Custom T-Shirt Printing: Easy Diy Guide

Printing your own t-shirts is a fun and creative way to express yourself. Whether you're promoting a brand, outfitting your family for a reunion, or just looking for a new hobby, there are several ways to print your own t-shirts at home.

The most popular methods for printing t-shirts include screen printing, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, transfer printing, and vinyl heat transfer. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to choose the one that best suits your needs.

Screen printing is a traditional method that involves creating a stencil and applying ink through a mesh screen. It is reliable and affordable but requires a new screen for each colour or design revision. DTG printing is a newer technology that uses inkjet printing directly onto the t-shirt, offering highly customizable designs with intricate details and many colour choices. Transfer printing involves printing a design onto special transfer paper and then using heat to infuse the image onto the t-shirt. This method is fairly simple and can be done with a regular inkjet printer. Vinyl heat transfer is similar to transfer printing but uses vinyl material instead of paper, and it can be more durable and suitable for various fabrics.

To get started with t-shirt printing, you'll need to choose a design, determine your quantity and budget, select a printing method, find a printer, choose a fabric and shirt type, and then submit your files for printing. With the right equipment, knowledge, and creativity, you can create unique and personalised t-shirts from the comfort of your own home.

Heat transfer paper printing

Step 1: Prepare the T-Shirt Design

Use professional software like Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator to create your design. Ensure that you use a high-resolution image or save it as a vector file to avoid pixelation. If you plan to print photos, consider scanning or taking high-quality digital photos. Remember to use original artwork to avoid copyright issues.

Step 2: Print the Design

Select the appropriate transfer paper for your fabric colour. For light-coloured shirts, use light transfer paper, which creates a mirror image. For dark-coloured shirts, use dark transfer paper, which applies the image without mirroring. Ensure the paper is compatible with your printer to avoid damaging the design and machine.

Step 3: Prepare the Workspace

Choose a cotton shirt with a tight and smooth texture to ensure a high-quality design. Pre-wash the T-shirt to avoid shrinking, and iron it to remove wrinkles and provide a smooth surface for the design. Prepare a flat, hard surface suitable for ironing, such as a table, countertop, or cutting board.

Step 4: Iron On Your Custom Design

Place the transfer paper on the T-shirt, with the printed side down for light shirts and up for dark shirts. Use an iron or heat press to transfer the design, following the instructions on the transfer paper for the recommended time and temperature. Let the paper cool, then peel it off to reveal your printed design.

Tips for Heat Transfer Paper Printing:

• Do a small test print before committing to the entire design.
• Keep your workspace clean and well-lit.
• Use original designs to avoid legal issues.
• Always iron or heat press the shirts before applying the design.
• Research trends, processes, and design tips to improve your results.
• Follow the instructions on the transfer paper carefully to avoid mistakes.
• Consider investing in proper tools and machines for better results.

Heat transfer vinyl printing

What You Need for Heat Transfer Vinyl Printing

• A clothing iron or a heat press machine
• A vinyl cutting machine (e.g. Cricut)
• A wide-format printer (a laser or an inkjet printer will not work)
• Image editing software

How to Print Shirts With Heat Transfer Vinyl at Home

Step 1: Prepare Your T-Shirt Design

Use editing software like Cricut Design Space to create your design. Use SVG vector format for the best quality and scale the image to fit your t-shirt size. Approximately 10” will work well for a medium-size t-shirt. Remember to mirror the print. Images need to be cut backward, the same as in heat press paper printing. Don't forget to flip the design before cutting it.

Step 2: Cut the Design

Adjust the cutting machine settings according to your base material. Each type of vinyl requires different adjustments, so make sure to select the right ones for your specific type. Place your heat transfer vinyl (HTC) on the cutting mat, glossy side down. The shiny side is called the carrier sheet, which transfers your design to the shirt. Put the cutting mat in the cutter and let the machine do its job.

Step 3: Weed the Excess Vinyl

Weeding means clearing away any unwanted bits of vinyl around the edges of your cut design on the carrier sheet. Peel the vinyl off the mat, put the glossy carrier side down, and grab tweezers, a pen, or any other weeding tool. Peel off the first vinyl layer and remove all unnecessary parts that don’t belong to your design.

Step 4: Prepare the Shirt and Workspace

Find a flat, sturdy surface, and a wrinkle-free t-shirt. Avoid using an ironing board as the applied pressure can cause it to bend or fold. Instead, use the floor, a table, counter, or a piece of wood. Put the iron on high or use the cotton setting and get ready to create your shirts.

Step 5: Iron On Your Cut Design

Place the shirt on your flat surface and align the design wherever you want it on the fabric. Cover the HTV with parchment paper to protect your iron from getting vinyl on it. This will also help with layering and repeated heating. Put the iron straight on the design – one spot at a time – and press it down for 10-15 seconds per section. Pick it up and move to the next part of your design – don't slide it over, as it can cause the HTV to wrinkle. Finally, peel off the carrier sheet and check the final result. There is cold-peel and hot-peel vinyl, meaning that some designs need to cool down a bit before the sheet is removed. Check the vinyl instructions to avoid mistakes.

