TEESHKA - how prints are printed on T-shirts. How to make a print on a T-shirt: step-by-step instructions, necessary materials, tips, photos

With the onset of warmer weather, warm down jackets and jackets are replaced by light T-shirts. Today we’ll talk about how to apply a print on a T-shirt with your own hands. The techniques described in the article require accuracy and certain skills, but if everything is done carefully, you will get a truly unique product. It’s worth trying, especially since today handmade is at the peak of fashion. So, let's get to work!

Thermal transfer paper

This option is the most common. The technology itself is somewhat reminiscent of children's decals. If you do everything very carefully and without unnecessary haste, you are guaranteed a good result.

What will you need for the job?

A good mood and a desire to do something with your own hands are a must. In addition, prepare:

• A T-shirt, preferably white.
• Thermal transfer paper.
• Iron.

Important! You will also need a color inkjet printer. Special paper is sold in electronics stores. It's not difficult to find it if you want.

The requirements for the T-shirt itself are quite strict, because the quality of the applied pattern depends on this:

1. The product must be plain, without prints, logos or images.
2. The cotton content in the material is at least 85%. This is very important because otherwise the image will not stick to the fabric.

Important! Why is white desirable? White thermal transfer paper is easier to find. Colored paper is also available for sale, but it is more difficult to find and is not cheap.

DIY print on a T-shirt - preparation for work:

1. First, decide what design you will put on the T-shirt. It could be text, a logo, or just a cartoon character or fantastic creature.
2. Before you print the design, be sure to turn it in a mirror direction. This is important because when applied to fabric, you will not get a mirror image, but a correct image. This is especially important for text labels.
3. Check the dimensions of the future image, and only then print it onto thermal transfer paper.

Drawing process

This is the most crucial and serious moment if you are going to make a print on a T-shirt with your own hands:

• Lay the T-shirt on the surface of the ironing board. The surface must be perfectly flat.
• Take paper with a pattern printed on it, cut out the image strictly along the contour.
• Place the paper pattern side down on the fabric.

Important! If you want the print to be located exactly in the middle, use a regular school ruler or measuring tape.

• Turn on the iron at its highest power. After it heats up, iron the paper for 4-5 minutes. Paper and fabric can withstand heat well, so there is no need to worry.
• Leave the product for 5-10 minutes to cool. Now you can remove the paper from the T-shirt - it is no longer needed. Do this carefully and slowly. In this case, the image on the surface of the fabric will be of good quality.

Of course, over time, such a print will lose its presentable appearance. But there's nothing you can do about it. Even branded products wear out. And there is nothing difficult about making a print on a T-shirt yourself. Now you have become the owner of a truly unique item that you can show off to your friends and acquaintances.

Use of dyes

Here is another interesting technology that will allow you to make a unique thing - beautiful, elegant and non-standard.

What will you need?

First of all, of course, a T-shirt. It is desirable that it be one hundred percent cotton. A completely acceptable option is 50% cotton and synthetics (polyester). In addition, you need to purchase:

• Dye for clothes. The number of colors and the colors themselves are a matter of your taste.
• Rubber gloves (to protect hands).
• Pharmacy gum.
• Soda ash.
• Urea.
• Plastic bottles for applying paint to the surface of the fabric.
• A plastic bag equipped with a jet-type lock.

In addition, you will need:

• Wooden stick.
• A glass with divisions.
• A basin or other large container.
• Paper towels. You will need them so as not to stain the furniture with dye.

Important! It is advisable to purchase a ready-made coloring composition. All you have to do is dilute it in warm (in no case, not hot!) water. If ready-made dye is not available for sale, buy dry paint and prepare it for work in accordance with the instructions.

Preparing the fabric for dyeing:

• To ensure that the paint adheres firmly to the fabric, dissolve soda ash in water.
• Place the T-shirt in the resulting solution for 10 minutes.
• It’s a good idea to add 1-2 tbsp. l salt. This will improve the dyeing efficiency.

Important! Wear protective gloves. Soda ash is slightly caustic, so contact with it may cause some discomfort.

• Make sure the salt and soda ash are completely dissolved before dipping your T-shirt into the solution. The water temperature is approximately 37 degrees.
• After 10 minutes have passed, remove the product and squeeze well. You can use the spin function in the washing machine.

Important! If the product is completely new, it is advisable to wash it before dyeing.

• Lay the T-shirt face down on a flat, level surface. In this case, the print on the T-shirt will be brighter and more colorful in front. Place a stick in the center of the product. By rotating it clockwise, you gradually twist the T-shirt into a “snail” shape. Make sure that the product does not rise up.
• Carefully remove the stick so that the resulting shape is preserved.

