which fabric to use for t-shirt printing?

there are different weights and qualities of 100% cotton jersey knits, but they are all the same basic thing, 100% cotton jersey knit, not different fabrics.

PS

There are different weights of cotton knit fabrics, and pricey t-shirts are made from what is called interlock knit. Interlock knit looks the same on both sides. If you put a pin through one of the loops in the knit, it will come through a loop on the other side. Double knits will go through a loop on the right side, and up through a groove on the other side. Jersey knits look like hand knit on one side (tiny, of course) and smooth purl looking stitches on the wrong side. If stretched crosswise, a jersey knit will curl towards the right side.

Teri

d'oh, I knew that, thanks Teri!! T shirts come in both flavors, right?

ps

Yes, they do. I prefer interlock knit--it seems to hang better. But jersey has its place. I love wool jersey for tops and dresses.

Teri

Hi there,

Yes, there are different fabrics. I don't know which each company uses, but there is jersey, which looks different on the "wrong" side, rib and interlock which are usually the same on both sides, and pique (think Izod shirts), to name a few. Many years ago I worked for Spumoni, a childrenswear company that screenprinted all their garments. The designer at the time insisted on Malden Mill's 100% cotton compacted jersey. They mechanically compacted the fabric after it was knitted to stabilize it, resulting in very low shrinkage.

Juliette

Hi:

I'm interested in printing t-shirts. There's the transfer way that you can get in a kit in stores and then there's other ways. Fabric paint, etc. Is there a way I can put a rather detailed pattern on a t-shirt? I hope someone will know.

Do I have to make a pattern? It's a picture.

Thanks in advance. Enjoyed your discussion.

Betsy

----------------------------------------- snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote:

You can scan pictures, print them out onto special transfer paper on your colour printer (you need to make sure you have the right type of printer), and then iron them on. Not sure how well they work! I have a pack made by Epson, but have yet to find the correct shape of 'tuits' to experiment, so I cannot comment on the ease or the durability of the print. I bought Epson on the recommendation of someone here, but I cannot remember who! Sorry - it was a while ago!