Week One: The T-Shirt

[Nevermore]

The first project in Off Screen is T-Shirts. I have never tried to make a custom one before. A friend asked if she could use one of my layouts to print on a T-Shirt and of course I said yes. I had never thought to it myself.

I was told to check out any business supply store (Office Max, Staples, Business Depot) for the iron on paper you need to to this and sure enough, it was readily available even in Canada. In fact, I was able to purchase a generic brand. It cost me less than $12 for six transfers. I will tell you how cheap that is after I figure out how many transfers it is going to take me for each T-Shirt. Unlike normal printing which affords two or three ways to mess up, I have to add in the possibility (probability) that I will mess up on the ironing stage, too.

The transfers come in two varieties, one for use on light fabrics and one for use on black (of course, you can do something other than a T-Shirt). I bought the paper over a year ago. As far as I know, the stuff doesn’t have a “best buy” date so I should still be good.

In true quirk spirit I have been scrounging around since I planned this project and was thrilled to snag a pinkish ji-jitsu T-Shirt which Max was happy to donate. (I have a large pile of pinkish items. Joe wanted to help me out in my hours of need the past few weeks and did the laundry. He has really cut back on it for me as I now have no whites left to do. Am hoping pinkish is the new black this season).

So, I have the materials. Iron on transfers and a T-Shirt. Next step will be to either pick an existing layout or design one and then transfer it. No, wait, I will read the instructions in the papers package first! See, already I am troubleshooting this process for you.

I will post my project when finished and will post any handy dandy tips I discover on the way. Or problems.

My secret backup plan is Ruth. She is coming to visit next weekend. If all else fails, Ruth will figure it out for me.

Let us know if you have done this before and if you have, anything a newbie should know before venturing down this road. Pictures much appreciated! You can post them in the Off Screen Gallery.

[indybev]

Kim, my experience with T-shirt projects in a nutshell:
1. If you have any print, be sure to reverse it, otherwise you get a mirror image on your T-shirt!
2. Apparently your iron must be VERY hot to really set the colors. My shirt was beauteous to behold, but it faded out very quickly in the laundry, as if the colors were not really well set. (Anyone else have this experience?)

I still have transfer paper left, and I'd love to try again. Let me know what sort of luck you have laundering your project!

[Nevermore]

Bev gets THE FIRST HUGE HUG OF THE THREAD by reminding me to do it in reverse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is so something I would not do!

(I just knew it was a good idea to drag you guys into this.)

[kygirl]

I love iron-ons. I've used them on everything from Halloween bags to Christmas napkins. But, I've never done an actual T-Shirt. Sounds like fun.

I'm pretty sure I have some transfers hidden in my craft room, but I'll have to make a Michael's run for the shirt. It's a dangerous place, you know, but I'm willing to take the risk.

Here's a bag I did for my grandson a few years ago.

http://www.scrapbookgraphics.com/photopost/data/587/halloween-bag.jpg

[mizamigo]

is to turn your T-shirt inside out when washing. And make sure to air dry (not machine dry) it so that the transfer material doesn't come off (dryers are actually too hot and the transfer material tends to gunk up).

I've done transfers and love them!

[Nevermore]

a whole new world and everyone has already done this... More great tips flooding in, thanks Victoria!

Donna that bag is too cute (do I recognise Sausan?)

[Artist in Residence]

I have done a couple t-shirts and I want to do more. One thing that I strongly recommend is to try on the t-shirt first and then take a pencil and make very light marks in the true center of your chest. This way, when placing your iron on, there will be no mistake as to where the center is.

You wouldn't think this would be necessary but it really helps. When I did a couple of shirts, even though I thought I had centered the image, it actually came out a little crooked when I wore it. And I think that's just because t-shirts are not always perfectly measured. Here's the image I used last year to make my shirt (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=6948&cat=500&ppuser=71).

Juli

[Nevermore]

they seem straightforward. Of note, they stress the "mirror image" concept and they suggest washing the garment inside out. Score two for our column so far.

As luck would have it, the design I have decided to use is 12 x 12. I am going to have to crop it. It does have text and I am going to keep that just to see how well that transfers. All that is at stake is a pinkish much used ji jitsu T-Shirt so I can afford to be cavalier.