• Lay the shirt out on a surface lined with paper towels.

Now begins the most interesting stage - the actual coloring. You can only use 3 primary colors: blue, yellow and red. When mixing paints, other colors are obtained, so you are guaranteed a “rainbow” coloring:

• Apply each of the three colors to a third of the piece, from the center to the edges.

Important! Keep the bottle of dye as close to the product as possible - this way there is less risk that you will drip onto furniture, the floor or your own clothes.

Recently, clothing with various prints has become very popular. It perfectly reflects the character and personality of its owner. The most widespread application of designs on T-shirts, but it is not necessary to stop only at this part of the wardrobe.

You can decorate any textile product:

• hats;
• sweatshirts;
• raglans;
• bags;
• windbreakers, etc.

Such products will not only complement your favorite look, but will also become a creative gift.

Options for creating a drawing with your own hands

Today you can find many specialized companies and printing houses that are engaged in applying prints to various clothes. But it is much more pleasant, and even more profitable, to carry out this process yourself.

If you are seriously wondering how to make a print on fabric with your own hands, then we hasten to please you.

There are several proven methods for similar handmade:

• using a color printer;
• using acrylic paints;
• silkscreen printing.

Each type is quite simple and concise. You will need a minimum of effort to create your own design masterpiece.

Drawing on fabric using a printer

Time passes and technologies change. Just a couple of decades ago, such handicraft was possible only with the help of Chinese stickers, which were not of high quality, quickly lost their original appearance, and were worn out. Today, a home printer, a textile product, thermal transfer paper and a household iron will help you solve the question of how to make a design on fabric with your own hands.

To get a high-quality pattern and not ruin your clothes, avoid synthetic models. The iron will simply melt the fabric under high temperature. Preferred are things that are at least 80% made up of...

The drawing process is quite simple:

1. You need to find a suitable image layout or create it yourself in a graphics editor, but do not forget that there will be a mirror image.
2. Transfer the design to a carefully smoothed item, placing a sheet of paper face down. To do this, you need to iron the sketch with a hot iron for 1-2 minutes.
3. To avoid damaging the print, carefully remove the sheet of paper from the surface of the textile product.

In this simple way you will get a stylish update to your wardrobe. There is only one nuance to consider when choosing thermal transfer paper. It comes in several types depending on its purpose. There are products for light and dark fabrics, as well as for different printer models.

Acrylic wonders

How to make a print on a T-shirt yourself if you don’t have a printer to print the design? In this case, the second method of creating exclusive images on clothes is suitable. Artistic skills or a special stencil will help you. If you are not particularly skilled at drawing, it is unlikely that you will be able to create a complex sketch, but everyone can add a dose of creativity to their wardrobe.

Do-it-yourself fabric printing can only be done with special acrylic paints. Working with them is not entirely easy, since you need to maintain a certain speed and technology:

• the paint dries within 15 minutes, later it will be impossible to fix anything;
• You need to apply a thin layer, otherwise the design will not dry and may smear.

If you strictly follow the instructions, then there should be no difficulties in this process.

How to make a print:

• it is necessary to prepare a stencil with an image or text;
• carefully iron the T-shirt or other item you plan to decorate;
• lay a solid foundation;
• fill the stencil with acrylic paint using a sponge;
• if necessary, correct the drawing with a brush;
• After 24 hours, iron the item through a thin cloth.

If you have talent and are passionate about creativity, then you can make an original drawing using a regular painting brush.

Silkscreen printing

This method is essentially similar to the previous one. Only a special photographic emulsion is used as a dye. The paint penetrates the fabric through a screen mesh, dries, and then is exposed to light. The next step in creating your personal masterpiece is to rinse the stencil with water. In this case, the unexposed areas of the grid are cleaned, which become the printing element.

The advantage of this method of image transfer is that there are no restrictions on working with materials. You can use it not only on clothes, but also on dishes or plastic products.

Printing a T-shirt with your own hands will help you create a unique image and stand out from others. This is a fashionable and stylish way to update a boring item. All you have to do is choose a convenient and affordable method of transferring the drawing to the desired surface.

The most important thing to remember when creating a print is that you are not making an illustration on fabric, but clothing. In this case, you are a stylist and fashion designer. This means that no matter how beautiful your drawing is, it should not be in first place. It should emphasize and/or create the image of the person who will wear it. Prints now most often appear on T-shirts, tank tops or sweatshirts. Clothes for youth, semi-sports, often summer. This is important for theme and style.

