# Has anyone used spray paint or brushed paint on shirts?



## Areyouready (Aug 24, 2007)

I have experimented using spray paint on some shirts and I notice that it created a fuzzy texture. Any suggestions using paint for art?
James


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## Aye Poppin (Apr 30, 2007)

You can use acrylic paint-I tried it and it washed one time great. But you need to get something to keep it plyable. I went to about.com and read about it there.


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## jgratil (Jul 24, 2007)

I noticed that as well when I had spraypainted a few test designs on some shirts. I think that it's just the physical property of the spray paint, however, you could try using some acrylic. Maybe if you apply a primer to the spraypaint afterwards it could hold the art? It could be something worth testing.


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## OR Shirts (Nov 15, 2007)

I use Createx paint with my air brush. Been using it for years. Works great.
Sean


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## Artwear By Alida (Oct 24, 2007)

OR Shirts said:


> I use Createx paint with my air brush. Been using it for years. Works great.
> Sean


I airbrush and Creatix is what many airbrush artists use, but it's really expensive. I use a water based screen printing ink and water it down.

Still haven't found the ink to replace my DEKA inks which were imported from Germany. I am experimenting trying differnet inks to airbursh and also hand paint in a thicker consistancy.

You have to google it...I think I am going to try Speedball, the Jaqaurd is horrible. But I am still searching.


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## OR Shirts (Nov 15, 2007)

There is a reason why many air brush artists including myself use Createx. It works. I also use there Auto Air paint for helmets and cars. Compared to other pro quality paint it is very reasonable. Easy to clean up, sprays great. The best I have used in the last 22 years. I painted a leather jacket with it 17 years ago and it still looks great. Jusy my .02 cents.
Sean


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## adawg2252 (Dec 12, 2007)

If you want to use acrylic paints, you need an additive. Golden Acrylics makes two products. Silkscreen Medium and Silkscreen Fabric Gel. You mix these into the acrylic color, screenprint it, and then heat set it. That will make wash much better.

Createx is also the other option as it has a really good color range and also only takes heat setting to make it washfast.

I haven't heard about DEKA paints in forever, but they did work when they were around.

Jacquard isn't that bad, but it's more for a hobby-ist thing, not production. I beleive they also have an additive that makes them more washfast.


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## Artwear By Alida (Oct 24, 2007)

adawg2252 said:


> If you want to use acrylic paints, you need an additive. Golden Acrylics makes two products. Silkscreen Medium and Silkscreen Fabric Gel. You mix these into the acrylic color, screenprint it, and then heat set it. That will make wash much better.
> 
> Createx is also the other option as it has a really good color range and also only takes heat setting to make it washfast.
> 
> ...


Deka was the only thing around in the old days and did just wonderful for me..my designs which are 20 years old held their color, but you did have to heat seal them.

I WISH Deka would come back, but I think the company in Germany doesn't even exist anymore because of the plasitsol.

You could EAT the Deka inks...but they gave up.

They were the best inks I ever used.

And there are many old hippie silk screeners like me who loved them.

Times have changed and one has to change with them, but taking into conderation of the environment should be a part of any screener's business plan nowdays. It's our duty.


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## adawg2252 (Dec 12, 2007)

Artwear By Alida said:


> You can't say they were not good.....how long have you been in the business to even know???????


I never said they weren't good. I may still even have some laying around (probably gone bad).
If I were to explain how I knew they existed I'd technically fall under "self-promotion" so I can't say. But I've been in the business for a loooonnnggg time. And mind you, I'm only in my 20's. I grew up with this stuff.

ANNNNDD I can hand draw my designs. That's the only way I was allowed to start. I used speedball drawing fluid and a paint brush.

To be successful in what you do, you must know all aspects of it. Not just whats up and coming and not just digital. So I may not have the best hand made designs or the straightest and cleanest lines, but I can do it.


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## Oritron (Feb 26, 2007)

First, don't use speedball!

Second, there is actually a spray paint that is made for fabric, and there are fabric paints that work well as long as you don't go for a thick coat.

I've brush-painted with Pebeo Setacolor. The transparent stuff is what you want for light shirts, and like I said, thin coats is _critical_. It comes out really great.