Wish me luck.

[Nevermore]

The instructions are firm: T-Shirt should be 100% cotton. Mine is a 50-50 cotton/polyester blend. Dang and dang. Well, no stopping me now. My day is FULL and it is now or never for this project. On a happy note, will be able to report whether or not you can use a blend.

P.S. day really is full so I cheated on the resizing and just made it 8 x 8 instead of actually redesigning it to fit 8.5 x 11. As I write out these threads, I am beginning to realise why many of my hybrid projects go off track. I am great at planning but when it comes to execution, I proceed willy nilly. On another happy note, will be able to report whether or not you can get any succesful results proceeding willy nilly.

[Nevermore]

and the pressing. Second and third glitches. I did transform the image but all that did was flip stuff from left to right: it didn't make a mirror image. So that is no good because I have text on it and it will not be readable. Need to reprint. But forced printer by the scruff of the neck to do last print (it says it is dying for some more yellow ink). So will need to replace yellow ink.

P.S.S. I am being pointedly reminded why it is taking me so long to get my art off screen. Did I mention my full day?

[Nevermore]

I AM NOW ON MY 4TH TRANSFER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just figured it out. No matter what the heck I did, the text was not printing out mirror image.

So, get this. My printer has a T-Shirt Transfer setting. Which I picked. Which does the mirror transferring for you. So, it was taking my image which I had made a mirror and mirroring it which was making it non mirrored.

Seriously, folks, is it only me?

[Diginellie]

Oh Kim - I was going to warn you about this but I arrived here just too late. My Canon Printer does this too. I am truly impressed by your persistance, I have never done one of these projects as they just seem too hard with too much room for error. Well done.

[Nevermore]

The next one should be a walk in the park. But before I tackle it I am going to wash this one a couple of times. Just to see. Especially since I used a blend instead of straight cotton as advised.

[kygirl]

Kim, I do love when you venture off the screen. ROFL

I've made every single one of these mistakes at one time or another, so don't feel alone. It's one of those processes that looks so simple until you actually tackle it.

I bought a couple of t-shirts yesterday. If I can get my house cleaned this morning, I'd like to work on this this afternoon.

[kygirl]

I was so pleased with myself. I remembered to reverse the image; I was careful about ironing around the edges; I waited for it to cool completely. But, I must have either ironed at too high a setting or for too long. My image looks scorched. :confused: Oh, well. Here it is: http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=6974&limit=recent

[Nevermore]

say "golden edged". What a wonderful design! Max will adore it. My Max has turned his nose up at the movie (a boy in a wolf suit, big deal) and finally said to me he would go with me if I let him teach me the alphabet in French. He wants to be able to spell the words in both French and English and I am of no use to him if I don't know the French alphabet. I want to see the movie so badly I agreed. Sigh.

[indybev]

OK, all you print on fabric people, I have something for you to think about. Beth Wheeler, who has written over 40 books on fabric artistry is a member of my little art group. She has just written "Altered Photo Artistry". The URL below is for a video showing how she creates some spectacular altered photo quilts. One tip I noted was that, after you have photoshopped your image to please you, BEFORE printing it on fabric, follow the "rule of 25", and increase the hue and/or saturation by 25%, which intensifies the colors on fabric. Here's the URL. I think you'll find it fascinating.

http://www.thequiltshow.com/season2/211/theater.php

[kygirl]

My sister made a heritage quilt for my parents using family photos. It was just gorgeous. I don't have the patience for sewing so I was in awe.

That's a great tip about the saturation. I may have to go buy more t-shirts.

[indybev]

Actually, Beth does not do heritage quilts. She takes photographs of flowers, copies them to fabric, and stitches the outlines and fills with various threads. The video is worth a look, because it's a really different type of art she does.

[mizamigo]

Actually, Beth does not do heritage quilts. She takes photographs of flowers, copies them to fabric, and stitches the outlines and fills with various threads. The video is worth a look, because it's a really different type of art she does.

Thanks for the link, Bev, I watched the video and it was very good. Beth does "art" quilts as opposed to "regular/traditional" quilts. I may have to try them, since I was intrigues by her use of threads in the quilts.