Based on these features, techniques for working with prints are developed.

First. Message.

Or the theme of the print. In order for a print to be actively purchased, its theme must be close and understandable to many. But don't go into banality. Ideally, the message should be close to a certain circle of people. Then it will reflect the character. For example, for lovers of photography or yoga.

Second. Size.

No need to grind. Of the two options: to make it very small or too large - it is better to go to the second extreme. Moreover, there is no need to reduce either the size of the print itself or the graphics inside it. The print is perceived at a distance and in the constant movement of a person, which means its graphics should be easy to read in such field conditions.

Third. Silhouette.

A print is an addition to clothing, which means the points of contact where the illustration touches the surface are very important. The silhouette for prints should be expressive, clear, and not break the surface. And the best way is to be as simple as possible. Since the readability of the picture depends on the shape of the silhouette. If you neglect to work with the outline, then the illustration on the clothing may be completely lost, leaving just the impression of some kind of colorful fabric.

If the source file of your print is a pattern, then you can fill it with a simple, appropriate shape. But usually what looks more advantageous is not simply filling it with a pattern, but manually arranging one of its forms from its elements. This allows you to avoid unsuccessful and inevitable, in the case of mechanical filling, trimming of some shapes of the pattern:

Another option is to select several characteristic elements and make a composition from them:

Fourth. Color.

It is better to make the color of the print, if not bright, then definitely clear. This means that if the shades are bright and rich, then it is really strong and bright. If it's vintage, these are really very dusty pastel colors. And of course, black and white graphics are always spectacular. It will suit any fabric color, gaining a slightly new sound with each new shade. In any case, it is always worth remembering that a print - when bought - is always an enhancement of the expressiveness of the image, its most powerful touch, which means it should be noticeable and clearly and quickly read. After all, a print is essentially a poster, only on a person.

Fifth. Font.

Since a print is an analogue of a poster, the messages on it work very effectively. And the main thing here is not to ruin everything with a bad font. Author's lettering works very well. If you use a typeface, be sure to study the history of the font you are using to type the text. If there is absolutely no desire or time for this, then it is better to take a typeface that is universal for posters - some simple grotesque. Like Helvetics or pragmatics. In addition, they have many options for styles, and you can choose them to suit the intensity of your work.

Printing a design on a T-shirt yourself is a fun and inexpensive way to create “branded” T-shirts for your band, sports team, or simply add a t-shirt with an interesting design or pattern to your wardrobe. To get started, buy several single-color T-shirts without a pattern and decide what pattern and what method you will apply to them. This article provides instructions on how to apply a design in three different ways: stencil, screen printing, and decal.

Steps

Drawing with a stencil

Prepare everything you need. To apply a design to a T-shirt using a stencil, you most likely already have everything you need on hand. If not, you will need to find a hardware store or art supply store. You will need the following

• T-shirt. An ordinary one-color cotton T-shirt without a pattern will do just fine. Keep in mind that when designing on fabric, some inks and dyes may bleed through, so if this is not desired, choose a thicker fabric. The color of the T-shirt should be light enough (or vice versa, dark enough) so that the color you use to apply the design contrasts well with the background.
• Stencil. You can buy a ready-made stencil at an art supply store or make your own from cardboard.
• Paint or ink. Acrylic fabric paint is perfect for applying a design to a T-shirt. You may also want to use fabric ink or another dye. Find a dye that won't come off in the washing machine.
• Small paint roller and paint tray. A roller is needed to apply paint evenly to the fabric. If you don't have a roller, you can use a wide brush.
• Scotch. The tape is needed to keep the stencil level while you apply the paint. Masking tape works great.

1. Wash your T-shirt. A cotton T-shirt may shrink a little the first time you wash it, so it's important to wash and dry it before applying the design. If you apply a design first and then wash the T-shirt, the design may become distorted. When the T-shirt is dry, iron it.

   Prepare your work area. Cover a flat, hard surface with wrapping paper or old newspapers. Place the T-shirt on top and straighten it so that there are no uneven spots or wrinkles anywhere. Place the stencil on the T-shirt where you want to apply the design. Tape the edges of the stencil to hold it in place.

   • If you're concerned about the dye bleeding through the fabric, place a piece of cardboard inside the T-shirt. This way the paint won't bleed through to the other side of the back.
   • To avoid getting paint splattered on your nice weekend shirt, wear something older before you get to work.

2. Prepare the roller. Pour paint into the tray. Dip the roller into the tray several times until it is evenly coated with paint. Make a test stroke on a piece of paper.

