subject: Sports Screen Printing: Show Your Team Spirit [print this page] No, Andy Warhol didn't invent screen printing, although he certainly brought it to the attention of the public at large. Screen printing has been around since the Chinese started using it during the Song Dynasty (beginning in the 10th century AD). Today, screen printing - also called silk screening - is used for all kinds of applications. Sports screen printing, for instance, dresses up t-shirts, hats, and other apparel and paraphernalia so that you can proudly support your favorite team.
When it comes to getting your team name onto a t-shirt, you have two options: you can do it yourself or you can hire a professional. If you've got the need for a large number of identical shirts - for instance, you want to replace the uniforms for your soccer team - it's best to go to a professional. A business that has all the right equipment and access to the right types of inks will be able to make multiple t-shirts that look identical. You could do it on your own, but you're quite likely to make mistakes along the way. The end result will be somewhat less than perfectly uniform. It's best to confine your efforts in printing your own t-shirts to individual pieces unless you can spring for mass-production equipment.
Screen printing is also called "silkscreen printing" because it was traditionally done with silk. Generally, you'll have a wooden frame much like a window frame. Across the frame, silk (or, currently, nylon or polyester) is stretched tightly. A stencil is applied to the silk at this point so that you can control where the ink marks the material, and there are various methods for applying the stencil.
After the stencil is applied, the ink is forced through the silk by using a squeegee or similar tool. When the frame is removed, the t-shirt is now decorated with your team name. The type of equipment used by professional screen printers allows multiple t-shirts to be produced in a short amount of time. Except for the player numbers, your soccer team uniforms will look smartly identical.
The DIY screen printer can certainly enjoy creating the frame and stencils for himself. In this case, what you create is only limited by your experience and materials. But for mass sports screen printing, choose a professional. When uniform color, consistency, and placement are a must, you'll just put yourself into a stressed-out lather trying to figure it out at home.
