For fifteen to thirty gig posters, I would rather design one bold color well than spend the night aligning three. The file starts with the smallest essential details: bands, city, public venue or official contact, doors, price, and access note. I print that information at final size and tape it across the room before preparing a screen. Old card stock and clean misprints make good test sheets, then the edition can use reclaimed paper that accepts ink consistently. We count paper first, mix only a little extra water-based ink, and keep a spray bottle nearby so the screen does not dry during pauses. Cleanup follows the product guidance and local disposal rules; ink and emulsion residue do not go blindly down a drain. What setup choices keep tiny poster runs readable, low-waste, and worth the labor?
Open thread / Mara Vale
Screen-Print Poster Setup for Tiny Runs
A resource-conscious screen-print workflow for producing a small batch of legible gig posters.
Build registration stops even for one color. They keep margins consistent and make test results comparable. I also pull one poster, let it dry fully, and check it under ordinary room light before printing the run; wet ink can hide weak coverage and small text problems.
Only number a run when the limit means something, and keep artist proofs outside the public count. For show promotion, I prefer leaving a blank edge where the host can write a changed set time rather than throwing away the whole batch. Post the same corrections online promptly.