Made some t-shirts for a gig of Duncan’s band Tom Runs Alone.
1. Concept
- Black t-shirts
- Silver print of band name (split between 3 t-shirts)
- Letters embroidered with neon-yellow thread
2. Deciding on font
I wanted something bold and easy to read and print. Font: Blackout https://www.1001fonts.com/blackout-font.html
3. Laying out the pattern
Had to decide if I wanted to clip the ALONE or not, and decided to go for ALO - NE, otherwise it would be too wide on the t-shirt.
I also opted for not placing the letters in a neat line, both because I liked the look and also because it allows for a bit more imprecision when printing and embroidering.
4. Testing screen printing
I used a kit from Slöjddetailjer, so nothing very professional, but it worked well. As a stencil I just used the printed and cut-out letters on normal office paper. The paint was from Panduro and a bit too thick for the screen, but I managed to squeeze and press enough through to get good coverage. The black dye that came with the kit definitely worked better, since it was much more liquid.
5. Screen printing the letters
6. Embroidery
Big mistake to start with the embroidery thread as is and not seperate a few strands to use. It was much too thick and I had to work (too) hard to get the needle with the thick thread through the t-shirt fabric, especially on the spots where the paint was. At one point I even ripped a few holes in one of the t-shirts 😭. I only used the thick thread for the first letters, then switched to one strand thread and it was a breeeze!
