T-Shirt Printing Using My 3D Printer

A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon a YouTube video in which someone clamped a T-shirt onto the build plate of their 3D printer in order to print directly on its surface. I thought to myself that if I did that with my printer, it would be a complete disaster because my build plate moves along the Y-axis. It was merely an entertaining thought, but it stuck with me. This made me wonder what methods would actually make it possible to print on a T-shirt using my 3D printer. 

I came across this video by 3D Print Land, in which he printed a single layer using TPU or PLA and then ironed the print onto the T-shirt. I pitched this idea to my fellow engineer and friend Sahithi, who also has artistic expertise. She also found the idea plausible and suggested that we try two other methods: a stencil and a stamp. We therefore decided to create prints using these three different methods and compare their quality and appearance.

Since this was rather an experiment, we bought the cheapest cotton tshirt that we found. We selected cats as the theme of the prints. 

Stencil 

To create the stencil, we first selected a line drawing featuring a sequence of cats. We then converted the image into an SVG file and subsequently into a DXF file. SolidWorks can import DXF files as 2D sketches. After cleaning up the geometry slightly, we obtained the outlines of the cats. We then drew the outer lines of the stencil around the cats in a way that minimized material usage. The final result is shown below.

To obtain a solid part, we extruded the sketch to a thickness of 0.5 mm. Once the solid part was complete, we transferred the stencil to Bambu Studio and printed it using PLA. The STEP file is available for download.

Sahithi has selected a wonderful color pattern and painted the tshirt using textile markers with the help of the stencil. You can see one of the cats below

Single Layer TPU 

For the TPU print, we chose paw-print shapes. The preprocessing steps required to obtain the DXF file were the same as those used for the stencil. However, this time, we extruded only the main shapes to a thickness of 0.2 mm, matching the layer height specified in the print settings. The STEP file is available for download.

Once the print was complete, we placed the paw prints on the T-shirt and ironed them onto the fabric, using a sheet of baking paper as a protective layer between the iron and the prints.

Stamp

For the stamp, we chose a single cat shape and followed the same preprocessing steps as for the other two methods. Final STEP file is available for download. The top surface of the print needs to be smooth, so the ironing feature must be applied. To calibrate the ironing settings, we printed an ironing test board. 

The stamp has not yet been applied to the T-shirt, as we currently only have markers and need to buy fabric paint to achieve a clear print.

Quality Comparison 

Based on our results, the stencil method appears to be more suitable for lettering than for complex designs. Detailed shapes require considerable preprocessing, while the final result can still look somewhat homemade. Letters generally have simpler outlines, making them easier to prepare and more likely to produce a clean result. The TPU prints have adhered well so far and look much more professional than the stencil. However, we have concerns about their durability after washing. Since we have not yet tested the stamp, no conclusions can be drawn regarding this method.

We will evaluate the durability of all the prints once we obtain the fabric paint, test the stamp, and wash the T-shirt a couple of times. I will keep this page updated.