How to Remove Screen Printing From a Shirt

Sometimes we need to remove the print from our clothes. Having different reasons for different demands people usually do that.

Screen-printing is one way of making your shirt look beautiful, and it is the most used printing way, brand companies are use on clothing to sell cost-effectively. The fact that you seek to know how to screen-print your shirt should also prompt you to know how to remove the screen-printing when you notice a mistake or design error.

Correcting design errors will help reduce or avoid the cost you are likely to incur during mass production. Coming up with a perfect print is not as easy because it takes a lot of practice even for experienced designers.

This guide will take you through the entire process by examining all the steps you need to remove a screen print from your shirt.

How to Remove Screen Printing From a Shirt

General Method to Remove Screen Printing From a Shirt

Step 1# Rinse shirt in cold water

The moment you realize that there is a mistake rinse the shirt in cold water as soon as possible. The immersion will remove any fresh ink on the shirt. Ensure that you are using cold and warm water. Using warm water will set the ink firmly onto the fabric.

Step 2# Rinse shirt in warm water

When you are done rinsing, ensure that the fresh ink is completely gone, and rinse the shirt in warm water.

Step 3# Dry your t-shirt

Upon satisfaction that the ink is completely removed through rinsing, let the shirt be dry completely. You may notice some ink spread on your shirt

Step 4# Use paper bag

Place the paper bag on the shirt; ensure that the shiny part is lying on top of areas with ink.

Step 5# Heat press with an iron on paper bag

Using an iron box that does not use steam, heat the part of the shirt covered by the paper bag. The heat coming from the iron box will drive ink into the paper bag.

Step 6# Repeat again and again

Repeat the processes in steps 4 and 5 above until all the ink is gone or no more can be removed.

Step 7# If needed use sugar as an adhesive

Add some sugar by gently rubbing on the parts of the shirt with ink. Please note that this is a gentle process any violent action will damage the fabric.

After following all these simple steps successfully, you no longer see any trace of screen-printing. Now you can comfortably say how easy that was.

How To Remove Rubber Print From Clothes?

If a design needs to be replaced with a new design, we also need to remove our printing design. But the challenge comes here with rubber printing. Although rubber print also kind of screen printing but the used ink are different the normal screen painting inks.

Rubber printing is one of the strong printing on printing sites. Rubber print also gives a premium feel when you ware your t-shirt or printed garments.

While manufacturers use rubber print, they try to use quality adhesive to adjust that rubber print.

This part of article will give you a solution to removing rubber prints from your t-shirt.

How To Remove Rubber Print From Clothes?

How To Remove Rubber Print From Clothes with Heat and Pressure

Fabrics have an affection for adhesives because of cotton’s amorphous properties. In this situation, you just need to use a conventional way to remove the rubber print from the fabric using heat and pressure in easy and simple 5 steps. Let’s do it!

1. Set your cloth position

Make the top face up of your garment from where you need to take off the rubber print. Put the fabric onto a hard table or a flat surface.

2. Dry and wet fabric insertion

Put a dry cloth under the rubber print fabric’s back part. That part will separate two parts of fabric from each other. After that, put a wet towel or fabric on the point o rubber fabric. In sum, set the dry fabric on the downside and the wet fabric on the top part of the rubber print.

Heat pressing on fabric with iron

3. Heat pressing on the fabric

Now it’s time to give heat up to the wet towel with iron and also need good pressure. Give heat and pressure frequently and let the flame come out. Make sure to put pressure to the point.

After 1-2 minutes, it’s time to remove the iron from a wet towel and also move that towel from your cloth.

Manual elimination of printing materials

4. Manual elimination of printing materials

Rub the rubber printing with your hand first. If it looks loose and can be removable, then use a metal stick that doesn’t have a sharp edge or use a scale to rub frequently.

You will see that the rubber printing is slowly coming out from the fabric.