Pebeo makes a spray can version of their stuff. I haven't used it, but that's what I am referring to above. It's got your usual aerosol propellants, which are not very nice to the environment, so I think that the suggestion of airbrushing (which most definitely works on tees) is a better option.


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## Areyouready (Aug 24, 2007)

what is the best all purpose paint that i can use then heat set?!?!
i would like for my shirts to be unique. if i am able to alter a word or image with color or stroke thickness then each shirt is original.
thanks james


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## Artwear By Alida (Oct 24, 2007)

Howdy...I was an airbrush artist over 20 years ago...but I combined silk screen, and hand painting and airbrush all together in many of my custom made clothing by a wonderful woman who went and bought fabric and sewed to my specifications.

Can't do that anymore....or I guess if you could if you could find a mill in the USA anymore, you could do it. Or a mexican seemstress.

I can't find USA decent clothing suppliers to use to paint on to sell in shops and galleries anymore.

The friggin' global economy and the introduction of plastisol ruined what I was doing.

I can airbrush...I don't do it anymore.

I do pen and ink drawings and am trying to go back to the old ways of Andy Warhol.

No offense to the graphic artists, but you probably can't even draw by hand anymore.

Drawing or airbrushing by hand is being taken over by overseas graphic artist designs and clothing.

I shall prevail. I am going to stay as much Andy Warhol as possible.

But I still wish you all good luck and good sales.

Artwear By Alida


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## Artwear By Alida (Oct 24, 2007)

OR Shirts said:


> There is a reason why many air brush artists including myself use Createx. It works. I also use there Auto Air paint for helmets and cars. Compared to other pro quality paint it is very reasonable. Easy to clean up, sprays great. The best I have used in the last 22 years. I painted a leather jacket with it 17 years ago and it still looks great. Jusy my .02 cents.
> Sean


Creatix was too expensive for what I was doing. I loved my Deka Silk Screen inks, which was totatally non=toxic from Germany and I could water it down and it then was soooo cheap....but plastisol ran me out of business and the high cost of creatix and the textile mills closing and moving to other countries.

Creatix is okay, but I got 10 times the amount of airbrush paint by diluting the Deka inks.

And therefore, I could wholesale cheaper.

Plastisol ran me out of business and left me with nothing but Creatix.

Sorry, I wish someone would get Deka's formula and reintroduce it in the USA. It was so non-toxic, you could eat it.

However I wish good sales and a good new year to everyone.


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## 2Dye4 (Jan 9, 2006)

After reading all these...I was wondering if fabric dye would
work in an airbrush? (I have no experience) There is a thickener 
you can mix with the
dye to change it's consistency.

Jo


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## Artwear By Alida (Oct 24, 2007)

2Dye4 said:


> After reading all these...I was wondering if fabric dye would
> work in an airbrush? (I have no experience) There is a thickener
> you can mix with the
> dye to change it's consistency.
> ...


Yes, with the Jaquard Inks, they have an additive..and you can add water to use for for airbrush..a great deal cheaper than Creatix..but with Deka, all I had to do is use water and water down the screen inks and they were still beautiful....I could keep my costs down because a quart of screen ink could be used for hand painting, screen printing and watered down good to use for airbrush.

It's too bad someone who reads this forum can't get the Deka recipe and start selling them in the US. Great price and great performance....but plastisol just became the industry standard along with computerized graphics.

Don't mind me.....I just miss things they way they used to be. It's why I am going to just use pen and ink and try to target a market which simply likes my hand drawn illustrations and outsource everything else.

Happy New Year.


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## 2Dye4 (Jan 9, 2006)

I meant fabric "dye" such as Procion.
(tie dye dyes) You would have soak the 
the shirt in soda ash first to 
activate the dye. So would you have to
thicken it to work in the airbrush?

Jo


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## Artwear By Alida (Oct 24, 2007)

2Dye4 said:


> I meant fabric "dye" such as Procion.
> (tie dye dyes) You would have soak the
> the shirt in soda ash first to
> activate the dye. So would you have to
> ...


I don't know...I have a friend who tye-dyes and sells a great deal of her things in arts and craft shows...I never knew that she soaked all her shirts in soda ash.

I know perhaps a place you find all that out. I get many of my supplies from them. I think they have a forum.
It's Dharma Trading Co. Homepage

They sell a great deal of dyes and even bolts of fabric.