   Apply paint to the T-shirt. Using firm and confident strokes, fill all the holes in the stencil with paint. You can cover the stencil itself with paint a few centimeters, the main thing is not to jump beyond its limits.

   Remove the stencil. Carefully remove the stencil from the T-shirt and set it aside. Do not touch the T-shirt until the paint is completely dry.

   Iron the T-shirt. When the paint is completely dry, iron the design through a thin fabric (such as a thin towel) with an iron on high heat. Thanks to this, the paint will sit tightly on the fabric and will not fall off.

   Wear and wash your T-shirt. There are no special restrictions on wearing a T-shirt with a homemade design. The first few times the T-shirt should be washed by hand in cold water. Over time, it will become possible to wash it in the washing machine with the rest of your laundry.

   Prepare your work area. Cover a flat, hard surface with wrapping paper or old newspapers. Place the T-shirt on top and straighten it so that there are no uneven spots or wrinkles anywhere. Place the stencil on the T-shirt where you want the design to be. Place the mesh on top.

   Apply paint to the mesh. Pour a dollop of paint onto the top of the mesh and spread it down evenly using a rubber roller. Run the roller over the mesh a second time, now across the frame.

   • It can take some time to learn how to properly distribute the paint across the mesh (and the T-shirt underneath). Try to learn how to make do with just two strokes of the roller: one vertical and one horizontal. This method is optimal for evenly applying a sufficient amount of paint.
   • Make sure the edges of the paper extend beyond the edges of the grid frame, otherwise you will end up with an unintended streak of paint on the t-shirt.

3. Remove the grids from the t-shirt and let the paints dry. Carefully remove the mesh and check the quality of the pattern. The paint must dry completely before the T-shirt can be worn and washed.

   Reuse the grid. When you remove the mesh from the T-shirt, the paper stencil is probably stuck to the ink on it. You can use the same mesh to duplicate the design on another T-shirt. Repeat the previous steps for as many graphic t-shirts as you need.

Do-it-yourself designs on fabric have long ceased to be exotic. Often, aqueous solutions of dyes using various chemicals, heat treatment, etc. are used to dye fabrics. However, at home this is not always convenient. We believe that the most optimal solution for practicing creativity in dyeing fabrics at home, especially for beginners who want to try their hand at this type of creativity, would be to use indelible acrylic-based dyes, which are easy to use, have bright, rich shades and excellent resistance to fading. Combining fabric dyes such as aerosol acrylic paint, water-based spray paint, liners for contour drawings, fabric pastels, for coloring will help create a truly interesting, fashionable design for your clothing, interior items or upholstered furniture. A creative approach will help you turn a faded T-shirt or an ottoman that has lost its original appearance into a real masterpiece of creativity.

How to make a design on a T-shirt?

In the first part of our article, we will tell you how, using simple tools and fabric paints, and even without special skills, you can fantastically change your clothes, giving them a unique, individual style!

Let's consider the process of applying a pattern to fabric using aerosol dyes using the example of an ordinary T-shirt of a uniform color. We will tell you how to add an interesting texture to the fabric of a T-shirt using the so-called “knotting technique”, and how to apply an original design to it using a stencil. Note that these two methods of working with fabric can be used either separately or combined perfectly with each other. The T-shirt can be new or used, it is only important that it is made from natural textiles (cotton, silk, etc.) or, in the case of mixed fabrics, contains no more than 20% synthetics. We recommend washing a new T-shirt before dyeing to remove softening additives.

What do you need to dye a T-shirt at home?

Step_3 Lay the T-shirt horizontally on a level place. Carefully cover the area around the painting with old newspapers or a special covering film, secure the covering material with masking tape.

Step_4 Carefully attach the stencil to the T-shirt using double-sided tape or spray adhesive for temporary fixation. Try to ensure the tightest fit of the stencil to the fabric. Note that it is the aerosol adhesive that ensures maximum adhesion.

Step_5 Before starting work, shake the paint thoroughly in an aerosol can; shake it for at least 30 seconds. Apply the spray paint in smooth, circular motions. For better coloring of the material, it is advisable to apply the paint at least 2 times, allowing the previous layer to dry for 10 minutes.

Step_7 Just like in the “knot technique”, you can apply patterns, ornaments or inscriptions in the form of clear, dense lines to the drawing created using a stencil, using colored liners containing water-based textile paint.

Now that you've learned the basics of working with fabric dyes at home using a simple T-shirt as an example, you can start experimenting with your clothes to give them an unusual, dressy look. We are sure that your imagination, coupled with the almost limitless possibilities of a multi-color palette of fabric paints, will certainly create interesting examples of creative thought.

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