Step By Step Guide For T-Shirt Printing Process
The screen-printing process, used today worldwide for printing on garments, was initially developed in China over 1000 years ago and in essence, has changed very little. Developments in materials, inks, and chemicals have refined the process, but the basic method of passing inks or dyes through a mesh screen on to the printable surface remains the same.
It is possible to get similar quality prints, whether you are using homemade manual equipment in your garage or operating large digital apparel printing machines in a factory – one thing that will vary greatly, though it is production times. The following explains the basic ‘spot color’ process from somewhere in between, i.e., working with a small-scale professional set-up using a manual printing carousel:
Step 1: Differentiate Colors In The Design
Separate the colors in the design using standard software such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw – or to employ the services of any one of a number of graphic designers advertising on the internet. For each color, a screen has to be produced, which will be used in turn with all the others to print the image.
If printing on to dark garments, an extra screen to produce a ‘flash’ undercoat of white ink will be needed to make the colors in the design more vivid. Once the colors have been separated, they are printed to scale in black on to acetate sheets, together with registration marks, using a standard ink-jet printer. The blacked our artwork then has to be transferred to the prepared screens.
Step 2: Prepare The Screens
The standard screens used have a metal or wooden frame with a tightly woven mesh, usually made of nylon or polyester, stretched across them. Screens with different mesh counts are used depending on the intricacy of detail in the design.
Generally speaking, higher mesh counts are used to reproduce more detail as less ink can pass through the screen. Screens are prepared by coating them with a photo-reactive (light-sensitive) emulsion and then left to dry flat in an area free from UV light.
When this solution is dry, the screens are ready to have the artwork ‘burned’ or exposed on to them. But in the case of digital printing on garments, you do not need to use stencil because work being processed by a computer and finally printed directly onto the garment surface.
Step 3: Produce Image On The Screen
A lightbox is now used, which is basically a box containing UV light-emitting tubes, a clear glass surface above, and a material lid. Each acetate is placed upon the glass area and a prepared screen laid on top – mesh side down. After that, the material lid is closed and drawn tight over the screen using a vacuum pump – a timer is then set while the image is developed on to the screen.
Step 4: Wash The Screen
The emulsion on the screen now reacts and hardens where the UV light hits it and stays soft where the areas of opaque black areas on the acetate block it. After completion of a specified time (between 1 and 20 minutes depending on the intensity of UV light), the screen is ready to be clean with water. The water washes away the region of emulsion that has not developed, creating areas on the mesh for the inks to pass through.
Step 5: Apply Masking Tape
After the developed screens have dried, masking tape is applied around the edges to prevent ink seeping through areas that it should not. Each screen is then clamped onto an arm of a carousel, mesh side down, and special ‘plastisol’ or water-based ink in each corresponding color applied on top. To register or line up, the screens a scrap piece of material is placed over the platens, and a test print is produced.
This is done by forcing the ink through the clear spaces in the mesh using a hand-held rubber ‘squeegee,’ printing the lighter colors first. If printing on to dark-colored garments, the flash coat of white is printed and then passed under a heat lamp to touch dry before the colors are applied.
Step 6: Produce Registered Image
The registration marks that are printed onto the scrap material are lined up in turn until the finished, registered image is produced. To cure the ink, the printed garment is placed on the conveyor belt of a tunnel dryer and heated to 320 degrees F (160 C). This will prevent the ink from washing away to ensure the image will remain for as long as the garment lasts.
Final Words
There are a lot of different uses for T-shirt printing. A business can use custom promotional T-shirts to get their logos and slogans in front of a lot of people. Sports teams can use them so that every team member has a matching shirt. Individuals can get custom shirts made to express their own sense of style and to have a unique garment that nobody else has.
There are a lot of people interested in custom garments for different reasons, and there are a number of methods for T-shirt printing. Read the above-mentioned steps to print your designs on your t-shirt.
