T-Shirt Screen printing started to appear early
in the 1960s. This era saw the beginnings of tie-dyeing and screen printing,
which could b
e
applied to a basic T-shirt. T-shirt screen printers most commonly use the
T-shirt screen printing method. They start with a design that is divided into
individual colours. Water based inks and a substance known as plastisol are then
applied to the T-shirt through a mesh screen, which is used to limit the area
where the ink is deposited. Using the T-shirt screen printing process, printers
can achieve a larger colour range using only a limited number of colours
(process printing) or a simulated process using only red, green, blue, white,
black and gold ink, which is very effective. Few companies now use water based
inks, preferring the more versatile plastisol.Other popular forms of decorating
T-shirt screen printing can also include other processes such as airbrushing,
heat transfers and embroidery. The T-shirt screen printing process can be
applied to other garments, but is most commonly used on the T-shirt.