Jump to content

Screen printing design with a 3d printer


adorjanv

Recommended Posts

Posted · Screen printing design with a 3d printer

Hello there! 

It is not quite 3D printing, but I am using my 3d printer (Ecub maker Toydiy 4in1 with the laser head) and the Cura slicer for this project.

 

So I am doing simple t-shirt designs and I want to screen print them for myself. 

I have managed to figure out myself, how I can just fill the design with dots and only cut those with the laser head from baking paper (pls see the attached pictures).

Then I use it as a screen on a t-shirt, apply paint and it is done. 

 

I would like to bring this to a next level, and that's where I need help. I am looking for a method, where I can easily turn any pictures to screens with different sized holes or different density of holes. This way I could achieve different shades of the same colour within the design (by transferring different amounts of paint). 

 

(I could do basic screen printing by using 1 layer prints and a normal screen, but I like this laser stuff) 

 

Any ideas? 

Thanks

 

received_4132357883468280.jpeg

received_530518918084988.jpeg

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Screen printing design with a 3d printer

    I think software that can raster photos for traditional printing might work? For example an old Photoshop or so?

     

    If you look at printed photos in books or magazines through a magnifying glass or microscope, you will see that they do consist of solid dots in varying sizes and angles. There are no shades in-between, only dots 100% (ON) or 0% (OFF) in the colors yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. By varying the size of the dots of each ink color, all the zillion colors shades in-between are produced.

     

    So, practically, you would need to convert a color-image into black/white in an image editor, then adjust contrast to your wishes, and then export that greyscale image as a printing-raster or printing-screen (I am not sure about the exact terminology), to convert the grey-shades into black dots of varying sizes. In some professional printing softwares, you can also select the desired shape of the dots: square, diamond, circle, and you can select the angle under which they are printed.

     

    Next time you walk by a huge promo panel on the streets, have a closer look. Usually they have big dots, easily visible to the naked eye.

     

    I doubt if freeware like Inkscape or GIMP can do this too, because this is a typical professional printing feature, not required for home or office use. But you might find some software, I don't know.

     

    • Like 1
    Link to post
    Share on other sites

    • 3 weeks later...
    Posted · Screen printing design with a 3d printer


    Cam Watt is a Media, Art, and Design teacher who has provided the files to 3D print a screen printing kit, including print frames, a standoff leg, and a squeegee. The kit also includes a detailed tutorial on converting your 2D files to 3D models (STL files.) Once the kit gets printed, Watt also provides instructions on how to use it to reproduce your own design repeatedly. This is a great project: the kit can be printed on any 3D printer with a 6 x 6 " bed, and the end result is durable enough to withstand what is likely to be your enthusiastic use of it! More details on this process can be found in this article 

    aa1.png

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    • 1 month later...
    Posted · Screen printing design with a 3d printer
    On 7/15/2022 at 5:35 AM, joe30 said:


    Cam Watt is a Media, Art, and Design teacher ...  More details on this process can be found. 

     

    On a different link. That link just goes to a writeup of 3D printer comparisons. Any chance of the real link? I'd like to do this too and don't want to recreate the wheel.

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    • Our picks

      • Introducing Universal Cura Projects in the UltiMaker Cura 5.7 beta
        Strap in for the first Cura release of 2024! This 5.7 beta release brings new material profiles as well as cloud printing for Method series printers, and introduces a powerful new way of sharing print settings using printer-agnostic project files! Also, if you want to download the cute dinosaur card holder featured below, it was specially designed for this release and can be found on Thingiverse! 
          • Like
        • 10 replies
      • S-Line Firmware 8.3.0 was released Nov. 20th on the "Latest" firmware branch.
        (Sorry, was out of office when this released)

        This update is for...
        All UltiMaker S series  
        New features
         
        Temperature status. During print preparation, the temperatures of the print cores and build plate will be shown on the display. This gives a better indication of the progress and remaining wait time. Save log files in paused state. It is now possible to save the printer's log files to USB if the currently active print job is paused. Previously, the Dump logs to USB option was only enabled if the printer was in idle state. Confirm print removal via Digital Factory. If the printer is connected to the Digital Factory, it is now possible to confirm the removal of a previous print job via the Digital Factory interface. This is useful in situations where the build plate is clear, but the operator forgot to select Confirm removal on the printer’s display. Visit this page for more information about this feature.
          • Like
        • 0 replies
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...