Build your own t-shirt printing press
Sunday, January 17, 2010
step 4Make your design
f you just want to have text then one of the simplest ways is to use wooden letters instead of making your own. Since Michaels was a kind contributor to a prior contest we recommend their wooden letter sets. On the other hand, if you want to make a design or image then there is a lot more work (unless of course, you own a laser cutter) to cut out a design. We decided to try an image of a 20 sided die along with the text "High Roller" (Copyright Kevin Dean and Ryan McFarland!) We experimented with materials that we had around the workshop. Red cedar smells good when the Dremel is put to it but the wood soaked up the paint. Laminate counter top was tough to shape and showed the blotting pattern because it was too smooth. Finally we tried using some foam from a set of alphabet foam letters that are used for a child's play mat. This was easy to cut with a hobby knife and took the paint well. It also was forgiving when pressed against the cloth.
step 5Ink and press
Use double stick foam pads to place your letters onto a board which is screwed to the LCD arm mount. We found that putting the letters on pieces for the foam allowed us to remove the entire word to position it or so you can ink different colors. You should be able to remove a cowling from the last hinge on the arm (closest to the print) and loosen a screw or nut to allow that hinge to move more freely. Now you can easily flip the press into position for inking and then rotate it back to parallel the shirt.
Use rags or old shirts for a few tries before putting your favorite shirt under the press. You'll get a feel for how hard to press, how much paint or ink to use, and how to apply the paint to the press. We tried using paper towels and brushes to dip into the paint and then apply to the "stamp" but we found that a sponge cut into smaller pieces worked very well - both for application and to mop up excess paint that may collect in the negative areas of the stamp.
f you just want to have text then one of the simplest ways is to use wooden letters instead of making your own. Since Michaels was a kind contributor to a prior contest we recommend their wooden letter sets. On the other hand, if you want to make a design or image then there is a lot more work (unless of course, you own a laser cutter) to cut out a design. We decided to try an image of a 20 sided die along with the text "High Roller" (Copyright Kevin Dean and Ryan McFarland!) We experimented with materials that we had around the workshop. Red cedar smells good when the Dremel is put to it but the wood soaked up the paint. Laminate counter top was tough to shape and showed the blotting pattern because it was too smooth. Finally we tried using some foam from a set of alphabet foam letters that are used for a child's play mat. This was easy to cut with a hobby knife and took the paint well. It also was forgiving when pressed against the cloth.
step 5Ink and press
Use double stick foam pads to place your letters onto a board which is screwed to the LCD arm mount. We found that putting the letters on pieces for the foam allowed us to remove the entire word to position it or so you can ink different colors. You should be able to remove a cowling from the last hinge on the arm (closest to the print) and loosen a screw or nut to allow that hinge to move more freely. Now you can easily flip the press into position for inking and then rotate it back to parallel the shirt.
Use rags or old shirts for a few tries before putting your favorite shirt under the press. You'll get a feel for how hard to press, how much paint or ink to use, and how to apply the paint to the press. We tried using paper towels and brushes to dip into the paint and then apply to the "stamp" but we found that a sponge cut into smaller pieces worked very well - both for application and to mop up excess paint that may collect in the negative areas of the stamp.
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