How to print your own t-shirts

Preparation is essential to getting the best results and getting the right tools for the job in hand is also very important. Most of the things you need you will already have and you only really need to buy two items but they are both relatively cheap to buy.

You will need...

• A plain t-shirt


• A pack of t-shirt transfer papers


• A steam iron


• An inkjet printer


• A computer or laptop

Plain T-Shirt
The t-shirt you want to print on should be a plain colour. White is a popular colour of t-shirt as this will make your design stand out but there's no limitation on colour of the material. You can buy plain t-shirts from most clothing stores from as little as a few pounds or you can also purchase online via a specialist website which may offer discount on a quantity order.

T-Shirt Transfer Paper
This is essential to the whole project and you can buy transfer papers in a number of different formats depending on the colour of the t-shirt. There are light transfer papers for light coloured t-shirts and dark transfer papers from darker coloured fabrics. It's important to get the correct transfer paper for the colour of material as a light transfer paper will not show on a dark colour t-shirt. You can buy transfer kits from online stores as well as high street craft and hobby stores.

Steam Iron
Most households possess a steam iron. This is needed to transfer the design onto the fabric. Safety is advised when using an iron.

Inkjet Printer
An inkjet printer can be found in most homes these days and as long as it prints then it can be used to print onto your transfer paper.

Computer
You will need to design your own t-shirt and even the most basic of graphic program can be used. You can also use a word processor such as word, publisher or equivalent to design your masterpiece.

Finally....some imagination. Try to be original with your design or slogan. Make is specific to you.

Remember... a printer will not print white. If you a clear section in your design, when printed that section will remain clear.

Always preview your design by printing it out to see how it looks on a piece of paper first. This will help with position and design sizes

Use the right kind of transfer paper. Ensure that you print on the clean white side of the paper. Most transfer paper has stripes or other designs on the non-printing side.

Very important....you must flip the image before you print so it prints correctly.

Once you have your design ready, (you remembered to preview it right?) you can then load your transfer paper into your printer, ensuring you got the right kind of paper and the paper loaded correctly so it prints on the correct side of the transfer paper.

When you are happy, print out your design onto your transfer paper and then lay your t-shirt out on a flat surface (work-top, ironing board). You can also cut out your design if you have several small piece and position them individually onto your shirt. Position the paper onto the t-shirt and then using a 'hot' iron (it must be hot, do not use steam) begins to iron across the back of the paper. Always use caution when using a hot iron. This will transfer the design onto the t-shirt.

You now should have your design attached to your fabric. Put it on and show it to the world!

If you're looking to buy some t-shirt transfer then why not take a look at these great prices.

White T-shirt and transfer paper pack - Size Large - £5.99
Celebrate a special occasion or an event such as a stag night, a hen night, birthday or even Christmas with this special t-shirt printing pack. Print your own t-shirts with the included large size plain white t-shirt and light transfer paper sheet.

White T-shirt and transfer paper pack - Size Medium - £5.99
Print your own design t-shirts with this special t-shirt printing pack. Print your own t-shirts with the included medium size plain white t-shirt and light transfer paper sheet.

White T-shirt and transfer paper pack - Size Small - £5.99
Print your own design t-shirts with this special t-shirt printing pack. Print your own t-shirts with the included small size plain white t-shirt and light transfer paper sheet.

Glitter T-shirt transfer paper - 5 sheets - £4.99
Put some dazzle on your shirt with these glitter transfer papers. A pack of 5 sheets for printing your own t-shirts. Suitable for light coloured fabrics. Full instructions included.

Dark T-shirt transfer paper - 10 sheets - £6.99
Dark transfer paper designed for use with dark fabrics. Print out your own designs and slogans. Ideal for special events and occasions. Full instructions given. 10 sheets included.

Simply design, print, iron on and then wear. It's as easy as that. Full instructions included. Shirt is fully washable.

If you're looking to put images or pictures into your design you could try looking on the internet. However you must remember to ask permission from the website or the owner of the image. There are also various websites that have stock images that you can buy to include in your design. You can also find free image libraries.

If you want to just print letters on your t-shirt then you can use various fonts from many free websites. Again you may have to ask permission to use these fonts.

You can also design yourself using a graphics package on your computer or laptop. There are many packages available and you can even use free online image creation websites to design your tee.

Whichever method you use, try to be original so that you're t-shirt stands out.

Sometimes it's hard to think of a killer design idea. Here are a few ideas that may inspire you.

An 2012 Olympic t-shirt - Support your country in this years Olympics held in the United Kingdom. You could use a favourite event to inspire your design or maybe the colours of your national flag. (Please remember to be careful with copywritten logos etc)

A 2012 European Championships Football t-shirt - Like the Olympic theme you could design a t-shirt with your country's kit or maybe your favourite football player.