5. Repeat process if need to remove rubber print

After a while, if you see not all the parts are not removed from the fabric by rubbing, then repeat the processes 2 or 3 times to eliminate the rest of the printing.

You can easily remove your unwanted rubber print with that heat and pressure process.

How To Remove Rubber Print From Clothes With Chemical Solutions

On the other hand, using a solvent or chemical solution is worth using. About this procedure, you have to take some precautions to avoid damage to the fabric.

Give your cloth a water wash to Remove Rubber Print From Clothes Using Chemical Solutions

Step 1. Give your cloth a water wash

Soak the printed fabric in water, especially from the part you want to remove the rubber print or adhesive. To remove rubber prints from your clothes, some chemical liquid could be mentioned such as nail polish remover, stain water, adhesive remover, and so on.

Determination of chemical solution

Step 2. Determination of chemical solution

Put a drop of solution onto the fabric, if it seems not to make any damage to your fabric and also starts deformation of the rubber print you can use that solution multiple times in the same way to remove the rubber print. Rub and pick up the adhesive and rubber print from your fabric.

Final wash with after print removal

Step 3. A final wash with after print removal

Now it’s time to give a warm water treatment to your clothing. After giving chemical treatment it’s time to clean your cloth with detergent or soda. You can wash your clothes in the washing machine for 10 minutes. After washing and drying you will get your garment out of printing.

Note: Don’t use chemical solution or solvent directly on polyester, spandex, nylon, or any kind of synthetic fabric directly. Instead of using other chemicals, you can use vinyl paper remover liquid if only requires. Otherwise giving a heat and press treatment is a good solution for your garments.

Qualities of a Good Screen-Printing Ink

As a well-informed screen printer, you must have a keen eye on the type of chemicals that are economically viable in the industry and also delivers high quality, are safe for use at home or outdoors, and offer effective results.

The opacity of the Ink

When using white ink on dark shirts, use one coat with high opacity. If you have a smooth fabric, use two coats. Make use of colored inks with high opacity and brightness.

Ink Consistency

Consistency determines how much ink will be transferred to the fabric and gives an idea of how it would flow when using the squeegee. Avoid using gummy or sticky ink because they tend to pull the shirt upwards as the screen moves in the opposite direction

Heat Resistance

Good ink is that with a high heat resistance and should have the ability to retain color even when burning.

Viscosity

Ink should not be too thick or too thin, something between 150,000 cps and 500,000 cps. However, the viscosity should not limit you from using heavy or thinner ink for a particular purpose. If you have a printer that implements reducers, use it to reduce the viscosity of the ink.

Valuable Tips

Here are some valuable tips and warnings that you should be aware of when removing screen-printings:

  • Images printed on the shirt by ironing (Heat setting) make them stick, however consistent washing will help fade the images.
  • You can use acetone to get rid of screen-printing ink even after the heat setting process
  • A high-pressure gun with the help of spotting fluid also helps in removing the screen-printing from your shirt.
  • The best time to remove screen printing is when it is still fresh because working on an old print may prove to be extremely difficult.

Beware

  • The moment you decide to use chemicals like in the case of spotting fluid make sure that you are in an open area or a properly ventilated area. Working in an open area protects you from the chemical components coming from such substances
  • Always wear your gloves when using chemicals to remove printing. Remember that some of these chemicals can easily damage your skin through exposure.
  • Avoid using a hot iron directly on the print, as it will only set it firmly into the fabric.

Another content of us: How much does Screen Printing Cost & How To Make A Shirt Look Vintage?

Conclusion

You may have realized that going by the processes we have gone through above; removing the screen-printing design from a shirt is not something that should worry you. All you have to do is to make sure you operate in a well-ventilated room, and you can carry out the activity safely and in a safe environment.

Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment on other tricks that you have been using.

Read More Guide Articles On:

How To Avoid And Remove Heat Press Marks On Cotton Fabric?

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History Of Yarn Spinning

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How much does Screen Printing Cost?



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