T-shirt Printing Process

When we order a t-shirt printed with a special design we rarely think of the process and work that goes into the actual t-shirt printing process. Creating the actual design is only the first step and a small part of the whole process. Each colour of the design must be printed onto a piece of translucent paper to create the Film Positive. The image must then be transferred to a screen that is coated with special emulsion and exposed to UV light for a specific time.


Washing out the emulsion can recycle the screen; but emulsion must also be washed out of the image to make a stencil that can be used for printing the design onto the fabric. The screen must not be washed out until the printing is done, as it should be aligned with the stencil. The design is then printed onto the material and must be dried carefully.

When printing onto dark materials, the design is often part-dried, then printed again to make the colours stand out. In total, there are four machines used for t-shirt printing and the dryer is probably the most expensive one. It is wise to choose one that will cater for more than the present needs to save replacing it.

By: Mel C

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Mel writes about t shirt printing, custom t shirts and other shopping topics.