stencil trick: the tape

i was making a pirate themed t-shirt and realized that the only way to make eyes and nose on a skull it to use tape.

Step 1 What you need

all you need for this is:
1 t-shirt under $8
1exacto knife (or other cutting implement) under $2
paper very cheap
paint (i used an air brush but there are other methods)

Comments

[ravenprints]

There is NO way around it...if you want to get the cleanest; brightest(islands no problem!)images on tees you will need to use the screen print method. Even if you invest in ONE screen and ONE squeegee(I build the tee risers if you want one...or YOU can build if handy)and some DECENT opacity inks. You can skip the emulsion (and so reclaiming and exposure)process and stay with stencils. Yet, by attaching the stencil to the back of a screen and using a pro (not that tanish brown crappy 'squeegee')grade 70 durometer squeegee...you can get the right coverage of ink so your image will be brighter and crisper. Brushed images LOOK brushed and poor inks 'paints' fade quick. Screen printers use PLASTISOL which can be cured in about 30 seconds in an electric oven and will outlast the tee! If you are doing light inks on dark you REALLY gotta check that method out! Especially if you want consistent reproductions. One thing: SPEEDBALL SUCKS! It cost MORE to get the art store crap trying to pass itself off as 'screenprint' tools, than it does to get the stuff real shops/pros use! Weird irony but true, most of the time. ONLY pro squeegees(70 durometer; NYLON blade)work nice for tees. You guessed it...I am a pro. I have done everything there is TOO do in SP. I have a great DVD(4 hours)for cheap if you are even half way commited to decorating tees? Admitted...most don't want to mess with the emulsion of screens. Though it is actually easy IF you learn it right. So that is why I say that even with a GOOD quality screen / squeegee and ink, you can take that 'Jethro method' of stenciling tees and make the results a lot better! Save the money you were going to(??) use to buy a 'how to computer' dvd from that whacked out T.V. dude...and buy MY DVD instead! I won't get rich off it, but YOU will be real glad you got it! Don't trip over NOT knowing what could make it easier for you. Zillions have and zillions more will waste lots of time and lose lots of opportunity struggling and wondering about the things they could do to make it better. You DON'T have to be a true screen printer or hugely invested in that...but by using some of it's tools and techniques you would be doing yourself a huge favor. If you only want to wank out a couple of sub standard (dressed up with the term 'underground' often!!!) tees once in awhile...great. But if you want to be better by learning and using even a FEW things /tools you don't know, this DVD will make you say 'WOW!!' [e-mail]

[santy22]

wooo long stupid i-am-stupid-but-i-cover-it-with-fancy-words comment!

[jackfr0st]

pirates rule! if u uze printer paper, you can iron it on and thge peel right on after, cleen results, and ... i love the shirt!!!

[Discojess]

You could also try this, when you are done making the stencil, just spray the back of the paper with spray adhesive. Let it air dry to become tacky, then position on cloth. Should peel right off after.

[TheCheese9921]

Great Idea, I like the way the shirts turned out especially the black and blue one. Though I hate white shirts, I always get them dirty, also at Steve and Barrys they have plain t-shirts in any color for like 6 or 7 bucks.

[mrtools]

thanks ya i think i will do a black shirt next thats always fun