More and more people these days want to stand out from the crowd. Not just students at university, but more and more people want to express their individuality or make a statement, and a customised t-shirt is a great way to do this. Some people opt to design their own t-shirts incorporating images or choosing to depict their taste in movies or music, and depending on how much they are willing to invest in this garment, will influence whether they have a home made heat transfer t-shirt that they create themselves, or a screen printed t-shirts from a professional print shop.
Whatever the method utilised, there is no doubt that this t-shirt will see a lot of wear and this continual, frequent wear will put a strain on the garment being repeatedly washed. To keep your customised t-shirt in great condition for as long as possible, you need to care for it properly.
Screen printed garments are usually procured from a print shop, whose garments will come to you complete with proper care instructions. These should tell you to wash the t-shirt inside out to avoid the graphic from peeling. Items produced at home may not be as easy to care for properly and extra measures may be required. When creating your own t-shirt at home make sure you choose a fabric with mixed blend and also ensure you buy quality fabric inks and read the directions for application and care which the container should display.
When the t-shirt is newly printed, it should be treated with care as the colours often bleed with the garment is washed for the first few times. This is part of the process of permanent setting so make sure you wash separately, or even by hand and always in warm water not hot or cold.
For either method of printing, high temperatures will cause the graphics to crack or peel, and always be careful when drying the garments, again these should be dried inside out on a washing line away from direct sunlight. Similarly if you wish to iron the t-shirt, do so whilst it is still slightly damp and only glide over the image very quickly and that the iron is set to a moderate temperature.
Screen printing may require additional effort to maintain, but if you follow these simple care instructions, your customised t-shirt should last you for many wears and washes in the future.