customized t-shirts

[snail]

i want to have customized t-shirts done for personal use. no plan to mass market it or anything, maybe 2 or 3 shirts per design para naman meron akong reserba in case na masira over time. problem is, without the economies of scale, its kinda expensive at P500/layout+shirt screen. the shirt alone only cost around P150. standard yung P500, regardless of whether i have 1 or 1000 shirts made. guys, alam niyo saan ako makakamura? tia

[wildthing]

i-DIY mo sir... you'll probably spend the P500 (basic set-up) pero it would be enough to do you 3 screens na.

Basic silkscreen (one color to 2 color):

1) make your design in a computer and print it out. if 2 color you must print 2 copies.
2) cut it (the design) out...one of each color.
3) buy or make your silk screen (available sa National bookstore).
4) buy your silk screen inks (TULCO is a good brand, pero other generic/quiapo brands also work)
5) buy a squeegee (or make one from an old rubber tsinelas). Kung tsinelas, just clean it can cut it two in the middle of the tsinelas (crosswise cut).
6) lay the design on the shirt, cover with silk screen and put the ink and spread it with a sqeegee.

Practice is needed if first timer ka sa ganito.


Basic silk screen pero using "a bit high tech" screen design.

1) buy a green film (screen grafix is a good brand) and yung solvent nito (also screen grafix brand)...usually available sa national bookstore. There is also ang orange film (mas mahal eto kaysa sa green film).

A cheaper option is a blue film (pero hindi ko alam kung available pa eto). The blue film is usually partnered with lacquer thinner...pero masyadong matapang ang lacquer and the blue film is a bit eratic sa dikit...untrained hands will ruin it (masusunog).

The screen grafix solvent is a bit easier to work with...less prone masunog unless masobrahan.

2) After printing the design, superimpose the green film on top (with the film on top...plastic ang likod nito). And using a blade cutter (xacto knife is good but expensive, scalpel #11 is a cheaper substitute), cut-out the design (by tracing method). DO NOT CUT THE PLASTIC BACKING OF THE GREEN FILM!!! Just cut out the design sa green na film and remove it was you finish.

The end product is like cutting out the design in the paper as mentioned earlier, only that it is now on the green film.

3) To "stick" the green film to the silk screen, you place the silk screen on the top to the green film (plastic side ang nasa ilalim). Put pressure (with hand) para lapat ang green film sa screen. The use cotton balls and put some solvent on it. When you dub this cotton ball to the screen you will note that the film will attach to the screen. I usually do a dub with a wiping motion (para magspread out and kumapit agad ang green film sa screen).

Kung magiging excess ang exposure ng green film sa solvent pede etong matunaw. To prevent this, I have another plain/dry cotton balls to re-wipe the surface with excess solvent.

4) If you do this successfully, nakadikit na ang green film sa likod ng silk screen. Let this dry thoroughly. Then slowly remove the plastic backing of the green film... do this SLOWLY so you don't destroy the attachement of the film on the screen. Pede pa naman maretoke eto pero mahirap.

5) the finish product of the screen will give you a screen with an attached design on the screen (much like your commercially made silk screen).

6) Yun sides na "butas" I usually cover it with masking tape.

7) you can now print the design.

Another advance method is the photographic silk screen process, pero mas mahal na ang cost nito kasi you need to have a dark room (make shift pede) and you need to but an photographic emulsion and sensitiser for silk screen (available yung quiapo generic brand sa national bookstore pero I prefer to use the TULCO brand).

The tulco brand photographic emulsion and sensitiser is usually not available sa National bookstore.

TULCO shop use to be on the corner across SM Sta. Mesa.

PHOTOGRAPHIC METHOD

1) Mix the emulsion and sensitiser sa dark room (red light allowed).

2) Spread thinly the mixture sa silk screen using the squeegee. 2 to 3 coats should be good. Dry it between coats.

3) While letting it dry, print your design in NEGATIVE FORMAT (yung dapat i-cutout ang dark) - not on paper but rather on acetate...if you don't have acetate or a laser printer, you can print it clearly on paper and have a copy shop (xerox or similar) copy it on acetate plastic.

4) when the screen with sensitized emulsion is dry, place the design (na nasa acetate) on the under side of the silk screen (not on the side where you place the ink ha). Sandwich it with a thin glass, and expose it to UV light, pede florescent, incadescent, and other bright lights. The exposed area will react to the light and will cure, yung covered area will not react to the light and will remain "uncooked".

There is not specific rule on amount of time of exposure...PRACTICE is needed here to determine the options that you have. Type of light used, distance of light and sometimes design pattern will determine the right exposure time.

5) Remove the unexposed area buy running it underwater (kusang maalis ito) with a slight pressure....leaving the exposed area firmly attached to the screen.

If you over exposed, hindi maalis ang dapat maalis, if under exposed naman lahat maalis.

Excess pressure of water can also remove yung hindi dapat maalis kahit tama ang curing...so be carefull here.

6) Dry the screen (sun drying works best) after removing the uncured portions. You now have a ready screen. Just cover the other sides with masking tape again and you're ready na.

Notes, overexposed screen can be cleaned for reuse kung ibababad mo sa clorox and water solution (parang pang laba lang na concentration). Minsan overnight, minsan 30 mins lang, lalambot na ulit ang sensitized/exposed emulsion.

HTH.

[carlo1997]

"cut-out the design (by tracing method). DO NOT CUT THE PLASTIC BACKING OF THE GREEN FILM!!! Just cut out the design sa green na film and remove it was you finish."

parang imposibleh eh. pano? pwede magpost ka ng video sa youtube?

[impulzz]

meron sa mall yung mga t-shirt transfer service. saw a few sa mga SM malls. maybe you can cut the cost down by doing your own layout tapos sila na mag print and transfer.

[marg]

meron sa mall yung mga t-shirt transfer service. saw a few sa mga SM malls. maybe you can cut the cost down by doing your own layout tapos sila na mag print and transfer.

Meron sa Starmall, EDSA Shaw, 2nd floor near the escalator. Bring your own jpg. file and your own T-shirt. Sila na gagawa. Pulido computerixed kasi, not like Quiapo mano-mano.