How to Use the T-Shirt Printer on an HP Computer

Are you tired of seeing the same exact design on t-shirts in the store? Maybe you saw someone on the street that had a personalized or customized shirt and wondered where they got it. You probably don’t realize that you can create your own t-shirts from the comfort of your home with your HP computer. Use the T-shirt printer on your HP computer to create your own designs and drive your friends wild with envy.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Transfer paper
• Printing ink

Instructions

1. Open the HP Activity Center on your computer. There should be several types of products listed, but look for the “Iron-On” section. Here you’ll have access to a variety of designs or have the option to design your own. You can also find designs that you can customize to your own liking.

2. Design your t-shirt using one of the templates in the Activity Center or by uploading your own design. The HP Activity Center allows you to change things around in an existing design or tweak your design to make it fit your needs.

3. Place the iron-on transfer paper into your computer printer. This paper is available from most craft stores and even directly from HP. It allows you to print out a design and then iron that design onto a t-shirt.

4. Change out the ink cartridge inside your printer for one made specifically for printing on clothing, like the ink from Vivera. Regular ink cartridges just don’t work for t-shirt printing, because the ink isn’t strong enough to hold onto the fabric.

5. Print out your design on the transfer paper and you’re ready to iron it directly onto a t-shirt of your choice. The only thing you need to do is change your printer settings so the printer knows it’s printing with specialty paper and not regular paper.

Tips & Warnings

• When in doubt, always check the manual that came with your printer. This contains all the information you need to run a program, create a design and even troubleshoot any problems with your HP printer.

• Try printing your design out on a regular piece of paper and comparing it to the shirt you plan to use. This will show you if your design is the right size or if you need to make it a little smaller or larger.

• Don’t try to print the design directly on the shirt unless you have a commercial printer. The fabric can become trapped inside the printer and cause some serious damage.