Screen printing

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

You will need a screen and frame, photo emulsion and sensitizer, a high-wattage bulb, a dark room, fabric ink, and a small piece of cardboard. You can purchase these materials separately or as part of a kit.

Step 2: Create Your Image

For your design, it is best to start with something simple without too many thin lines. A standard silhouette or logo in solid black lines on a white background works well. You can use digital imaging software to create and refine your image.

Step 3: Prepare the Screen

Coat the screen with photo emulsion. The emulsion typically comes in two parts: the sensitizer and the emulsion. Mix them together according to the instructions, then spread a thin, even layer of the mixture on both sides of the screen using a squeegee. Allow the screen to dry completely in a dark room.

Step 4: Expose the Image

Place the screen in a dark room and lay down a black cloth or board. Place your image or transparency on the screen, securing it with tape. Expose the screen to a bright light for 10-45 minutes. This will burn the image into the screen.

Step 5: Clean the Screen

Spray the screen with cold water to wash away the unexposed emulsion. You should be able to see your image clearly through the washed-out areas. Let the screen dry, then cover any exposed areas with tape.

Step 6: Prepare Your Shirt

Lay your shirt on a flat surface and insert a piece of cardboard inside to prevent the ink from bleeding through to the other side. Place the screen over the shirt, with the design in the desired position.

Step 7: Apply Ink and Print

Pour ink onto the screen and use a squeegee to spread it evenly across the screen and over your design. Apply strong pressure and move the squeegee in smooth, even strokes. Lift the screen carefully and remove the cardboard. If desired, heat-set the print by placing the shirt in the oven for 30 seconds or ironing it.

Additional Tips:

• Screen printing takes practice, and with experience, you can learn the exact timing and techniques for better results.
• High dpi screens provide finer details and improve the quality of your prints.
• For dark-coloured fabrics, use ink labelled "super opaque" for brighter prints.
• Clean your screen after each use and reuse it for future projects.

Direct-to-garment printing

Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing is a method of printing on apparel using inkjet technology. This process involves printing a digital image directly onto a pre-treated t-shirt with ink that is specially formulated for the fabric.

The DTG process involves a few steps:

• Artwork preparation: The submitted artwork is checked to identify and correct any issues that may negatively impact the printed result. This includes checking for compression artefacts, colour profiling, and colour correction to ensure the design pairs well with the selected garment colour.
• Fabric pre-treatment: Before printing, the garment is pre-treated with a solution to help the ink bond with the fabric. This can be done using a machine that sprays liquid onto the fabric.
• Printing: The design is printed onto the t-shirt using an inkjet printer designed for DTG printing and fabric-specific inks.
• Curing: After printing, the garment is cured using a heat press to set the ink and make it permanent.

Advantages of Direct-to-Garment Printing:

• Quick turnaround: DTG printing requires less setup time compared to traditional methods like screen printing.
• Short print runs: This method is ideal for smaller batches or one-off designs since there is no initial setup cost or preparation time.
• Accurate, high-quality results: Printing directly from a digital image allows for accurate recreation of the design, and necessary adjustments can be made easily.
• Complex colour schemes: DTG printing allows for a full range of colours in the design without increased costs, making it suitable for printing photographs.
• Versatile fabric colours: DTG printing can be used on various fabric colours, giving you more flexibility in your design choices.

Disadvantages of Direct-to-Garment Printing:

• Fabric limitations: DTG printing works best on cotton t-shirts and is not suitable for synthetic fabrics.
• Requires pre-treatment: Each shirt must be pre-treated, adding an extra step to the process.
• Regular maintenance: The liquid ink system requires regular maintenance, similar to other printing methods that use liquid ink.

Dye sublimation or all-over-print

Dye sublimation, also known as all-over printing (AOP), is a unique t-shirt printing method that can be applied to all areas of the shirt. Unlike direct-to-garment (DTG) and silkscreen printing, which apply ink to designated printing areas on flat shirt surfaces, dye sublimation can print repeated patterns or cover areas such as seams.

The dye sublimation method involves three steps: First, the t-shirt design is created as a digital image file. Second, a printer prints the image in reverse on transfer paper. Finally, the paper is pressed to the t-shirt, heated under pressure to a gaseous state, and then cooled, transferring the ink to the fabric.

Sublimation works best on synthetic fabrics such as polyester but does not bond with cotton. The sublimated inks blend into the shirt's fabric, resulting in a smooth look and feel. The finished product is breathable, and the design won't fade or peel over time.

Dye sublimation is more expensive than other t-shirt printing options. Additionally, it is not suitable for dark-coloured or cotton t-shirts. However, it is an excellent choice for items that require long-lasting, high-quality, fade-resistant, and scratch-resistant prints.

Frequently asked questions