Contact paper is a great way to make stencils for printing on shirts. Let’s learn how to do it!

Do-it-yourself t-shirt printing is a fun and relatively easy project that allows you to design a shirt yourself, without spending large sums of money and gives you an opportunity to express your creativity. Of course, such a project can also be family fun, so you will earn not only a shirt but also real quality time.

There are several methods of printing yourself on a shirt, and in this article we will focus on printing with a contact paper stencil.

What is contact paper?

Contact paper is a plastic material with an adhesive backing that is used for a variety of purposes around the home, including DIY projects. It’s easy to use and comes in a wide variety of colors and styles, from patterned prints to solid colors. It can be used to line shelves and drawers as well as book covers and school projects. Additionally, contact paper can be used to create custom stencils for t-shirt designs, as its sticky backing ensures it stays in place while you paint over it. Contact paper is also often seen in craft stores, so it can be easily purchased for DIY projects.

Besides being a great tool for creating custom stencils for t-shirt designs, contact paper can also be used in other creative ways around the home. For example, it can be used to update old furniture by covering the surfaces in bright, fun patterns or colors. In addition, contact paper can also be used for wall decoration as its adhesive makes it much easier to apply than traditional wallpaper options. It’s not just limited to the home – outdoor furniture like chairs and tables can benefit from contact paper too! This not only makes them look more stylish, but it also protects them from wear and tear caused by weathering.

Overall, contact paper is a versatile material that can add design flair and functionality to any space inside or out. Whether you’re looking to create custom stencils for t-shirt designs or simply revamp some indoor or outdoor furniture, contact paper can help you achieve the look you want without breaking the bank!

Why use contact paper to print on a shirt?

There are two main reasons to choose contact paper for printing on shirts:

The first reason is that the contact paper sticks to itself thanks to its sticky side and thus prevents the transfer or dirt of color to areas on which we do not want to print.

A second reason for using contact paper is that its outer side is made of a plastic material so that it is not sensitive to the moisture of the ink. In addition, it allows wiping the remaining paint before we remove it from the shirt.

So how do we print on a shirt using a contact paper stencil?

Create your template: we will draw on paper the graphic that we want to print. Pay attention to use a non-erasable marker, a prominent color and clear lines. In addition, it is better not to draw too small details that will later be difficult to cut.

Then, using a cutting knife, we will cut the parts that make up the drawing. We will make sure to cut only the parts that we want to paint on the shirt and we will notice if there are details that are not connected to the borders of the stencil so that we glue them separately.

If you have a cutting plotter (Silhouette or Cricket for example), you can use them to cut the template.

Preparing the shirt: We will clean the shirt from thread residues or dirt, it is also better to pass an iron over it to evaporate residual moisture and so that we have a straight and smooth work surface.

After that, we will insert a piece of cardboard or wood inside the shirt to balance the shirt and prevent color transfer to the other side.

Print: place the template on top of the shirt and fasten it well – especially at the edges. After that, with the help of a sponge or a brush, we will start painting the shirt. The priority is to paint with small touches and without a lot of paint – we can add paint if it is missing later.

Remove the stencil: Once we have finished painting the artwork we can remove the stencil. Since the contact paper has a sticky side we can leave it on top of the shirt a little longer to let the paint dry a little. This will help prevent soiling of the shirt while removing the stencil.

Allow to dry: Allow the paint to dry completely, which usually takes about 24 hours. In any case, it is better to check the settings of the paint manufacturer and see what their umbrella for drying time is. If necessary, the color is determined by heat, this process strengthens the durability of the color. Put parchment paper on top of the print and then go over the print with an iron for up to a minute (or according to the manufacturer’s instructions).

Last and most important step – wear and enjoy!

Summary:

• Using contact paper, a design is printed or scratched on it and traced with a permanent marker.
• Then cut the contact paper template with a craft blade and peel off the back before gluing to the t-shirt.
• Place a sheet of cardboard inside the shirt to prevent the color from being absorbed into the fabric.
• Fabric paint is applied to the stencil by tapping it with a foam or perforated brush, avoiding dragging edges as much as possible.
• After drying, the stencil can be peeled off while manually running between fabric and cardboard; Some colors require heat setting after drying according to the instructions on the label on the bottle used for coloring.