What You Can Print On

You can screen print just about anything, though sometimes different materials require different kinds of ink or equipment. Try to stick with something that:

Doesn’t have a lot of texture
Ribbed t-shirts are going to be trickier than a plain, non-textured fabric. Sweaters might also give you trouble.

Having said that, I’ve printed over pockets, seams and zippers with great success, but it’s definitely a more imperfect, vintage look.

Isn’t paper thin, unless it’s paper
You can definitely print on a really thin (transparent) fabric, it’s just a little uncertain how it will wash up. Best to stick with fabric that isn’t see-through.

Isn’t metal or plastic
We’d need a different kind of ink for that. That includes plastic-y type fabrics like some reusable shopping bags. If it won’t absorb ink, it won’t suit our purposes.

Isn’t your most favourite thing in the world
Screen printing isn’t an exact art, at least not the way I do it. If you’re going to print on your favourite shirt, consider how you’ll feel if it doesn’t turn out the way you’d hoped.

A few other things to consider:

• Light fabrics tend to be easier to print because the ink we use is lighter and more forgiving

• You’ll need to set the ink using either an iron or a clothes dryer on high heat.

• If you’re looking for extra t-shirts to print, it can be a lot of fun to pick pieces off the racks at Goodwill.