| If you are new to screen printing, you may not | | | | complicated than the other layers. It's a good idea to |
| know where to begin when it comes to getting | | | | zoom in when you select small areas to make sure |
| artwork ready for printing. Separating images into | | | | you don't miss anything. Also, if I use the magic |
| colors is an important step. Luckily Photoshop makes | | | | wand to select small lettering like the TM next to a |
| this pretty easy. I am going to show you how in just | | | | logo it will probably not look crisp when screen |
| a few easy steps. | | | | printed. Instead of selecting this area with the Magic |
| Open your picture in Photoshop. Now select the | | | | Wand create a new layer and use the text tool to |
| magic wand tool in the tools panel. Use this tool to | | | | rewrite TM. Write TM in black and move the TM to |
| select all of one color in the image. If you need to | | | | the correct location on the image. Use a different |
| select more than one area, hold the shift key down | | | | color than the TM was originally written in so it is |
| as you click on the picture. You will see "dancing ants" | | | | easy to see if the font is the right size, etc. |
| around the selected areas. If you click on the wrong | | | | Now hide all the layers in the layers panel except the |
| area, simply press Ctrl+Z to undo the last move, or | | | | TM layer and the layer that contains the same color |
| right click and select Subtract From Selection. Once | | | | as you would like TM to be printed in. Right click in |
| you have made your selection, right click and select | | | | the layers panel and select Merge Visible. Both layers |
| Layer via Copy. This will create a new layer with just | | | | are now together in one layer. |
| the one color in it. | | | | You will need to create registration marks now so |
| If you look at the layers panel now you will see two | | | | the layers are easy to line up when screen printing. |
| layers. Unclick the eye icon next to Layer 1 to hide | | | | Use a thin font like Arial and write the + sign in black |
| the layer. You should be able to see just the color | | | | in three corners of the image. Use a font size that is |
| you selected left in the image. I am going to change | | | | easy to see but not too thick or it will be hard to line |
| the name of this layer to the color it contains by | | | | up. The registration marks need to be far enough |
| double clicking on the name and replacing the text. | | | | away from the image that they do not interfere with |
| If everything looks right, click the space where the | | | | printing, but still close to the picture. Once you print a |
| eye icon was before to make Layer 1 reappear. | | | | few logos you will get a feel for how to create and |
| Follow the steps of selecting a color and Layering via | | | | place these marks. |
| Copy again until all colors are represented in their own | | | | Now select one of the layers. In the file menu go to |
| layers. Each time you select a new color for layering, | | | | Image>Adjustments>Levels. The levels options |
| you will need to make sure Layer 1 is active. You can | | | | window will pop up. Under Output Levels: there is a |
| tell because that layer will be highlighted in blue in the | | | | black and white bar with two arrows underneath. |
| layers panel. Layer 1 needs to be active because this | | | | Click on the white arrow and drag it all the way to |
| is where all the colors reside originally. If a different | | | | the left end of the bar. This will turn the layer black. |
| layer is active then when you try to use the magic | | | | Do this with each layer until each layer is black. Now |
| wand tool to select a color, it will not work correctly | | | | you are ready to print. You will want to print each |
| because the color you are selecting is not present in | | | | color layer separately in black with the registration |
| the active layer. | | | | marks on each print. Good luck printing! |
| Colors that have fine detail are a little more | | | | |