Tips To Get Rid Of Insomnia Without Medications
Almost everyone experiences insomnia or sleeplessness at times. Noise, pain, coffee, irregular hours, unfamiliar surroundings, and worry can all lead to restless nights. Because time drags when they are trying to sleep, most people overestimate their sleeplessness.
There are no legitimate rules about how much sleep is necessary; everyone’s needs are different. Babies and some teenagers may sleep for 18 hours each day, but elderly people may require only five or six hours.
Insomnia, particularly early waking, may be a symptom of depression. Sufferers also lack energy and finding every task to be difficult. Provided the insomnia is not a result of indigestion or a medical condition, a soothing, relaxing, sedating massage can work wonders if applied at bedtime, or as near as possible before that.
Invest In An Electronic Sunset
Set a time at least 1 hour before bedtime when you stop the use of all electronics. That means the computer, Kindle, iPhone, and yes, even the television! Studies have shown that individuals using electronics right before bed have a 75% increased chance of insomnia. Therefore, you should not use these devices before bedtime. Just turn on your air conditioning Sydney and sleep well the whole night.
Do Regular Exercise
Exercise may sound like a far cry from an insomnia remedy, but working out in the morning can make it easier to sleep at night. Moderate exercise in the morning (like a 20-30 minute walk) can set you up for getting a good night’s rest. Exercising before bed is not recommended because it raises the body’s energy levels and makes it harder to relax and fall asleep.
Do Foot Massage During Night
Use of essential oil to massage on the feet at night. The feet are the body part having the closest connection to the earth; massaging the feet at night helps to draw your energy from the mind into the body, and prepares you for a night of deep sleep. Ayurvedic oils such as mustard oil and sesame oil are perfect for calming nerves.
Drink Limited Liquid Before Sleeping
You will find that insomnia isn’t something to mess with because mainly it’s harmful to your health. The body needs its sleep in order to relax and regain strength. It’s fine to drink before bed, but make sure you don’t drink so much so that you won’t be getting up at all hours of the night to go to the restroom.
Drink Warm Milk Or Herbal Tea
If you drink warm milk or herbal tea that does not contain caffeine, you will find that it is key to sleeping better. Warm milk keeps your stomach at ease and lets you sleep comfortably. The herbal tea lets your body to have various natural vitamins for the body to function in an optimum way.
Don’t Watch Tv Before Sleeping
Don’t watch TV for more than 30 minutes each day. It’s amazing how bad news and world events can subconsciously cause you not to get a good night’s sleep. Your mind files away things that you see each day, even if you are not really aware of it. So be very careful about what you fill your mind with.
Reduce Caffeine Intake
Caffeine is a stimulant, and if you drink too much, it can cause you to stay awake at night. If you love to have caffeine, then drink it in the earlier part of the day so it won’t affect your night sleep.
Eat Sensibly and Correctly
Change to a diet of eating essential fatty acid foods rich in Vitamin A and beta carotene such as papayas, other fresh fruits, beans, nuts, fresh green leafy vegetables, supplemented by Vitamin E probiotics. After eating these food items, you can lead a healthier body immune system and let your body sleep well without any discomfort. Also, control infection and reduce acne eruptions.
Manage Favorable Atmosphere
Waking up midnight can be frustrating, especially for those who are suffering from sleeping disorders. Our body needs an ideal temperature and humidity level to sleep well. To maintain the right atmosphere inside your home, install ducted air conditioning Sydney. This way, you can sleep a well night without any disturbance and prevent insomnia so that you can sleep better.
Vitamin D
Getting more sunlight each day increases your Vitamin D and nitric oxide levels – the latter will help reduce blood pressure. Also, sunlight makes you feel positive and let you sleep well the whole night.
Final Words
The cure to your sleeping problem all revolves around what you do before bed and how you go with your day. When you exercise before bed, it will speed up your adrenaline, so you may want to avoid this.
There are many ways of naturally getting rid of sleeplessness, besides taking pills that can harm you in many more ways than one. Some of the techniques are mentioned above. Follow these tips to sleep well without any problem.
