SECRETS TO MAKING YOUR OWN T-SHIRTS LIKE THE PROS

Have your ever wanted to learn how to make t-shirts like the pros do? I will show you step by step how the pros make custom t-shirts that are so good they can end up in a department store.

FIRST YOU WILL NEED A FEW THINGS. THERE IS A GREAT PLACE ONLINE CALLED SILKSCREENINGSUPPLIES.COM WHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU NEED ACCEPT FOR T-SHIRTS. THEY ALSO HAVE VARIOUS TUTORIAL VIDEOS ON HOW TO USE THE PRODUCTS THEY SALE. BELOW IS A LIST OF WHAT YOU WILL NEED.

• SCREEN PRINTING PRESS
• SILK SCREEN FOR THE PRESS
• PHOTO EMULSION
• EMULSION SCOOP COATER
• 500WATT WORK/SHOP LIGHT
• SELF MADE FRAME TO HOLD THE LIGHT ABOUT 16 INCHES OFF THE GROUND
  
• INK
  
• INK SCOOP
• SQUEEGIE
• HEAT GUN
  
• TRANSPARENCY FILM FOR EITHER YOUR INJET OR LASER PRINTER
• A PICTURE OF YOUR DESIGN
• HIGH PRESSURE WATER SOURCE
  
• AND OF COURSE, T-SHIRTS

ALL OF THESE ITEMS AND CLEANUP AND RECLAIMING ITEMS CAN BE PURCHASED IN A KIT FOR ABOUT $250 WITH ENOUGH INK TO MAKE ABOUT 700-1000 PRINTS. THE CLEAN UP AND RECLAIMING PROCESS WILL BE EXPLAINED AT A LATER TIME.

STEP 1.

TAKE YOUR SCREEN AND LEAN IT UP AGAINST A CLEAN WALL WITH A BLOCK PLACED ON THE FLOOR IN BETWEEN THE SCREEN AND THE WALL TO CREAT AN ANGLE. THE TOP OF THE SCREEN SHOULD TOUCH THE WALL AND THE BOTTOM SHOULD TOUCH THE BLOCK. THIS WILL ALLOW STABILITY WHEN APPLYING EMULSION. THE FLAT SIDE OF THE SCREEN SHOULD BE FACING YOU.

THE REST OF THE PROCESS BELLOW WILL REQUIRE YOU HAVING A UV SAFE ENVIROMENT WHERE UV LIGHT OR SUNLIGHT IS TOTALLY BLOCKED OUT.

STEP 2.

YOU WILL NEED TO MIX YOUR EMULSION IF IT IS NOT ALREADY PRE-MIXED IN A UV LIGHT SAFE ENVIRONMENT. YOU CAN PURCHASE A YELLOW BUG LIGHT AND COVER ALL WINDOW AND DOORS WHERE REGULAR SUNLIGHT WILL COME THRU. IF REGULAR SUNLIGHT GETS TO THE EMULSION THIS WILL PREMATURELY EXPOSE YOU EMULSION AND IT WILL TOTALLY RUIN IT AND THE PROCESS WILL NOT WORK. THE YELLOW LIGHT WILL BLOCK OUT THE UV RAYS FROM THE EMULSION AND IT IS TOTALLY SAFE TO DEAL WITH THE EMULSION IN A ROOM WITH THIS YELLOW LIGHT.

STEP 3.

POUR ENOUGH OF THE EMULSION INTO YOU EMULSION SCOOP COATER TO FILL IT ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY. PLACE IT ON A LEVEL FLOOR FOR ABOUT A MINUTE TO ALLOW THE EMULSION TO SET EVENLY IN THE SCOOP COATER.

STEP 4.

PRESS THE SCOOP COATER ONTO THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN WHERE THE SILK MESH STARTS AND TILT THE COATER TOWARD THE SCREEN TO ALLOW THE EMULSION TO TOUCH THE SCREEN. NOW WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE PUSH UPWARD IN A FAIRLY RAPID MOTION UNTIL TO YOU REACH THE TOP OF THE SCREEN AND THEN TILT THE SCOOP COATER BACK TOWARD YOU TO ALLOW THE EXCESS EMULSION TO RUN BACK INTO THE SCOOP COATER. APPLYING PRESSURE WILL ALLOW YOU TO GET A VERY THIN COAT OF EMULSION ON THE SCREEN. THE THINNER THE COAT THE BETTER BUT REMEMBER TO COAT THE SCREEN TOTALLY WITH NO SCREEN MESH SHOWING.

STEP 5.

FLIP THE SCREEN OVER AND REPEAT STEP 4.

STEP 6.

