The Rise of DIY Custom T-Shirt Printing

Whether you dream of starting a clothing or fashion line, or simply want to quickly round up your kids on a school field trip, custom t-shirts are the answer. With industrial printing companies costing hefty fees for set-up alone, many crafters are opting to make their own custom t-shirts by screen printing with transparencies. Though this process has many moving parts, getting started takes just a tiny bit of inspiration.

Why Make Your Own Custom T-shirts?

Custom t-shirts bring people together. Whether you are running a 5K and want to make a statement, or just want a one-of-a-kind piece you cannot buy in stores, custom shirts can send a message. In today’s world of environmentally-conscious people, several are steering away from big clothing industries to make their own perfect pieces. With the right tools and practice, you could even open up your own screen printing studio or retail store.

What Do You Need to Get Started Printing?

First of all, you will need to find laser transparency film that will be big enough to print your entire design on. Take into account the size of the apparel you plan on printing on, as well as the number of color layers you plan to print. Make any finishing touches on your design and scan the drawing into your computer. To get the cleanest print onto your screen, try to erase all faint pencil marks and make the image black and white.

To begin screen printing with transparencies, you will need clear transparency film that is specifically designed to be printed on. Laminating film is measured in mils or 1/1000ths of an inch. Transparency film for inkjet printers needs to be sturdy and non-curling, so it usually is about 4 mils thick. Once you have your hand-drawn design turned into vectors through any rendering software, just pop in the transparency film for laser printers and print it out! This provides the perfect image for you to transpose onto your screen with a light table.

How Do You Develop a Brand?

Several artists find themselves falling in love with the screen printing medium. The process of layering colors is known to be incredibly satisfying, and bringing ideas to life is a feeling that can’t be matched by the gigantic fast-fashion industry. When you make your first shirt, share it online. People love to see what small artists are making, so grow your brand and business with a social media presence. As you continue screen printing with transparencies, you will naturally develop your artistic style, and this will grow into your own brand of custom t-shirts.

Clearly, screen printing with transparencies is a process that requires some patience and practice, but the perfect print starts with the perfect materials. If you are thinking about trying screen printing, give us a call today to find the perfect transparency paper to get you started.