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How to Print T-Shirt

How to Print T-Shirt

Printing designs onto T-shirts is an involved process. But not always a difficult one once you've had some practice. Transfer printing is a good choice for a one-time project. Screen printing requires more specialized supplies but allows you to print many shirts from a single image. Inkodye is another option for quick one-time printing that's more substantial than iron on prints.

 
 

 

Method1
Printing on Transfer Paper
  1. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 1
    1
    Purchase T-shirt transfer paper. Transfer paper can be found anywhere you can buy stationary or printer paper. There are two types of transfer paper, one suitable for white or pastel shirts, and one suitable for all darker colors.
    • Most transfer paper is the same size as your regular printer paper (Letter size or A4 depending on your country). Before purchasing an unusual size, make sure your printer can handle it.
    • Light transfer paper is used for light or white shirts. [1]
    • Dark transfer paper is used for any shirt that is darker.
     
  2. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 2
    2
    Select an image. You can use any image saved on your computer.
    • If you only have the image in a physical form, scan it and save it to your computer as a jpeg file. Alternatively, take a photograph and transfer it to your computer.
     
  3. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 3
    3
    Mirror the image for light-colored shirts. Transfer paper for light-colored paper creates a mirror image on your shirt. Look for a "reverse" or "mirror" setting in the print options window, or flip your image in MS Paint or another image editing program. [2] If you skip this step, all text in your design will be unreadable.
    • Do not reverse the image if you are using transfer paper for darker shirts. This type of transfer paper transfers the image exactly as it appears.
    • If you're not sure whether the reverse setting worked, print out a test piece on ordinary paper. It should come out as the mirror image of the look you want.
     
  4. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 4
    4
    Print your design onto the paper. Before printing, check the preview to confirm that the image fits onto your paper. If it's too large, select "fit to scale" in the print options, or scale it down in an image editing program.
    • When printing with your transfer paper, you need the right kind of printer like an Inkjet printer. [3]
    • If the two sides of your transfer paper look different, print onto the blank side. One side may have a logo, design, or thermal indicators on it.
    • Switch to "landscape mode" if the image is wider than it is tall.
     
  5. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 5
    5
    Cut out the image. Any paper you leave around the image will show up as a thin film on the shirt. To create a clean image, cut out the image.
    • To get an accurate cut, use a ruler and an Exacto knife.
     
  6. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 6
    6
    Cover a hard, flat surface with a cotton pillowcase. Clear a table or countertop, then clean and dry it if necessary. Lay a cotton pillowcase over this surface, covering enough space to lay out the area of your T-shirt you'll be printing.
    • Most ironing boards are not suitable, due to the metal bars or grating on the surface.
    • Use a surface that can withstand heat. Don't try to iron over a laminate countertop. A cutting board can also work.
     
  7. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 7
    7
    Set your iron. Check the instructions that came with your transfer paper to find out which settings work best for your product. If no advice is listed, select the "cotton" or high-temperature setting; select "dry" or turn off the steam; empty all water out of the iron. Give the iron a few minutes to warm up.
    • For best results, use an iron with at least 1200 watts of power.[4]
     
  8. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 8
    8
    Iron the shirt. Place the shirt over the pillowcase. Iron it until it is completely flat. Any wrinkles will show up in the transferred image.
    • Wash and dry the T-shirt first if necessary.
     
  9. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 9
    9
    Place the paper onto the shirt. If using transfer paper for light shirts, place the image face down. If using transfer paper for dark shirts, place the image faceup. Line up the center of the image with the center of your T-shirt neckline.
    • Placing the image face down will allow the image to be transferred so that it’s not a mirrored image when it gets transferred to your shirt.
     
  10. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 10
    10
    Iron the image onto the shirt. Press the iron firmly over the clothing, pushing down with your whole hand for significant pressure.
    • Iron from 30 seconds to several minutes, according to the instructions that came with your specific transfer paper.
    • Keep moving the iron and make sure to provide heat to every part of the paper.
    • Some types of transfer paper have thermal indicators that will change colors when the area is hot enough.
     
  11. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 11
    11
    Let the area cool and then peel the paper off. Let it cool for at least a few minutes, until the paper reaches room temperature.
    • Peel off the paper to reveal your image underneath.
     
     
 

 

Method2
Transferring an Image with Photo Emulsion Screen Printing
  1. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 12
    1
    Select a black and white image. You need a black and white image because the black will block out the light allowing your design to show up on your silk screen.
    • This printing method can only print black images onto the shirt. If you have a color image in mind, convert it into black and white using Microsoft Word, Photoshop, or another photo editing application.
     
  2. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 13
    2
    Print the image onto a transparency. You can purchase acetate paper from specialized screen printing supply stores, but clear transparency sheets from office supply stores work fine. Print the image onto the transparency sheet. [5]
    • Low-quality printers may not make the image completely opaque, which can lead to a messy image on the shirt. If necessary, take the transparencies to a copy store instead.
    • Some transparency sheets will shrink or warp when they go through the printer. Buy a small pack to start with, so you can switch to a different brand if the first attempt doesn't work out.
     
  3. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 14
    3
    Paint a photo emulsion on a printing screen. These materials are available online or at large craft stores, often as part of a single screen printing kit. Paint both sides of the screen with the photo emulsion, using a squeegee to spread it a thin, even layer across the whole surface.
    • Wear gloves while handling the photo emulsion.
    • You also may want to lay a garbage bag down so that you don’t get any paint on your table or another surface.
    • Cover an area slightly larger than your photo and spread the emulsion out evenly. You shouldn’t be able to see through the screen.
     
  4. Image titled Print on T?Shirts Step 15

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