You could email them and ask them...they are EXPERTS in dying facbric and fabric dyes, inks, paints, etc.

Ask someone there if no one can give you an answer here.

They sell a great deal of Procion.

I knew she always used only 100 cotton. She could not use the Procion on anything else.

Check out darma trading....they are a great source of supplies for many fabric painting, etc.

Happy New Year!


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## 2Dye4 (Jan 9, 2006)

Hi Alida,

Yes, Dharma is great. I've been using
them as one of my suppliers for about
12 years now. I'll check with them about
airbrushing the dye......sounds like
an interesting idea I might play with.

Thanks for responding,

Happy New Year to you,

Jo


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## JoeDesign1 (Sep 2, 2007)

I have been airbrushing for ten yrs and I know that any type of acrlic paint or spray paint will stick on the shirt but you must have some sort of bondall or adhesive for paint on fabric. the expensive type of paint just give it sharpness and viverant colors.


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## recrisp (Oct 25, 2007)

JoeDesign1 said:


> I have been airbrushing for ten yrs and I know that any type of acrlic paint or spray paint will stick on the shirt but you must have some sort of bondall or adhesive for paint on fabric. the expensive type of paint just give it sharpness and viverant colors.


Joe,

Do you have a name or a link to the stuff ("bondall" or adhesive) you mention so we can check that out?

Thanks Joe! 

Randy


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## Artwear By Alida (Oct 24, 2007)

recrisp said:


> Joe,
> 
> Do you have a name or a link to the stuff ("bondall" or adhesive) you mention so we can check that out?
> 
> ...


With some inks/dyes all you have to do is iron it on the wrong side to set the dyes or put it in a HOT dryer after the ink/dye has set.

I put washing instructions on mine.
you can get a business card made up with washing instructions, and use those plastic tags which they use with one of those guns that you see on clothes in the stores...they are easily available in catalogs. I tell people to wash them in warm water on the delicate cycle and hang dry. And if they iron the shirt, iron them on the wrong side.

And I also put my logo and web address and phone and email address.

I guarantee all my work.

Nothing has ever been returned.


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## Artwear By Alida (Oct 24, 2007)

2Dye4 said:


> Hi Alida,
> 
> Yes, Dharma is great. I've been using
> them as one of my suppliers for about
> ...


Just know for the money you save in watering down screenprinting inks/dyes, you must make sure there are no clots in the inks/dye which will clog up your airbrush as that is the biggest hassle in doing that. But you can strain it and keep it in glass jars for when you airbrush.

It's a tradeoff, taking the time to make sure the inks/dyes versus paying the high prices for airbrush paint.


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## alex068 (Dec 14, 2011)

Thanks, there is a way for us newbe's to play and learn and distroy our old shirts. Alex


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## ForeignMind (Dec 17, 2011)

Back in my undergrad days I had a friend who used fabric paint from Hobby Lobby, can't recall the brand, also I knew one the main designers for Miskeen(google them) who used a higher quailty of fabric paint but I honestly never rocked with that look it got old fast, but if excuted correctly not so bad.


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## alex068 (Dec 14, 2011)

ForeignMind said:


> Back in my undergrad days I had a friend who used fabric paint from Hobby Lobby, can't recall the brand, also I knew one the main designers for Miskeen(google them) who used a higher quailty of fabric paint but I honestly never rocked with that look it got old fast, but if excuted correctly not so bad.


Thanks a lot. I am just starting, have no equiptment and this might be a great way to practice and start. Alex


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## jones01 (Dec 26, 2011)

I will test it tomorrow! Thanks to Artwear By Alida for your testimony!


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## noahenholm (Oct 18, 2020)

I use Tulip spray paint on the shirts. Overall, this paint is simple to work with and non-toxic. As a result, this product is suitable for both beginners and children to use for creative projects. I recommend trying this spray paint if you're working on any painting techniques or other shirt designs.


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## into the T (Aug 22, 2015)

noahenholm said:


> I use Tulip spray paint on the shirts. Overall, this paint is simple to work with and non-toxic. As a result, this product is suitable for both beginners and children to use for creative projects. I recommend trying this spray paint if you're working on any painting techniques or other shirt designs.


this lady does a really good job in her videos to help someone getting started (+ her results are quite nice)


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