Have you ever been so excited about a new t-shirt that you wanted to share the news with everyone? Maybe you wanted to show off at school or maybe you just wanted to make your parents jealous. Whatever the reason for screen printing a t-shirt, it’s probably not something that you’ll want to do again anytime soon. And while screen printing is a great way to personalize and customize an article of clothing, it almost always leaves an unsightly mark on the garment after washing. So if you really want that t-shirt as something more than a one-off piece of clothing, read on for some useful tips on how to remove the screen print from the shirt.
How To Remove Screen Print From Shirt
1. Rubbing Alcohol
The simplest way to remove the screen print from a shirt is to use rubbing alcohol. This method is so simple that it’s actually recommended by the manufacturers of some screen printing inks. To remove the print, simply dip a cotton ball into some rubbing alcohol and then rub over the areas that you want to remove. The rubbing alcohol will break down the ink on the surface of your t-shirt and allow you to get rid of it with very little hard work. However, this method may not be effective on shirts that have already been washed or dried since too much heat can cause permanent staining on your t-shirt.
2. Soak It in Water
If you don’t want to use rubbing alcohol, another option is to soak your t-shirt in water for a few hours or overnight if possible. Soaking will soften up any ink that has become embedded into your shirt and make it easier for you to remove using soap and water later on. Make sure that you do this over a sink or a large bowl so as not to damage anything around your home or office when rinsing out the shirt afterward!
3. Use Laundry Detergent
Soaking your shirt in water isn’t always enough because sometimes ink can become embedded into fabric fibers after being printed onto them by a screen-printer. In these instances, laundry detergent can help loosen up these fibers so that they can be removed more easily during washing without causing any permanent damage to your shirt.
4. Use Soap and Water
If the above methods don’t work, you can always go back to the basics and use soap and water to remove the print from your shirt. This is a great option if you’re worried about damaging your shirt with rubbing alcohol or other chemicals, but it can take some time to get rid of all of those stubborn ink stains.
5. Use a Degreaser
If you’re really worried about using too much water on your shirt, you can always try using a degreaser to remove the print from your shirt. These products are specifically designed to break down oils and other stains from clothing without causing any damage. However, they also tend to be expensive and only work well on some types of stains so it’s best to try the above methods first before moving on to this one.
6. Use a Brillo Pad
Another way to remove your unwanted t-shirt print is to use a Brillo pad. This method can be a little dangerous, but it can also be very effective at removing the print from your t-shirt if you know what you’re doing. If you don’t feel comfortable using this method, it’s best to leave it up to someone who knows what they are doing with chemicals and sharp objects!
7. Use an Iron
If none of the above methods work, there is one last option that may help you out – an iron! This method works best on smaller prints that don’t cover too much area on your t-shirt. However, this method is not recommended for larger prints since it will likely cause permanent staining on your shirt and may even damage the fabric fibers in the process.
What Is Screen Printing?
- Screen printing is a process used to print on fabric. It involves printing an ink-filled stencil onto the surface of a garment. The ink is forced through the stencil by the use of a squeegee, allowing for the creation of detailed designs and patterns.
- The final print is created by using fabric, silk, or paper as a screen. Because it uses a porous material, the image will be transferred from the screen to whatever it is placed on.
- There are two types of screen printing: direct and indirect printing. Direct printing involves laying down an image directly onto fabric or paper while indirect uses a light-sensitive emulsion that creates an image when exposed to light after it has been transferred onto the material being printed on.
- Screen printing was invented in 17th century Holland as a way for artists to mass produce their artwork for public consumption and was originally called “serigraphy” because it was done serially (one item at a time).
How Does Screen Printing Work?
- The shirt is placed inside of a screen printing frame. The frame is made up of a series of parallel wires.
- The frame is placed over the shirt and ink is applied to the wire mesh.
- A squeegee is used to apply the ink to the shirt, forcing it through the holes in the wire mesh and onto the fabric beneath it.
- The screen is lifted from the shirt, leaving behind a design that has been transferred from the screen to the fabric below it via ink.
- The screen print can be finished with various techniques, including burning or painting on top of it for a more permanent look or with heat for a temporary appearance that will wash off after several washes.
Is There A Way To Remove The Ink Without Washing?
Rubbing alcohol method
The first thing that you should try is rubbing alcohol. You can either use a cotton ball or a clean cloth to rub the ink off the shirt, but it’s important to remember that the process will take some time and persistence. Rubbing alcohol will only work on some types of ink, so check the label to make sure that it’s safe for use on your shirt before using this method.
Use toothpaste
Another option for removing screen print from a t-shirt is toothpaste. Toothpaste has abrasives in it that can be used to rub away the ink on your shirt. For this method, you’ll want to apply a small amount of toothpaste directly onto the area where you want to remove the ink from your t-shirt and then rub away at it with a clean rag or cloth until all of the print is gone.
Use dish soap and hot water method
If rubbing alcohol doesn’t work or if you don’t have any handy, just apply some dish soap directly onto the area where you want to remove the screen print from your t-shirt and then wash it in hot water as soon as possible after applying the soap. Dish soap has chemicals in it that are designed specifically for removing stains from dishes, so they’re probably going to be able to remove most types of screen printing ink as well.
How To Effectively Wash And Dry Your Shirt
Don’t wash your shirt with other clothing
The heat of the water and the agitation of the wash cycle are going to set the ink on your t-shirt. If you want to remove a screen print from a shirt, you need to ensure that it is not set by washing it with other clothes. This means that you should only wash your shirt by itself in cold water or on its own in a delicate cycle.
Use a detergent designed for hand washing
If you use an industrial strength detergent, it will set the ink on your screen-printed t-shirt even further into the fabric and make it more difficult to remove later on. So if you want to effectively wash and dry your shirt, use a hand washing detergent instead of something meant for a washer or dryer.
Wash by hand
If possible, always wash and dry your screen-printed t-shirt by hand using the tips above. This will help prevent setting any ink into the fabric of your shirt and make sure that there is minimal color loss when you go to remove it later on.
Don’t use bleach or fabric softener
Bleach can damage colored fabrics like t-shirts as well as any designs printed onto them; while fabric softener may make drying time longer but oftentimes leaves behind an oily residue that makes removing screen prints even more difficult than normal. As such, avoid using these two items when washing or drying your screen-printed shirts at all.
Conclusion
Screen printing is a fun way to make your own clothes or customize an item that you already own. The only downside to the process is that it leaves an unsightly mark on the garment that’s difficult to remove. There are some ways to remove the ink, but it’s best to try to avoid screen printing when you’re printing on fabric. Instead, try printing on paper so that you can throw the paper away after one use. Or, you can use a heat press to print on clothing so that the ink is set in the material and can’t be easily removed.
