How to Print Pictures on T-shirts

Printing design images onto t-shirts is a rather complicated process. However, this job is not too difficult if you have a little experience. Thermal transfer printing is a good choice for a one-time project. Screen printing (screen printing) requires more specialized tools, but it allows you to print multiple shirts from the same image. Inkodye is another product for quick one-time printing and better results than iron prints.

Table of Contents

Use thermal transfer paper

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Buy thermal transfer paper. You can find thermal transfer paper anywhere that sells stationery and printing paper. There are two types of heat transfer paper, one suitable for white and light colored shirts, the other for all darker colors.

Thermal transfer printing is the technique of printing an image, then using heat to transfer that image onto a surface, in this case your shirt.
Most thermal transfer papers are the same size as regular printing paper (letter size or A4 paper, depending on the country). Before purchasing special-size media, you need to make sure your printer can print.
Light colored paper for light or white shirts. ^{[1] X Research Source}
Dark paper is for all shirts that are darker in color.

Tip: This printing method is pretty easy. Your home printer will do almost anything!

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Choose high-quality prints. You can use any image stored on your computer.

If you only have a paper image, you can scan it and save it to your computer as a jpeg image file. You can also take pictures and transfer them to your computer.
If you plan to sell t-shirts through your online business, use only original designs or images.

Create a mirror image of the print on a light colored t-shirt. Light-colored heat transfer paper will create a mirror image on the t-shirt. Look for the “reverse” or “mirror” setting in print options, or flip your photo in MS Paint or another photo-editing program. ^{[2] X Research Source} If you skip this step, any text in your design will be unreadable.

Do not turn the image upside down if you are using heat transfer paper for a dark shirt. The type of heat transfer paper for dark shirts will give the right image.
If you’re not sure if the reflection setting is working, try printing a copy on plain paper. The printed image must be the opposite of the image you want.

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Print your design on paper. Before printing, you need to check the preview to make sure the image is the correct size on the paper. If the image is too large, select “fit to scale” in the print options, or reduce the size in an image editing program.

When printing images to thermal transfer paper, you need to use the correct type of printer, such as an Inkjet printer. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
If the transfer paper has two different sides, print the image on the blank side of the paper. Maybe the other side has a logo, design or temperature readings on it.
Switch to “landscape mode” (landscape mode) if the width of the image is larger than the height.

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Cut out the picture. The excess paper left around the print will appear as a thin film on the shirt. For a neat image, you need to crop it.

For precise cuts, use a ruler and an Exacto craft knife.

Spread the cotton pillowcase on a firm surface. Clean countertops, wipe and dry if necessary. Spread a cotton pillowcase over it to fit the t-shirt to be printed.

Most ironing boards are not suitable because there are metal bars on the surface.
Use a heat resistant surface. Do not use laminate countertops. You can also use a cutting table.

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Install the iron. Read the manual of the thermal transfer paper to know which mode is best to use. If there are no instructions, choose “cotton” or high heat; select the “dry” mode or turn off the steam mode; Pour all the water out of the iron. Wait a few minutes for the iron to heat up.

For best results, it is recommended to use an iron with a capacity of at least 1,200 W. ^{[4] X Research Source}

It’s a t-shirt. Place the t-shirt on top of the pillowcase. It is for the shirt to be really flat. Any wrinkles will show up in the print.

Wash and dry the shirt if necessary.

Place the transfer paper on the shirt. If you’re using light-colored t-shirt printing, place the picture face down. If dark t-shirt printing is used, the print will be placed face up. Adjust the print so that it is in the center of the neckline.

Place the print face down so it doesn’t turn upside down.

Printed on the shirt. Press the iron firmly on your shirt, pressing it down with your whole hand.

Iron the shirt in about 30 seconds to a few minutes, depending on the instructions that came with the transfer paper.
Try not to move the iron constantly like regular clothes. You need to provide enough heat over the entire surface of the image, but you also need to maintain the temperature to ensure the image adheres to the shirt.
Some types of thermal transfer paper have temperature readings. These indicators will change color when hot enough.

