| In the 21st century, people search for different ways | | | | dried, take your screen and put your design on the |
| to express themselves. Many use clothing as | | | | screen and burn it into the screen using a light |
| mediums of expression. To be even more specific, | | | | exposure unit. You'll now have your graphic that you |
| t-shirts are the most popular way to express oneself. | | | | want to put on your shirt. |
| But there are times when you just don't like the | | | | Step 4) Next, spray your shirt sleeve with the glue |
| brand name clothing and it's really easy to learn how | | | | (you only need a little bit, just to make sure the shirt |
| to design your own shirts. | | | | stays put) andput a clean shirt (any color) onto your |
| However, the problem with designing and making | | | | shirt sleeve and line it up with your screen. The |
| your own shirts the with professional equipment is | | | | screen should have an area on the printing machine |
| that the studio and materials needed are expensive, | | | | where it can lock in right above the shirt sleeve. |
| so people have to invest a grand sum of money to | | | | Step 5) Now, choose which color you want the |
| make shirts. But if you still believe that expressing | | | | design to be on your shirt. Again, you can choose |
| yourself to the fullest is worth the money, then here | | | | any color. If you're using a multi-screen printing press, |
| are the steps to making a t-shirt. | | | | you should make multiple screens of the same |
| Before we start to make a shirt, there are some | | | | picture and put only one color on each screen. |
| materials you need. These are some heavy-duty | | | | Step 6) Now locate the place you want to put your |
| items, so I suggest that either you borrow it from | | | | design and put the screen over it. Now slowly get a |
| some company or go to your local school to use it if | | | | bit of the paint that you're using(Not any paint will |
| they have them. You'll need a screen, screen press, | | | | work. You will need to go out and buy the paint |
| an emulsion room, emulsion, amberlith (or ruby lith), | | | | meant for shirt printing) on the top of the screen. |
| light exposure unit, drawings you want on your shirt, | | | | Step 7) Grab your squeegee and while pressing firmly |
| squeegees, a flash curing unit, a shirt sleeve, and a | | | | down on the squeegee, push the paint into the |
| sprayable glue across surfaces that will come off | | | | screen as you're dragging the squeegee towards the |
| easily. | | | | bottom of the screen. Go across the screen a couple |
| Step 1) The first step is to choose a design that you | | | | of times to make sure very part of the design is |
| really like. If this is your first time printing a shirt on a | | | | covered by the paint. |
| screen press, try to go with a simple design first so | | | | Step 8) Lift the screen and immediately bring the |
| that you get the hang of printing on fabric. | | | | flash curing unit and place it over the shirt. This |
| Step 2) Grab your squeegee and your emulsion, and | | | | process makes sure the paint won't come off the |
| cover both sides of your screen in emulsion and let it | | | | shirt as well as dry it quickly. Leave it over the shirt |
| sit in the emulsion room for a full day. Be careful not | | | | for about 10 to 20 seconds. Any longer and your |
| to get it on your clothes because the emulsion won't | | | | shirt will start to burn. |
| come out. | | | | Step 9) Let your shirt cool off for about 1 to 3 |
| Step 3) While the emulsion covered screen is drying, | | | | minutes. Congratulations! You have just printed your |
| trace over the design you have chosen on amberlith | | | | very own shirt. Now you can start designing |
| (or rubylith) and cut out the design but don't press | | | | complicated designs and make your own shirt |
| too hard as to cut through the acetate that is with | | | | without going out to waste tons of money on shirts |
| the amber/rubylith. Then, after the emulsion has | | | | you can make for a lot cheaper. |