How to Make Airbrush Spray On T-Shirts
An airbrushed spray-on T-shirt is a personalized item. If you desire to create your own airbrushed T-shirts, either for yourself or for resale, you must purchase the appropriate materials and decide on the types of designs you want to create. Creativity is key to your success in airbrushing. Beginner airbrush artists start by airbrushing T-shirts, as it is fairly inexpensive to set up and start your own business.
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Things You'll Need
- Airbrush
- Airbrush hose
- Airbrush holder
- Airbrush paint
- T-shirt
- Shirt board
- Vented protective mask
- Easel
- ½-hp compressor
- Heated iron
Instructions
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1
Choose the type of materials you will use in your airbrushing. You must decide on the type of T-shirt material, model of airbrush and the appropriate corresponding hose, as well as the brand of paint. The type of paint you use is specific to airbrushing.
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2
Practice dagger strokes. These are wide lines that turn into fine lines in a short space. Airbrush artists use dagger strokes most commonly on T-shirts.
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3
Master airbrushing the alphabet. The majority of customers desire some part of the alphabet airbrushed onto T-shirts. You must master each type of lettering, including script, block, bubble and punk or graffiti. It is important to keep letter style consistent.
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4
Decide on a design for airbrushing. Either create a design you want to display on a shirt or create a design suggested by a customer.
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5
Airbrush the selected design. Stretch your T-shirt over foam or a tempered masonite shirt board to remove any dimples or wrinkles in the fabric. Place the shirt on an easel that holds all the colors you are incorporating into the design. Begin painting using a different airbrush for each color. All hoses connect to the same ½-hp compressor that delivers 65 pounds-per-square-inch (psi), the suggested working pressure for airbrushing T-shirts.
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6
Apply heat to the design to ensure permanency, reducing fading. To apply heat, either turn the T-shirt inside out and apply heat from an iron or place a piece of waxed paper over the design and apply heat.
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Tips & Warnings
The siphon feed airbrush is ideal for higher viscosity textile paints.
When not using the airbrush, always place it in the airbrush holder, so as not to damage the airbrush.
T-shirts that are 100 percent cotton are ideal for airbrushing, as they do not require prewashing.
Use different bottles for each main color of paint to ensure quick color changes.
Use a vented protective mask when spray painting.
Airbrush in a well-ventilated area.
