Shop Our Selection of Screen Printing Software Brands:
Why Choose Garston for Your Screen Printing Software?
Affordable Prices
Whenever our clients need quality screen printing software, Garston will always be around to offer low, affordable prices.
Customer Satisfaction
Our screen printing experts always go out of their way to provide our customers with the best service in the area. We always strive to accompany our great products with even better recommendations and speedy deliveries.
Name Brand Products
Have a brand you’re searching for? Reach out to us and we’ll let you know if we carry it or where you can receive it. To keep you from bouncing around to different places, we carry high-quality, name-brand screen printing software to assist you in your projects.
Shop Our Selection of Individual Screen Printing Software:
Qualities of Screen Printing Software
RIP Software
For printers who love ink-jet printers, it’s recommended that for outputting film positives you see a rip software that works with both your printer and computer.
Separation Software
To keep up with simulated processes, index colors, real processes or color separation for film outputs, you’ll need a reliable software. This type of software will also cut down on the time you normally use to prep artwork and it’s great for beginners in design software.
Graphic Software
Screen printers need the option to modify as well as create artwork for imprinting. This means that a screen printer also needs artwork design templates and clipart. The right graphics software can make a whole different for a multitude of printing jobs including screen printing and direct-to-garment printing.
Vinyl Cutting Software
This type of software is great for sign-making as well as those who want to digitally print graphics. Vinyl cutting software works well for digital plotters and printers.
Selecting the Right Screen Printing Software
RIP Software
Although most screen prints have simple designs, every now and then screen printers may have to print complex designs. This could include a four-color process printing job or adding gradient tones for the benefit of special effects.
Whatever your situation, you can deal with complex designs and control the ink for your film positive with rip software which stands for Raster Image Processor. Here are a few of the benefits of using RIP software:
- Halftones: When it comes to creating halftone films, RIP software is needed because of the gradient images you need to print in which most printers will first lay down ink. This means that when printing in grayscale, any color that is not black will be in a gray tone. When you’re solely printing films and exposing your screens, this can present a problem. The gray dots that result will not block out all of the UV light and the image won’t expose. Instead, if you run your image through a RIP software, these dots will appear in black and help you with proper screen exposure.
- Enlarged Images: A common struggle between screen printers comes from enlarging raster images that are small and keeping the detail intact. When you use RIP software, you can combat this problem and properly print enlarged images. This is able to happen because RIP software adds more pixels to the existing image.
- Combating banding problems: Larger, detailed images can often print with signs of “banding” which are gradient lines. RIP Software can help avoid banding by turning transition areas into a variety of different patterns of colors included. This then helps the transition of colors blend into the final product.
Color Separation Software
If you’re leaning toward color separation software, you’re definitely headed in the right direction. This type of software can help cut down on preparing artwork and is a great alternative for beginning designers. There are a few different factors you need to consider for choosing the correct separation software for your shop.
- Choose a software that matches your print style: You’ll need to determine the most used artwork your shop has, and which separation software matches that type of artwork. Certain types of software are great for four-color process separations while others can be used for index separations. To save time and effort, make sure that the type of software you choose is specific to the type of artwork you specialize in.
- The software needs to be compatible: Does the software match your computer’s operating system and the design software you’d like to use? You can find most separation programs with add-ons for Photoshop or illustrator as well.
- What kind of usability does it offer?: Since separation software can be used by any skill level, it’s designed to be incredibly user friendly. Make sure that the type you choose is adaptable and easy to use. When it comes to separation software, you shouldn’t be adding time to your production, you should be saving it.
- Understand special properties: This type of software includes all different kinds of special features that can help you manipulate your artwork to your desired look. When you’re looking at your software options, take a look at the special additives that each software includes. Can you use them? Are they relevant to your shop?
Graphic Software & Vinyl Cutting Software
Most Vinyl Cutting machines will come with their own software to help create basic designs. They can also include pre-existing templates or files and can be a good starting point for anyone.
If you’re looking to advance your design, you can purchase software everywhere. It’s not true that a more expensive machine will create the best work, you can’t forget about the software you’re utilizing.
The best way to create a great design is to improve it before it even reaches your machine. The most popular types of design tools (including graphic software) for vinyl cutting is CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator and AutoCAD. You might be wondering why it’s not the best idea to use Photoshop, that’s because it relies on raster graphics which are pixels and dots. Illustrator relies on vectors instead of raster graphics, meaning that it uses lines instead of dots.
Vinyl cutting machines speak the language of vectors to define its path, so it’s best to use any software that is a vector-based software that can handle SVG (scalable vector graphics) instead. For beginners, it’s best to stick with using the software that comes along with your machine.
Screen Printing Software FAQ
Do I Have to Be Skilled With the Computer to Use Screen Printing Software?
You don’t necessarily have to be skilled in every type of screen printing software, but it can come as an advantage to you. You can start by utilizing the software provided with your type of machine and later venturing out to more advanced and professional software to receive better results. You can even start out by using a free software known as Clip Art, and all you really need to know how to do is manipulate image files known as vector art-files. If you have a basic understanding of using a computer, you should be able to create artwork on it. For complex art or color separation, you may need assistance from others or to brush up on new skills.
What Are Vector Files?
In order to screen print your garments, you’ll need to create a type of artwork and there are many different programs and techniques about doing this. To start off simple, you’ll need to have it in a vector format. Vector art is a type of art used by computers, another type is called a bitmap art. Vector graphics focus on geometrics such as point, lines, shapes or curves which are based off of mathematical equations and represented through computer graphics. Bitmap also known as “reaster” art is identified as art that ends in .GIF, .BMP, .JPEG, .JPG or .PCX.
Can I Print In Batches?
Like a lot of different printing technology, printers can tend to overheat quite easily, especially from extended use. This can create problems in your prints and quality. If you find that your vellum is starting to jam, smudge or wrinkle, let your machine rest. It’s best practice to print in small batches, let your machine rest, then continue to print once again.
Why Do I Need AccuRIP Black Pearl for the Latest Addition?
There are some programs that are specifically built using PostScript data which includes Adobe or Corel. An Epson will not have a Adobe PostScript chip and won’t understand the PostScript language in this type of software. Epson drivers can output composites on a file but have limited room for graphic files. This is where AccuRIp can easily output each graphic file as a separation.
Honest, Fair Prices On All Screen Printing Software
Garston is dedicated to providing excellent prices and excellent customer service for all of our screen printing software products. For over 60 years, we’ve been in the industry of assisting screen printers with a variety of different products to help keep shops open and printers happy! Are you looking for a specific type of screen printing software? Do you need an estimate or simply to make a purchase? Call us at 860-289-3040 to get started today.