T-Shirt Screen Printing – What’s Involved

If you’re looking for Brisbane screen printing, then it’s probably a good idea that you find out exactly what the process involves before making a purchase. Screen printing is a process that uses a woven mesh to hold an ink restricting stencil to transfer a chosen image to fabric.

The Technique

• Art creation – This stage is where you design the art intended to be used for printing. It’s important to choose a design that will translate well, and either a hand-drawn or computer generated image can be used. When screen printing T shirts, it’s also critical that when translating this design to film that the film is 100% black in the right areas, as light can pass through and semi cure your emulsion which can be impossible to wash out. Film to T shirt transfers are where most issues can occur so it’s definitely better to be overly cautious here.

• Choosing the frame and mesh -  For this part it’s important to have a rigid frame, and one where the mesh is tightly secured. The performance of your screen will define the quality of your print, and choosing a printing store that has invested into their frame and mesh will allow you to push the limits with your design and creativity. 

• Prepping the screen – This is where the mesh is gently abraded with a mild abrasive while cleaning off any potential dirt or grease. Once this is complete it is set to dry in a room that is absent of any dust or other particles, to ensure that it is clear enough to receive the emulsion.

• Setting up the press – A press operator uses a scrap shirt and prints just one colour while aligning the other screens. This process is called registration, and once the screens are registered, the ink is added to the frame and a sample is run with the entire colour spectrum. Any adjustments can be made at this point to make sure everything is lined up perfectly.

• Running the press – Each shirt is loaded onto a pallet for printing, and then goes on to make its way around the press, stopping at each head (or section). A different colour is used at each head, where the ink is pulled across the stencil made on the frame. This is repeated, and once the shirt has been through the entire colour spectrum it is placed through a dryer with extremely high temperatures that are necessary to cure the ink.

This is the general process of screen printing and in general it can be done relatively quickly, depending on the quantity of shirts you require. Overall, it pays to invest in a service that has quality equipment and materials, so you get exactly what you're looking for with the design. A great example of this is www.everythingvibrant.com.au, who offer a range of options to suit your needs.