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How to make vintage tees?

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S

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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
I'm actually supposed to be studying for finals right now. But I've just had an idea to start an internet business to sell vintage tees. I know that it's hard, but I've realized that I have many designs that are unique, funny, and original and I have both the technological and business know-how to compete in this arena. I'm willing to spend upwards of $10,000 to start this business and I'm going to be doing most of the work at home with hired work.

So the next bottle neck is that I want to know the specifics of creating vintage tees.

I have a couple of questions that I thought you guys might help me answer:

1. How expensive is it to get screen prints done at another site?

2. What is the best way to create vintage tees by myself. Screen printing or heat press? I am looking for quality over cost concerns.

3. If I were to start by myself how hard is it to create custom Tees from scratch using your advised method in question 2.

Thanks for the help everyone.
 
Solmu

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#2 ·
sovereign said:
1. How expensive is it to get screen prints done at another site?
Click to expand...
Obviously cost is relative, but personally I'd describe it as inexpensive. Generally speaking vintage style shirts are printed on more expensive blanks (a company like Alternative Apparel rather than a company like Gildan for example), but that's going to be a fixed cost whether you do it yourself or outsource it. Vintage designs are also often one or two colours (rather than four+), and if that ends up being the case that will keep your costs down.

If you have in the area of $10,000 to invest I don't think cost should be a problem. The margins in t-shirt selling are reasonable. The biggest problem is that people try and do everything on the cheap because they have no startup capital.

sovereign said:
2. What is the best way to create vintage tees by myself. Screen printing or heat press? I am looking for quality over cost concerns.
Click to expand...
Screen printing does have a learning curve, but assuming you're printing in quantity then it has the advantage of being both higher quality and cheaper (in the long run). It has a higher barrier of entry, which is why it isn't as popular for very small businesses, but it is ultimately better.

sovereign said:
3. If I were to start by myself how hard is it to create custom Tees from scratch using your advised method in question 2.
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That would depend. If you're doing one colour designs, screenprinting is easy. If you have to register multi-colour images that will take some learning. There's no question that heat press is easier, but screenprinting isn't inordinately difficult.
 
I

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#4 ·
here is the answer you might be looking for

to make a shirt vintage and to be able to do it at home.

first get your shirt printed on 100% cotton

then you could either put it in a 50/50 solution of half water/half salt and let the shirt soak in it for three days

or

you can take your shirt and put it in a bucket of apple vinegar, let it soak for 8-9 hours then wash it in a washer with salt in place of the detergent(do this at your local laundry spot on the dl, excessive salt can damage a washing machine.

what these two methods do is loosen up the cottom fibers so they become real soft like an old t-shirt

after you do this, wash the shirts regularly in a washing machine without detergent and then dry them then take light sanpaper over the graphic to scuff it up.

this method is really for doing a small amount of shirts....if you want to do quantities..ask your printer to use shatterink from rutland, this ink cracks when it is being cured on the conveyor dryer, it makes shirts look really old, besides that there are lots of ways to make the graphic on shirts look old. the trick is the shirt itself, there is also enzyme washes you can employ but you would need a place that is not living space to do such things, if you want more info on that let me know
 
Byeline666

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#6 ·
...ask your printer to use shatterink from rutland, this ink cracks when it is being cured on the conveyor dryer, it makes shirts look really old...
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that shatter ink from rutland is a base ink... does that mean you add it to your plasticol ink to get the color... im assuming its like a gel substance to be mixed in with the ink.
 
A

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#8 ·
Hey everybody, newb here. I'm in the process of creating "vintage" style t-shirts. I'm using 50/50 cotton/polyester Jerzees and I was wondering if anyone can elaborate on how to make them SUPER SOFT, like a 15 year old shirt type soft. I'm currently trying an apple vinegar soak and salt wash. Any other ideas?

Alex
 
Byeline666

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#10 ·
Alecks said:
Hey everybody, newb here. I'm in the process of creating "vintage" style t-shirts. I'm using 50/50 cotton/polyester Jerzees and I was wondering if anyone can elaborate on how to make them SUPER SOFT, like a 15 year old shirt type soft. I'm currently trying an apple vinegar soak and salt wash. Any other ideas?

Alex
Click to expand...

read instrumentals post above. he gave a couple good ways to pull it off.
 
Rodney

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#11 ·
I'm using 50/50 cotton/polyester Jerzees and I was wondering if anyone can elaborate on how to make them SUPER SOFT, like a 15 year old shirt type soft. I'm currently trying an apple vinegar soak and salt wash.
Click to expand...
You might want to buy a shirt that is already "vintage soft", like an article1 t-shirt or an alternativeapparel t-shirt.

Some things that can make the shirt softer is if you send it to a dye house that can do garment washes. Enzyme washing is one technique that can make the shirt softer I think. I don't know if it's something you can do in your home.
 
R

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#16 ·
Steve,

Thanks for the info! I use Continental's vintage tees and look forward to your post about enzyme washes. I think I'm going to try to do what Steve suggested with regard to the vintage wash, just to educate myself a bit more. How about the tea stained and stone wash treatments? They sure do add more value to the garment. I have a few novelty washed garments and always receive compliments about them. I'd like to look into novelty dye and wash for my hoodies for my Fall 07 line. Kings of Glory has an array of hoodies like this. My screenprinter referred me to a well known dyehouse who does this. It looks very expensive to implement. I wonder if it is...hmmmm?
 
I

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#19 ·
hey, sorry i havent put up the post i promised, give me about a week, i am doing some wast tests at work this week using a potassium spray and hopefully an enzyme wash, plus some homemade tricks i have come upon, luckily i have a biologist friend who can point me in the right directions regarding chemicals, etc.

will definetly will post something soon!
 
Byeline666

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#20 ·
instrumental said:
hey, sorry i havent put up the post i promised, give me about a week, i am doing some wast tests at work this week using a potassium spray and hopefully an enzyme wash, plus some homemade tricks i have come upon, luckily i have a biologist friend who can point me in the right directions regarding chemicals, etc.

will definetly will post something soon!
Click to expand...


did this post ever happen? jw...:confused:
 
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