One of the popular methods in creating cheap custom shirts is through cheap screen printing process. You will see lots of screen printed shirts in many places like schools, department stores, and in the streets as well. This kind of shirt is also very evident when you go to malls for shopping. Many people are wearing this. You will see so many designs, styles and color variations that are made through this printing process. A lot of people personalize their shirt through this process because of its very cheap cost. With this printing technique, you can save lots of money particularly when you will be printing shirts in bulk. Probably, this could be the main reason why so many companies still prefer this printing technique instead of those many new techniques that have emerged today.
Below are the step by step procedures on how to do screen printing properly. This is so easy to follow and you can do it alone. But before that, we need to prepare all the things needed. Please see below.
Things needed:
- Acetate
- Screen
- Emulsion
- Coating through
- Light box or screen exposure frame equipment
- Masking tape
- Clamping device
- Computer and printer
Procedure:
1. Create your own design. Draw an artwork that you want to reflect on the shirt. This could be an image of yourself or anything that you are interested in. You can search the internet also for this and choose the design or image of your choice.
2. After preparing for your design artwork, you can now print it in acetate or its equivalent.
3. Get the emulsion and place it now in coating trough.
4. With the emulsion place in it, coat now the screen. Be careful in doing this. Just do it steadily.
5. In the darkroom, have the emulsion dry for few minutes.
6. When you are done with the drying process, you will need to expose your screen by means of a light box or any equivalent equipment like screen exposure frame equipment.
7. Subject the screen to water for washing. You will then see your artwork become evident on the screen.
8. Using a masking tape, cover all the exposed areas then place your design with the screen.
9. On the work surface, put now the shirt and start applying ink on the screen. Don’t forget to secure the screen before doing this by using the clamping device.
10. When it is done already, remove the shirt and let the ink be cured for several minutes.
11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 for the next shirts to be printed. You now have your shirt made through cheap screen printing process.
