How-to: Creating BalletCollective Shirts

A while ago, Troy and I were on our way to work when we were handed a Michael's coupon flyer, promoting the local crafts supermarket. In the flyer was an advertisement for a Yudu silk screen machine. In that moment Troy thought: "We need to make BalletCollective t-shirts!" With the BalletCollective logo silk screened on, the shirts would help spread the word about BalletCollective AND be cute! 

Photo: Troy Schumacher

Silk Screening sounds overwhelming but once you get started it's easy!

Let's begin!

Step 1: Make Your Artwork

Design your t-shirt artwork on the computer and print it out in black and white on a Yudu transparency. For our t-shirts, Troy used the BalletCollective logo, but also took a picture of me rehearsing "Warehouse under the Hudson" and made it into a silhouette.

Photo: Troy Schumacher

Step 2: Preparing Emulsion - the most difficult part.

The emulsion is a light sensitive adhesive chemical that sticks to the screen when wet to create a temporary stencil. So, first you wet the mesh screen on both sides. Then turn the flat side of the screen face up. Place the emulsion sheet down onto the screen with the shiny side up. Once it is positioned do not move it. Use the provided squeegee to smooth out all the bubbles. At this point you must wait for the screen to be completely dry―if it is not, you will ruin the emulsion (Trust me!) The Yudu has a fan inside for this purpose. This is the most difficult part, but once it's done, the rest is a piece of cake!

Photo: Ashley Laracey

Step 3: Burning Screen

Put the transparency (with artwork) on the Yudu light table. Once the screen is dry, peel off the shiny backing of the emulsion and place that side down on the transparency. Close the lid and add a few heavy books to create a tight seal. Push the button in the middle (with the sun on it) which will expose the emulsion for 8 minutes. Take the screen out and rinse the design with water. Use your finger to rub the design free. There you have it, your emulsion silk screen!

Photo: Ashley Laracey

Step 4: Screen Printing

Place the t-shirt (or whatever you want to print) on the plastic shirt hanger. For BalletCollective shirts we want the logo on the back of the shirt, so we put the shirt so the back is facing up. Make sure the shirt is straight on the hanger before placing it on the machine. Smooth out the wrinkles and kinks in the shirt. Then put the emulsion screen on as the top lid of the Yudu machine. 

Photo: Ashley Laracey

Photo: Ashley Laracey

Step 5: Painting

Choose your color of paint. Then squeeze a thick line of paint across the design on the screen. (Do not put paint in the part that is the design, paint should go right above the design.) Close the screen lid. Hold the lid tightly down with one hand, and with the other take the squeegee (place it above the paint on the screen) and drag it (and the paint) down across the design. 

Photo: Ashley Laracey

Photo: Ashley Laracey

Photo: Ashley Laracey

Lift the lid and there is your design!

Photo: Ashley Laracey

Photo: Ashley Laracey

Step 6: Setting Your Shirt

Carefully take the shirt off the hanger and set it aside to dry (laying it flat). Then iron both sides of the shirt, for 3 minutes each, with a layer of parchment paper or a towel in between the artwork and iron. You're done!

Photo: Troy Schumacher

Making BalletCollective T-shirts is easy and fun!