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Suggestions for T-shirt Printing |
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Many textile printing inks and processes are available today. If you are a beginner, we recommend you read the Screen Printing Basics and try this uncomplicated method:
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Materials Purcase a 12" x 18" pre-assembled screen frame with 8XX multifilmanet polyester screen fabric and an 11" wide textile-blade squeegee. (Also consider purchasing Dick Blick's printing machine.) Choose one of the following three stencil materials: Blick's Speedy Squeegee lacquer-based hand-cut film or Ulano CDF/QT photo-sensitive direct film or Blick's Diazo Photo-Emulsion. (The hand-cut film for a bold, simple design you can cut out yourself; the CDF film for the photo screen process because it adheres with water and is very dependable; the diazo emulsion for the photo screen process because it is inexpensive, fairly easy and pretty dependable.) All three of these stencil materials are made for water-based inks. |
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Procedure With the lacquer-based hand-cut film method you will not need a light source, but you will need adhering solvent, block-out, film remover and wash-up, which are considered hazardous substances and may not be acceptable in a school classroom situation. For additional information refer to the How to use Hand-Cut Film page. The Ulano CDF/QT film adheres to the screen with water. For best results, use Ulano's Mesh Prep No 25. With the CDF/QT film you will need a film positive and a light source. After the job is finished, the film can be removed with Ulano Stencil Remover No. 4, a non-caustic substance. The same procedure applies to Blick's Diazo emulsion as to the CDF/QT film; the only difference is that the emulsion must be mixed with the sensitizer and applied to the screen with a squeegee or stiff cardboard. Once mixed, the emusion must be kept in a dark refrigerator and used within a few days. |
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Heat Setting After the shirts are printed, let them air dry completely; then using a household iron at hot setting (300°F) and with a cloth or paper between the iron and the shirt, iron the shirt on each side for 3 to 5 minutes. Important! Always pre-wash your shirts to remove the sizing and print a test shirt. Heat set. Wait a few days and machine wash and dry to see if the results are satisfactory. |
see also ... |
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