| If you are thinking of getting tee shirt printing for a | | | | left on the paper. Because the results weren't to my |
| project you are deliberating, one of the options you | | | | satisfaction I purchased a heat press. A heat press is |
| may have come up with is to investigate your | | | | a machine designed specifically for custom tee shirt |
| options. This article will explain the options between | | | | printing. You can choose the desired temperature you |
| doing it yourself and having a tee shirt printer make | | | | need and then press the shirt for the number of |
| your custom printed t-shirts. | | | | seconds required. |
| A main consideration is what color of t-shirts will you | | | | The heat press that I and several other commercial |
| be using for your tee shirt printing? There are no | | | | tee shirt printers use permits the temperature, time |
| major issues when you print on white tee shirts. | | | | and pressure to be set. This gives a perfect press |
| However, when you are doing custom printed t-shirts | | | | time after time. |
| using light color shirts remember that there is no | | | | It is to be noted that the transfer paper used by |
| white ink in your printer so if you had a picture with | | | | professional tee shirt makers need to be applied with |
| three people who are dressed in white t-shirts and | | | | a commercial heat press. You are not able to iron |
| there were white clouds in the sky then every white | | | | these transfers on. |
| area in the image would be the same color as the | | | | The supplies that you'll need to make your custom |
| tee shirt. If you have light blue t-shirts then the | | | | printed t-shirts in addition to a computer and a |
| t-shirts on the people in your photo and the clouds | | | | printer, obviously will be t-shirts. You'll likely want to |
| would be light blue. | | | | use 100% cotton t-shirts that are preshrunk or 50/50 |
| Another factor to consider when printing on light | | | | tee shirts. |
| color t-shirts is the ink from your printer will | | | | You'll also need t-shirt transfer paper. You can buy |
| somewhat blend with the color of the t-shirt. A while | | | | this specialty paper at places like Office Depot, |
| back I printed light blue ink on bright yellow t-shirts. | | | | Staples, Office Max, craft stores like Michael's and |
| That area became greenish. This is like when we | | | | Wal-Mart. If you are using an inkjet printer make sure |
| were young and would take yellow with red crayons | | | | you get paper suited for an inkjet printer and likewise |
| to get orange. This only occur with light ink colours | | | | if you have a laser printer. |
| on bright light coloured t-shirts. The shading is not | | | | Follow the instructions that come with your transfer |
| normally significant but it is something to be aware | | | | paper. The closer you follow the instructions the |
| of. Darker ink colors are really not a concern. | | | | better your completed t-shirt will look. |
| The t-shirt transfer paper you would buy would be | | | | To sums things up, designing and printing your own |
| for white or light color tee shirt printing. If you want | | | | tee shirts is not only fun but it gives you the added |
| to print on black or any dark t-shirt you would want | | | | ability to make personalized t-shirts. |
| to have t-shirt transfer paper that is specifically for | | | | There are websites that allow you to design your |
| printing on dark colors. | | | | shirts online or you can take one of your computer |
| Printing your transfers can be done with with a laser | | | | programs and design it on your own computer. |
| or an inkjet printer. But, before you print your image | | | | If you are using pictures you'll want to use a |
| you must flip the image to reverse it so that when it | | | | resolution of about 300 dpi (dots per inch) at the full |
| is printed it will view properly. With some software | | | | printing size. If you aren't sure what this is about |
| programs this is easy since they have a "flip" or | | | | then do a print of your image on a piece of paper |
| "mirror" setting. With programs like Word this is | | | | and see if your picture looks clear. |
| normally a bit more difficult. To be positive that you | | | | You likely already have a program on your computer |
| have properly reversed the image, print a copy and | | | | that will get you started. |
| put it in front of a mirror. This is the way it will look | | | | I've had designs sent to me in Power Point, Word, |
| on your personalized t-shirt. | | | | Publisher, Excel, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, jpegs, |
| You need to be sure to set your printer to the | | | | bmps, pdf, Photo Shop, eps, virtually every format |
| correct type of paper. Usually, you'll set it to heavy | | | | there is. So use one of the programs that you have. |
| or card stock. | | | | If you decide to have a t-shirt company make your |
| To get the best look you need to trim around the | | | | custom printed t-shirts, be sure to let them know all |
| perimeter of the image that is not used. For example; | | | | of the details they'll need to know to give you a |
| if you had a picture of the earth and "Save Our | | | | quote. They will need to know what you want |
| Planet" in writing directly underneath it, you would | | | | printed, where you want the printing, the color of |
| trim around the outside of all of the printing. Often | | | | the shirts, how many shirts you'd like, the postal |
| with tee shirt transfers there is a a yellowish hue | | | | code where you live and when you would need the |
| around the printing. This is caused by the coating on | | | | shirts. This will allow them to give you an accurate |
| the transfer paper that bonds the ink to the shirt. | | | | quote. |
| A good tee shirt printer will trim away this excess | | | | Tee shirt companies can purchase the supplies they |
| but even more importantly will have a printer/t-shirt | | | | need wholesale and in bulk so it is likely that your tee |
| transfer combination that when the tee shirt is | | | | shirts can be printed for less or about the same as |
| printed the unprinted parts are essentially transparent | | | | you could produce them yourself. |
| and don't have this problem. | | | | You will get better quality printed ts-hirts from an |
| When you are ready to press your transfer onto the | | | | experienced commercial printer since the norm is to |
| shirt, if you are pressing with a hand iron you need | | | | use quality t-shirts such as Gildan "Ultra" or similar and |
| to follow the instructions to get the best results. | | | | as I mentioned earlier the t-shirt transfer paper is a |
| When I first began making t-shirts back in the '90s it | | | | commercial grade and it is applied to the t-shirt with a |
| took me eleven minutes to press the shirts with an | | | | commercial heat press which would be set to the |
| iron and even then about half of them still had ink | | | | correct amount of heat, time and pressure. |