# How do I screen print a senior class signature t-shirt with real signatures?



## restnhim1 (Feb 23, 2010)

i need some help. i've been printing for a little over a year and i've done a couple signature shirts w/ 20-50 signatures but i just got one for the senior class of 280 students. they want 280 signatures on the back. is that even possible? i think tryping it in rows will be difficult enough but i dont know. what kinds of things will i encounter? is it possible? should i try to get a transfer of it and press them on instead of screening it? help please! thanks


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## JohnBee (Nov 28, 2010)

yes, that's very possible. i've done it once (203 names). it will be an oversize screen to maximize printable space at the back of the t-shirt.

you get them to type in the names electronically and so all you need to do is copy&paste into adobe illustrator. use font like Arial or Swis721 or other not-so fancy fontstyles.

i've arranged the names in "run-in" (center justified).... this way you get to fill up more spaces. basically "run-in" is from left to right (however many you can fit in one line before you break to the next line). you can add "bullet points" in between names to separate or you can add 3-4 spaces.


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## restnhim1 (Feb 23, 2010)

they actually want to do a signature shirt, like all 280 kids sign a piece of paper w/ their personal signature and want it on the back of the shirt. is that possible or do you think the typed list of rows of names is the way to go? i know it would be MUCH easier but its not what they're wanting. what do you think


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## superD70 (Dec 22, 2010)

If they want signatures give them one of your films and have them sign them with an opaque sharpie, I've done this several times but that is a lot of signatures, gonna be tight


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## JohnBee (Nov 28, 2010)

actual "pen" signature, yes it's very possible.
collect all their signatures (get them to sign on bondpaper, in rows and 2 columns.....and USE ONLY 1 type of pen very important)

after that you scan all the bondpapers (with signatures on it).

there are 2 ways I would layout the 280 signatures.

1) in photoshop, i would crop each signature and save it individually (filename would be "1"..."2"...3"......."280")....AND THEN....i'd lay it out in InDesign (i'd measure the space at the back of the shirt and that will be my ACTUAL document size in InDesign). Then arrange all signatures "Run in".
....or...
2) you can lay it out in Photoshop.


(I find it easy and more flexible layouting in InDesign because i can use some automation functions of this program. It's very easy to arrange and line up stuff. i'd estimate if i were to do it myself, will take me 3 hours. from scanning to finished layout.)


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## JAF (Oct 12, 2008)

Make sure you charge extra for this job.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

An answer posted from Twitter 

.bbpBox30821807942541310 {background:url(http://a1.twimg.com/profile_backgro...http://twitter.com/tshirtforums']tshirtforums sign the paper, scan the paper, print the positive, print the ​ than a minute ago[/URL] via web * Todd Williams *
SignWerks


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## Unik Ink (Nov 21, 2006)

I would determine what size each signature needs to be to fit in the print area, then cut a rectangle out of an index card that size, and have them sign a piece of paper inside of the hole in the index card within the print area border. This method would probably leave wasted space since the signatures would be random, so you may want to make your rectangle a bit smaller than a structured grid. Another option would be to print a grid with 280 rectangles, have them sign inside of one rectangle, scan in, then erase grid lines in Photoshop. Be sure to give them a couple of white out pens to fix any mistakes.


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## fc (May 25, 2008)

Have the students sign their names with a thick Sharpie on white sheets of paper. The signatures should be about an inch high. Take the signatures and scan them, then import the scans into Corel or AI. Trace the signatures so that they are now vectored. This will allow you to manipulate the signatures - resize and rotate.

Here's a shirt we did for a local elementary school.


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## littlejoe79 (Oct 12, 2010)

I also had some kids use a sharpie and then scand it and it work for me. I was going to post a pic but I'm not sure how. but good luck!


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## erichedvat (Aug 23, 2011)

gonna be tight


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## mikelmorgan (Nov 1, 2008)

We do this often. We send a 12 x 12 poster board to the school and have the students sign that. We tell the sponsor that they must supervise the signatures to make sure no one takes up too much space. We will scan or photograph the signatures and in photoshop arrange them to fit the graphic. Yes it is time consuming but we build it into the art charge.


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## StampedTees (Jun 15, 2011)

I'd figure out what you're highest printable area would be .. Give the school a fine point sharpie .. Tell them they have to fit all the sig's on a piece of poster board X" by X" .. scan it when you get it .. probably multiple scans .. piece them together in illustrator or photoshop .. Color Overlay #00000 .. good to go

I wouldn't want to have them sign it on film for fear of smudging .. If they had a mistake on the poster board tell them they can white it out .. you can clear up and shadows in photoshop in just a couple seconds of work.

Good luck .. I like printing stuff like this .. Fun design .. much nicer than printing 1,000 corporate chest logos


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## rcosson (May 6, 2015)

What size mesh do you use for these prints?


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## Blue92 (Oct 8, 2010)

Funny, we just did this at the end of last school year for my daughter's school where she teaches.

All the kids signed a 11 x 17 sheet inside the outline of "Class of 2015" on it using black fine point Sharpies. We then scanned it, cleaned it up a bit and created transfers. They (teachers and kids) loved them.


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## ericsson2416 (Aug 29, 2007)

I just had a school send me this PDF - do you guys think this is doable to print from? We work in Corel and when I pull them in it's pixilated. 

Eric


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## fc (May 25, 2008)

Eric,

We do class t-shirts every year with the students' signatures. We have them use a Sharpie and sign their names on a sheet of paper. The signatures need to be large, about an inch high. You want the signatures to be large so that when you trace them in Corel they maintain their resolution. After tracing, you can resize the signatures and fit them where ever in your design. Use a high mesh screen to maintain the details in the signatures.

Hope this helps.


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## ericsson2416 (Aug 29, 2007)

Thanks Kevin. For the image I attached you don't think it's doable? Would you have them redo it?


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## fc (May 25, 2008)

If it were me, I'd redo the splatter and 16. If the original design (without the signatures) is black and white, running it through the trace feature in Corel should yield pretty good results. Then you can add the signatures back in and resize or reposition the them to fit inside the "16".


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## ericsson2416 (Aug 29, 2007)

Thanks for the help and suggestion Kevin.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

ericsson2416 said:


> Thanks for the help and suggestion Kevin.


Eric there is no issue with doing that. Is that the original you posted. If so can you email it to me. I'm on my iPad and can't transfer to PC. When I'm in office later I'll show ya how I do these. Did one 8 years ago and now do about 25-35 every year. Some color some grayscale. Just tell me color of ink and garment. I'll send you file to print. Don't worry about the Corel preview. It sucks for raster images. Stil, have my email?


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