# NEWBIE: How does screen printing NOT WASH OFF?!



## strawberryfluffs (Oct 6, 2010)

_PLEASE HELP ME! This is quite urgent! _

I have NEVER done any t-shirt printing before and this is my first time. decided to make a t-shirt for my boyfriend for our 2 years. 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am going to _print black picture on a white t-shirt _via _screen printing_, I have someone helping me and they know how to screen print the picture on but they don't know the FINAL STEP aka *HOW DOES THE PICTURE STAY ON WITHOUT BEING WASHED OFF?!?!?!*

we are assuming we _iron _it with something????

or what are the *maintaining procedures* i.e. how to wash it when you start wearing it??

and *is there a way to make the picture dry faster?*

T-shirt material: 100% cotton (so it says on the label)
Paint used: Fabric paint, sorry will post the brand later!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Please can i get some *SIMPLE* hints on this because this is a D.I.Y job and we don't have all the pro equipment 

THANKS SO MUCH!!!

==========================================
sorry if amateurs like me have asked this 100 times, i really tried searching online for the answer but no one seems to have that step? they just tell you how to get the pic on the shirt =/


----------



## bomber315 (Jun 18, 2010)

??? if they know how to screen print the picture how do they not know that plastisol ink needs heated to 330 degrees F and kept there for about 5 secs to cure. other types on ink or fabric paint maybe different but there is no way of telling if we dont know what kind of ink it is


----------



## red514 (Jul 21, 2009)

if it's fabric paint, i'm guessing something like Speedball or whatever the brand is you get from art supply stores, i believe you heat press it to cure. You maybe able to use an iron with a teflon sheet or something, not sure, the fabric paint should have instruction on how to cure.


----------



## DNeeld (Sep 8, 2010)

bomber315 said:


> ??heated to 330 degrees F and kept there for about 5 secs to cure.


It doesn't need to be kept at that temperature, or any other temperature, for any amount of time to cure. Once the entire ink deposit reaches cure temperature, it is cured. It doesn't need to bake at that temperature. The key words, however, are "the entire ink deposit".

Dwell time (keeping the temperature for an amount of time) comes from the fact that most people take their ink temps via laser gun, which only measures the top surface of the ink. This means that when the gun reads 330, only the top surface is cured. The ink below the surface has not yet reached 330. Dwell time is simply a way of ensuring that the ink fully cures when taking only a surface temp reading.

Anyway, fabric paint typically has a cure temp of about 270 degrees. You can use an iron, but it is going to take a lot of muscle and the results might be spotty. Your best bet would be to locate someone with a heat press and have them press it for about 6-8 seconds at 300 degrees.


----------



## IYFGraphics (Sep 28, 2009)

Yep.....what Red said, the instructions for curing should be on the ink, if you try to use an iron DON'T iron directly on the print at least use some form of parchment paper or you will have a ruined print and a heck of a mess.

Hope this helps.


----------



## strawberryfluffs (Oct 6, 2010)

red514 said:


> if it's fabric paint, i'm guessing something like Speedball or whatever the brand is you get from art supply stores, i believe you heat press it to cure. You maybe able to use an iron with a teflon sheet or something, not sure, the fabric paint should have instruction on how to cure.


what about turning the shirt inside out after the paint has dried and iron it?

and what about maintenance of the shirt once you start wearing it? wash in cold water only?

thanks so much


----------



## red514 (Jul 21, 2009)

strawberryfluffs said:


> what about turning the shirt inside out after the paint has dried and iron it?


do you mean is that method ok for curing? i wouldn't think so as you'd be transferring the fabric paint onto whatever the shirt is sitting on or the other side of the shirt the fabric paint is touching. using parchment paper or a teflon sheet is the way to go in my opinion, altho i've never used fabric paint like this (i've only personally screen printed with plastisol).

for maintenance, i'm guessing the fabric paint would have care instructions with it... probably turn garment inside out and wash in cold water, but i'm not sure.


----------



## strawberryfluffs (Oct 6, 2010)

THANKS SO MUCH EVERYBODY!!!!
i will bear those things in mind =D


----------

