Isn’t it exciting to wear a t-shirt with your own design? Not only does it make you distinguished from others but also a budget-friendly option for advertisement.
You can design a simple t-shirt however you want if you want to custom-create it for personal use. Besides, you can transform a plain t-shirt as a form of marketing your own brand for a product campaign using a picture, pattern, tag, and so on. People are opting for customizing t-shirts, whether it’s for personal, group, or business purposes.
To do this, you need to collect a few plain t-shirts, create a suitable design and choose the right printing technique. Do you know there are several printing methods for you to choose from? Certainly!
And this article will provide you with the full instruction about different printing methods which you can use to transform a simple plain t-shirt into a fabulous one.
Printing T-shirt with a Stencil
The best part of using the stencil method for printing t-shirts is that you can do it with simple crafting elements. It’s a good option for printing one or two t-shirts. Here is the step by step process.
Things you will need:
- For this process, you will need a plain t-shirt. It’s better to choose a thicker fabric t-shirt.
- Stencil (create a stencil with cardboard or purchase from a craft store)
- A durable paint that is washing friendly
- Paint roller
- Tape
- Paint tray
Step 1: Wash the t-shirt
Firstly, you need to clean and dry the t-shirt. Many fabrics tend to shrink after a wash; hence it’s important to clean them first to avoid deteriorating the design afterward. So, clean, dry, and iron the t-shirt first!
Step 2: Set up a printing space
Printing using a stencil is a messy job. To avoid spreading paint all over, it’s better to set up the environment first. To do this, you can place some scrap papers on a hard and even surface. Then, place the t-shirt on it. Make sure the t-shirt has no wrinkles. After that, place the stencil on the t-shirt where you want to design. Now, secure the stencil with tape so that it doesn’t move from the place while printing.
To avoid bleeding paint on the other side of the t-shirt, you can place another piece of cardboard underneath the first layer of the t-shirt. Now, wear an old or scrap t-shirt to protect yourself from the painting mess.
Step 3: Prepare the paint and roller
Spread a generous amount of paint on a tray. Now, roll the roller over the paint to coat it well and evenly. Do a test paint on scrap paper. If the outcome is nice and even throughout, then you can apply it to the t-shirt.
Step 4: Paint on the t-shirt
At this point, carefully use the roller in the place where you want to print the design on the t-shirt. Cover the design with an even coat of paint. Make sure the strokes are steady and do not go beyond the stencil.
Step 5: Remove the stencil
After you are done imprinting, you can remove the stencil. This part needs to be done carefully. Then, let the t-shirt dry completely.
Step 6: Iron the t-shirt
After the paint is completely dry, you can iron it. Place a clean dishcloth over the design area. Now, heat the iron on high heat and iron over the painted section of the t-shirt. It will help the paint to set on the fabric.
You can now easily wear a t-shirt. If you want to clean it, do it with cold water.
Printing T-shirts with Screen Printing
Another technique is screen printing, and it’s a popular one. Below are the ingredients and instructions you need to follow to do this process.
Things you will need:
- A plain t-shirt
- A screen
- Screen printing ink
- Squeeze to smooth out the ink
- Craft paper and knife.
Step 1: Create the stencil
You can create your own stencil using the crafting knife and paper. First, draw the design you want to create. If you want to use several colors, then create different stencils for every color.
Step 2: Set up the printing environment
Next, choose a wide space for printing. Then, cover the surface with scrap paper. Place the t-shirt on the surface and smooth it out to avoid any wrinkles. After that, place the stencil on the t-shirt where you want to design and set the screen on top of the stencil.
Step 3: Color the screen
At this point, pour one spoon of paint on the screen and use the squeeze to spread it slowly. Make sure the paint is evenly spread on the screen horizontally. After one coat is done, apply another coat vertically. It will help you get an even coat of paint. Make sure the paint doesn’t spread beyond the stencil borders.
Step 4: Remove the stencil and let the paint dry
After the painting is done, remove the stencil. Check the paint if the design is perfectly covered or not. Now, let the paint dry completely. As the t-shirt gets dry, you can reuse the screen on another t-shirt.
If you want to reuse the screen on other t-shirts, wash it with warm water and store it in a secure place.
Printing T-shirt with Iron on Transfer
Just like other printing methods, for iron-on transfer printing, you need a few supplies.
Things you will need:
- A plain t-shirt
- Iron-on transfer papers
- Printer
Step 1
First of all, create a design that you want to imprint on the t-shirt. For this method, you need to create a design using graphic design software. For the design, you can use a picture or image of graphical art.
Step 2: Print the design
After you select the design, you need to print it on an iron-on transfer paper. Place the paper in the printer, and the paper will get the design.
Step 3: Prepare the printing environment
Choose a wide space for printing the t-shirt. Then, palace the t-shirt on a flat surface and remove any wrinkles and folds. Now, lay the printed iron-on transfer paper on the t-shirt. Make sure the design side is down on the fabric. Then, lay a thin cloth over the paper.
Step 4: Iron to transfer the design
Get an iron on high heat and hold it over the thin cloth for a required amount of time. The heat will help transfer the design to the t-shirt.
Step 5: Remove the paper backing
After design transferring is done, remove the iron, cloth and paper transfer backing. You will see the paper is coming off easily and the imprinted design on the t-shirt. If not, press the paper again and iron it.
Final Thought
These are the most common and widely used techniques for printing plain t-shirts. As you know the process, you can do it on your own or look for professional help. If you find it troublesome, you can always opt for a “printing shop near me”.
The UK is a great spot for printing because there are quite a few reliable printing services in London. For online orders, you will always find Print Britannia available to serve you at the last hour with the best quality.
We hope You like this blog post.
