What is CMYK & SIM Screen Printing?

What is CMYK & SIM Screen Printing?


CMYK and SIM are two different types of screen printing processes we offer at Witly. Both processes use a specific number of screen set-ups, to achieve a full range of colour.

Although similar, there are some distinct differences between these two processes, that must be considered when deciding which path to take for your next production.

Follow along as we answer the FAQ:
What is CMYK and SIM screen printing?

WHAT IS CMYK SCREEN PRINTING?

CMYK is an acronym used to describe the four colours that are layered during CMYK printing process. Those colours are:

C - Cyan
M - Magenta
Y - Yellow
K - Key (Black)


When layered properly, these colours are able to re-create a realistic, full colour image, while only utilizing four screens. The inks utilized for CMYK are more translucent, allowing the colours to blend seamlessly together to create a bright and vibrant finished product.

 

WHEN SHOULD I USE CMYK SCREEN PRINTING?

The CMYK process is only suitable for light coloured garments due to the opacity of the inks used.
If you're looking to print on white, natural or bone coloured garments then CMYK would be a viable printing option.

WHAT IS SIM SCREEN PRINTING?

SIM (short for simulation) is a screen printing process which utilizes up to 9 screen set-ups to produce a myriad of colours within a print. With SIM, the blend of specific Pantone colours and the garment colour itself are used to create the varying tones within the artwork.

The SIM process is very similar to the CMYK process, but is slightly more versatile when it comes to the colour of garments it can be applied to.

In our example of SIM in our Labour Tee print for WitlySupplyCo. we only ended up utilizing 5 out of the 9 screens available for SIM printing. Although SIM can utilize up to 9 different colours, it is not always necessary, and is typically artwork dependent!

 

WHEN SHOULD I USE SIM SCREEN PRINTING?

SIM is a great option if you are looking to have an extremely wide colour pallet within your design, and are looking to print on either light or dark coloured garments. The inks utilized within the SIM process are much thicker than CMYK, meaning the original colour of the garment will not skew the hue of the artwork.

If you are looking to have full range of colour within your graphic, going the SIM route will condense your screen per colour cost, ultimately saving you money.

 TALK TO ONE OF OUR WITLY REPS TODAY TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOUR JOB IS BEST SUITED FOR CMYK OR SIM!

Please be aware that there is an order minimum of 24 units with no colour changes of garments permitted within the run for both CMYK and SIM processes.
Click here to get started!

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