An Underbase Experiment

Feb 1, 2008

Getting striking colors on dark garments can be a challenge, but with proper underbasing techniques, you can make the ink pop, as shown in this design from Target Graphics, Naperville, Ill.

The technique of printing a thin layer of ink (usually white) on a garment is called underbasing. The underbase blocks out the color of the garment, serving to brighten the colors printed on top. The brightness of overprinted colors can be varied by breaking up the underbase into different percentages of halftones.

To see this concept in action, print a layer of white plastisol ink that is divided into 20%, 40%, 50% and 90% halftone areas, and flash it. Then print a solid block of teal-over-white pattern. You'll end up with 10 shades of teal, including one printed directly on the dark background. By printing teal over varying percentages of halftones, you're essentially getting 10 "free" colors.

For underbase design elements that need to stand out with a 90% halftone, use a 20% to 30% halftone underbase to achieve a more subtle effect. Remember, when using this technique, you may be printing plastisol on fabric and ink.

For optimal results, use a semi-translucent plastisol. A plastisol that is too opaque covers the underbase too much and does not permit the underbase's graduated tonal areas to show through. Semi-translucent plastisols also allow you to print colors on top of colors, which creates secondary and tertiary hues. — From the Impressions archives

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