Creating something on your own is a great way to showcase your personality and learn new skills. What can make this experience even more meaningful is when you get to create something that you can then use for months or even years to come, like an article of clothing. But for those who don’t want to get into the details of clothing construction, a great alternative is screen printing on your own t-shirts. So to help you tackle this creative project, here are three tips that will make screen printing t-shirts easier for you.
Stick With Simple Designs
While you might want to create something that’s totally unique and detailed, this usually isn’t the best course for your first-time screen printing. To ensure that your design comes out clean, you’re going to want to stick with a simple design. According to Lee May Foster, a contributor to The Guardian, basic shapes or block letters are going to be easiest for you to put onto your t-shirt and to come out clearly. What can make these seemingly boring shapes much more interesting is the way you arrange them on the shirt. By creating an interesting arrangement of ordinary shapes, you can make a truly unique overall design that will come out beautifully.
Avoid The Seams and Pockets
When placing the design on your t-shirt, you should be careful not to get too close to the seams or pockets. While you will likely be able to get at least part of your design on these areas, ThreadBird.com shares that it will often prove to be an inconsistency in your printing if you get into these areas. Because that surface isn’t completely flat here, the design won’t be able to transfer seamlessly onto things like zippers, seams, or pockets. So rather than taking a chance on the integrity of your design and your t-shirt, it’s best to just avoid these areas completely.
Bake The Final Image or Print
Once you’ve gotten the image onto your t-shirt, you’ll want to be sure that it won’t rub or wash off too easily. To do this, Thorin Klosowski, a contributor to LifeHacker.com, recommends that you bake the ink into your shirt. By doing this, you’ll be able to ensure that the image will stick for quite some time. For best results, set your oven to about 400 degrees. Once it’s reached this temperature, place your shirt in there for about 30 seconds. That’s all you should need to get the image to stick on well and not get washed or pulled off too easily.
If you’re considering screen printing your own t-shirts, consider using the tips mentioned above to avoid some of the common pitfalls that others experience when doing this activity.