PLACE BLOCKS ON A CLEAN FLOOR THE LENGTH OF THE SILK SCREEN FRAME AND PLACE THE SCREEN FLAT SIDE DOWN ON TOP OF THE BLOCK BEING CAREFUL NOT TO LET THE BLOCKS TOUCH ANY EMULSION. THE SCREEN NEEDS TO DRY WITH THE FLAT SIDE DOWN BECAUSE THIS IS THE SIDE THAT WILL TOUCH THE T-SHIRT ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR IMAGE. THE SCREEN SHOULD DRY FOR AT LEAST AT LEAST 3-4 HOUR IN A ROOM WITH LITTLE OR NO MOISTURE.

STEP 7.

SET UP YOUR LIGHT AND FRAME SO THAT THE LIGHT IS SUPENDED AT LEAST 16 INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND.

STEP 8.

PRINT OUT YOUR IMAGE OR ARTWORK ONTO THE TRANSPARENCY PAPER IN BLACK IN MAKING IT AS DARK AS POSSIBLE. ONCE YOUR HAVE YOU IMAGE YOU WILL NEED TO USE CLEAR TAPE TO TAPE THE IMAGE ONTO THE FLAT SIDE OF THE SCREEN. USE A RULER TO LINE THE IMAGE UP THE SAME LENGHT FROM BOTH SIDE EDGES OF THE SCREEN AND ABOUT 4-5 INCHES FROM THE TOP OF THE SCREEN. WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE SCREEN THE IMAGE SHOUD APPEAR BACKWARKS. WHEN YOU LOOK THRU THE BACK OF THE SCREEN THE IMAGE SHOULD LOOK CORRECT SO THAT WHEN THE INK PRINTS THRU IT PRINTS THE IMAGE THE CORRECT WAY. THE BACK SIDE OF THE SCREEN IS WHERE YOU WILL PLACE THE INK A SQUEEGIE IT THRU.

STEP 9.

ONCE YOUR IMAGE IS PROPERLY ALIGNED ON THE SCREEN ITS TIME TO PLACE IT UNDER THE MOUNTED LIGHT WITH THE IMAGE ARTWORK SIDE FACING UP AND REMEMBER LOOKING DOWN AT THE IMAGE AT THIS POINT THE IMAGE SHOULD LOOK BACKWARDS. NOW YOU WANT TO TURN ON YOUR LIGHT AND LET IT SHINE ON THE IMAGE FOR ABOUT 12-15 MINUTES. THIS IS THE EXPOSURE PROCESS SIMILAR TO HAVING A DARKROOM WHERE PICTURES ARE DEVELOPED.

STEP 10.

ONCE THE TIME IS UP IMMEDIATELY TURN THE LIGHT OFF AND REMOVE THE TAPED IMAGE FROM THE SCREEN AND TAKE THE IMAGE TO YOUR HIGH PRESSURE WATER SOURCE EITHER A PRESSURE WATER, A SHOWER (IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING THAT), OR A SINK. YOU WILL NEED TO WET THE SPOT WHERE THE IMAGE WAS ONLY AND IMMEDIATELY YOU SHOULD SEE A FAINT YELLOW OR WHITE DUPLICATE OF YOUR ARTWORK. THIS IS THE EMULSION BREAKING DOWN AND ONLY THE IMAGE WHERE THE BLACK IN WAS WILL WASH AWAY AND THE REST OF THE EMULSION WILL STILL BE LOCKED INTO THE SCREEN. ONCE YOU WET THE IMAGE YOU NEED TO LET THE IT SIT FOR ABOUT A MINUTE TO ALLOW THE WATER TO BREAK THE EXPOSED EMULSION DOWN. AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE USE THE HIGH PRESSURE WATER TO WASH AWAY THE EMULSION EXPOSING THE COMPLETE IMAGE. WHERE THE IMAGE APPEARS IS WHERE THE INK WILL GO THRU THE SCREEN. TAKE THE SCREEN AND GENTLY DAB IT DRY WITH PAPER TOWELS. THEN SIT IT IN FRONT OF A FAN TO AIRDRY FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES.

STEP 11.

