catalog in one pass: pick a shirt color or upload your own blank, bulk-drop designs, download the lot. Free in-browser tool, no signup, nothing uploads.
Compare the best color separation software for screen printing. From free plugins to standalone apps—find the right tool for simulated process and spot separations.
Looking for the best AI color separation software? Compare true AI tools vs manual plugins for simulated process & spot separations. Try AI Separations free.
Learn how automatic color separation software works, what to expect vs manual Photoshop seps, and when AI saves time. Compare methods for screen printing shops.
Learn what DPI for screen printing you really need, how to judge low-resolution artwork, and when a customer file will hold up at print size. Try AI Separations free.
AI vs manual color separation: accuracy, speed, and control compared. Learn when to use AI, when to hand-separate, and how to blend both. Try AI Separations free.
Is there AI for screen printing? Yes. AI screen printing software now handles color separation, print-readiness checks, and quoting. Here's what it actually does.
AI color separation explained: what 'AI' really means in a separation tool, where it helps (background removal, upscaling, setup advice) and where the engine is still classic halftone math.