As economies around the world recover from the lockdown measures imposed by government authorities, many people will be resuming life with an unemployed or out-of-job status.

But you have to keep body and soul together until the next big opportunity comes through. Or rather, instead of waiting for the next big opportunity why not create one?

The t-shirt industry has witnessed an unprecedented growth in the last couple of years due to many people using these comfortable clothes as means of self expression and in this article I will provide you with the roadmap on equipment you need to start a t-shirt printing business. (By the way, heat transfer labels are perfect for labelling your t-shirt).

Below are a list of equipments you can get in np order of priority to begin a t-shirt printing business from the comfort of your home;

• Ink: this is one of the most essential tools you need to get started on shirt printing. Without inks, there might as well be no design or don’t you think so? There are different types of ink for printing, the most common examples are plastisols, solvent inks, water based inks and so on. 

Solvent inks are the recommended inks for t-shirt printing and they come in a wide range of primary colours like red, blue , white, black and yellow. You can produce other colours by mixing the aforementioned.

• The screen: this is primarily used in making stencils which are transferred on the shirt to create designs. The functions of the screen are similar to that of heat press only that they are used for different purposes.

This equipment can be made at home using strong materials like aluminium, wood and the likes.

• Heat Press machine: Heat Press machines are used to transfer artworks to t-shirts. Depending on your budget you can get a manual one, an electronic one or a commercial grade heat press machine.

If you are just starting out, it is highly recommended that you follow the “start small” principle.

• Another equipment to procure is called the exposure unit, this equipment is used for curing the screen coated emulsion. It allows the light for curing the stencil to be laser focused on the stencil. It is oven-like in shape and it ensures both sides of the screen stay apart from each other. 

• Standard water source: if equipment like screen and exposure unit are not washed off after use it may cause foggy work.

So you must ensure the equipment is constantly washed after each use to deliver best quality work.

With the right materials shirt printing profession is walk in the park and if you are creative enough to make beautiful designs that resonates with the public you will be able to get your share of this multi million dollar industry.