ONCE THE SCREEN IS COMPLETELY DRY WILL NEED PLACE IT ON YOUR PRESS.MEASURE THE YOUR ARTWORK FROM RIGHT TO LEFT ON THE BACK OF THE SCREEN AND TAKE A BLACK PERMANANT MARKER AND MARK A SMALL DOT SO AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE MIDDLE OF THE IMAGE SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT THE CENTER IS. NOW YOU NEED TO MEASURE THE MIDDLE OF THE PLATENT THAT THE T-SHIRT GOES ON AND MARK A BLACK DOT AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM. NOW PLACE THE T-SHIRT ON THE PLATENT OF THE PRESS WITH THE FRONT SIDE UP IF YOUR DESIGN GOES ON THE FRONT OR THE BACK OF THE TEE DOWN IF YOU ARE PRINTING ON THE BACK. PUSH THE CENTER OF THE T-SHIRT COMPLETELY ON THE PLATENT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE DOT ON THE PLATENT. MAKE SURE THAT THE CENTER OF THE T-SHIRT COLOR IS EVEN WITH THE CENTER OF THE DOT ON THE PLATENT. THEN LOWER THE SCREEN ON TOP OF THE SHIRT AND ADJUST THE DOTS ON THE IMAGE ON THE SCREEN TO ENSURE THE ARE VERTICALLY EVEN WITH THE DOT ON THE PLATENT AND THE CENTER OF THE SHIRT. A GENERAL RULE FOR A GOOD DESIGN IS TO START THE IMAGE 4 FINGER LENGTHS DOWN FROM THE COLLAR OF THE SHIRT. SO TAKE YOUR FINGERS AND PLACE YOUR FIRST FINGER UP AGAINST THE COLLAR AND AT THE EDGE OF YOUR 4TH FINGER IS WHERE YOUR IMAGE SHOULD START. PINCH THE FABRIC OF THE T-SHIRT IN THIS SPOT AS A MARKER SO YOU KNOW WHERE TO START THE IMAGE AND THEN WITH BOTH HANDS PINCH THE CORNERS OF THE T-SHIRT OF EITHER SHOULDER AND PULL THE T-SHIRT TOWARD YOU UNTIL THE PINCH MARK LINES UP WITH THE VERY TO OF YOUR IMAGE.

STEP 12.

NOW THAT THE IMAGE IS LINED UP ITS TIME TO ADD THE INK. TAKE A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF THE INK OUT WITH AN INK SCOOP AND SPREAD THE INK ACROSS THE SCREEN JUST BELOW THE IMAGE. NOW YOU WILL NEED TO LOWER THE SCREEN ONTO THE T-SHIRT. THEN USE THE SQUEEGIE JUST BELOW THE INK AND AT A 45 DEGREE AND PULL THE INK OVER THE IMAGE. THIS WILL FILL THE IMAGE WITH INK. NOW DOING THE SAME PROCESS, FIRMLY PRESS THE SQEEGIE TO THE SCREEN AND AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE SQUEEGIE THE INK ONTO THE T-SHIRT. NOW PLACE SQUEEGIE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN AND LIFT THE SCREEN TO REVEAL YOUR DESIGN ON THE T-SHIRT. AT THIS POINT YOUR PLASTISOL IN WILL NEED A HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR IT TO DRY OR IT WILL STAY WET FOREVER UNTIL HEATED ABOVE 350 DEGREES OR SO.

STEP 13.

USING YOUR HEAT GUN HOLDING IT ABOUT 6-8 INCHES FROM THE T-SHIRT, HEAT THE INK IN A CIRCULAR OR BACK AND FORTH MOTION. DO NOT HOLD THE HEAT GUN STILL OVER THE IMAGE BECAUSE THIS MAY SCORTCH THE SHIRT OR EVEN SET IT AFIRE. ONCE YOU HAVE GONE OVER THE WHOLE IMAGE FOR ABOUT 45 SECONDS TO A MINUTE YOU CAN TEST IT BY USING A CLEAN FINGER TO JUST RUB ACROSS THE IMAGE. IF THERE IS ANY IN RESIDUE ON YOUR FINGER THEN YOU WILL NEED TO HEAT THAT PART OF THE IMAGE A LITTLE LONGER. IF THERE IS NO IN ON YOUR FINGER AFTER RUBBING THEN YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY MADE A T-SHIRT LIKE THE PROS. AND THE SHIRT CAN BE IMMEDIATELY WORN AND WASHED AND LAST FOR YEARS.

PLEASE COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW HOW HELPFUL THIS INFORMATION IS TO YOU AND PLEASE FORWARD LINKS TO THIS INFO TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. ALSO CHECK THE LINKS TO FIND GREAT CUSTOM MADE T-SHIRTS. AND AS ALWAYS THANKS FOR READING AND FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME.

UPDATE:

In order to print to various parts of the t-shirt such as shoulders, sides, sleeves and other parts of the t-shirt you will need to either buy the platens for various positions or line up the shirt on your existing platen so that it will print correctly.  The later is a bit more time consuming especially if you are printing in bulk.  And in any business time is money and wasted time is wasted money.