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Allow the print to cool and peel off the paper. You need to let it cool for at least a few minutes until the print media reaches room temperature.

Peel off the paper to reveal the print underneath.

Printed with Inkodye products

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Spread the shirt on a flat surface and iron. For best results, it’s a good idea to iron the shirt flat to remove wrinkles that could smear the print.

Printing methods using Inkodye have the best results when printing on cotton shirts, so leave the iron on the cotton setting.
Iron the shirt until it is completely flat, especially above or around the area to be printed.
Use dry mode, do not use steam.

Line a piece of foam or cardboard inside the shirt. Place a piece of cardboard on the shirt and iron it again.

Cardboard works well because it’s flat and prevents ink from seeping into the fabric on the other side of the shirt, plus you can throw the piece of cardboard away once you’ve finished printing.

Make the frame at the location where you want to place the print. You can use a piece of cardboard or a homemade plastic frame, or just use masking tape to make the frame.

The area inside the frame is where you will scan the ink. This bracket is to ensure the ink does not come out.
If you don’t want the ink to flow around the print, use a frame slightly smaller than the picture. The smaller frame ensures that the ink does not flow out of the image.
Be sure not to let the image stick to the fabric. If using tape, be sure to run your fingernails along the edge of the tape to make sure there are no gaps.

Pour Inkodye into a bowl. ^{[5] X Research Source} Be sure to shake the bottle well before pouring ink.

Make sure the bowl is not soaked, don’t let the dye seep into the bowl.
Do this in a well-ventilated room without too much natural light.
Approximately 2.5 tablespoons (40 ml) Inkodye can cover an area of about 30 x 30 cm on cotton fabric.

Sweep Inkodye onto your shirt. Use a brush or roller to apply Inkodye. Wipe off excess dye on the brush against the side of the bowl to prevent dripping.

Spread the dye evenly over the area you want to print. Remember not to get your shirt wet.
Inkodye is virtually colorless, so you need to be careful about the amount of solution applied.
Once you’re done sweeping, use a paper towel to blot off excess dye.

Lift the frame to view the scanned part. Once the scan is done, you don’t need the frame anymore.

You can keep the frame if you use tape and if you’re worried that the dye might come out.

Place your negative on the inked part of the shirt. You can rub the negative over the shirt so that it sticks to the dyed area.

Use your hand to smooth the printed area. Film negatives need to be in good contact with the dye.
Pin the negative film edges to prevent movement.
You can also place an acetate sheet on top of the negative.

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Expose the print to direct sunlight. Now you need to take the negative film shirt out in the sun to dry and transfer the image to the shirt.

Leave in direct sunlight for about 10-15 minutes.
The best time to dry is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
It may take longer if it’s cloudy.
After about 5 minutes, you should start to see the image darken.

Advice

If you are going to open an online business store then use original design. Copying someone else’s work gets you into trouble.
You should choose a t-shirt made from cotton fabric, because cotton fabric absorbs images better than ppyme blend material.
If the picture on the net has holes in it, stick it on with tape.
Before washing your printed shirt, you need to read the instructions that came with the thermal transfer paper. You may need to limit washing to certain modes. Some heat transfer papers use silicone, which allows you to iron for increased adhesion and is washable safely. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Warning

Do not touch the image until it is completely dry.
Never touch the iron.
Do not use thermal transfer paper twice.

Things you need

Thermal transfer printing

Printer
Computer
Thermal transfer paper
Drag
Cotton T-shirt (preferably 100% cotton)
Iron
Hard surface for pressing prints
Pillowcase (preferably cotton pillowcase)

Screen printing

Copy glue
Printed mesh
Transparency/acetate paper
Roller
Light source
Cardboard or tray
Black fabric
Glass, Lucite mica, or Plexiglass
Glove
Large faucet or sink
Screen printing ink
Iron

Steps