PLA is the most common type of 3D printing filament. Its poor heat resistance is seen as a weakness by many, but there are some use cases where this is a real benefit. So what if you softened thin PLA prints enough to make your own t-shirt transfers at home?
I gave it a shot.
Printing your own t-shirt transfer
Call me Iron Man
Tim Brookes / How-To Geek
Using a 3D printer to create a t-shirt transfer is not a new idea. You can use TPU or PLA for this, though each has its benefits and drawbacks. TPU is flexible filament that will bend with the garment, more like a print on a sports jersey. It’s arguably the best choice of filament for the job, but it’s also expensive and tough to print.
PLA, on the other hand, is more rigid. In thin applications it can flex, but not in the same way that TPU does—and it tends to be quite brittle, so it could snap. On the flip side, it’s incredibly easy to print with, super cheap, and available in just about any color you would want.
The process of “printing” a t-shirt with a 3D printer involves creating a thin transfer that is then bonded to the fabric of the shirt using an iron. It’s very straightforward, but some trial and error may be required to achieve your desired results.
Because of this, I’d recommend finding a spare t-shirt or bit of fabric on which to test before you commit to any serious designs. I picked up a cotton t-shirt from a thrift store for about $3.
Printing and transferring your design
Practice makes perfect
You’ll first need to decide which design you are going to print. There are a lot of ideas online in repositories like MakerWorld, or you can make your own. I wanted to make a print of the How-To Geek logo, so I grabbed the SVG vector image file you can see at the top of this page.
With a new Bambu Studio project open, I dragged the SVG onto the build plate. I then used the scale tool to adjust the thickness of the object by scaling the Z axis to 3mm. The jury seems to be out as to whether 2mm or 3mm is better, but I went thicker.
I then mirrored the image so that the texture of my print bed would be face up on the final print, in a bid to avoid the problem of visible layer lines. Once I’d trimmed the model down to the main “HTG” logo, I swapped out the black for a gray filament since the t-shirt I’m printing on is navy blue.
I then sent the model to the printer. I didn’t get fancy with the print quality by slowing it down or using a smaller nozzle, but I did let the model cool completely before removing it from the print bed. For this, I used a soft plastic paint scraper, rather than my usual metal one, since the transfer is delicate.
With my transfer in hand, it was time to transfer. At this point, I found out that the 15-year-old iron that I hadn’t turned on in at least 5 years was dead, so I went out and spent $5 on a cheap one. I then put a soft towel down on the kitchen counter and ironed the area where the transfer was going to go.
Taking care to arrange the logo correctly and not upset the layout, I placed a sheet of baking paper over it. The iron was pre-heated to maximum heat with the steam function off (and there was no water in it that could cause issues). Finally, I held the hot iron down on the print for about 15 seconds and removed it.
I waited another 30 or so for the print to cool, then gently removed the paper. To my delight, the print stayed in place.
What I learned
I’m going to do things differently next time
As you can see from the images above, the print worked. The results aren’t exactly “professional,” but considering the material cost is less than $4 (not including the iron), I’m quite pleased with the result.
There are a few things I will do differently next time. The first is to use a thickness of 2mm for the transfer, since 3mm feels a bit too stiff for my liking. The second is to really slow the print down and reduce the size of the layer lines. I’ve got a 0.2mm nozzle on my shopping list, and I think that might provide even better results. I also believe that darker filaments would result in a more uniform finish.
The biggest question is whether or not the print will hold up over time. I suspect it will survive a few wash cycles before starting to peel at the edges. I have gym shorts from name brands that have started doing this, and my 3D printer and iron are no match for such commercial processes.
That said, this is a neat way to create a custom shirt on the cheap. If all you need is a shirt for a special occasion, fancy dress costume, or cosplay event, this might do the trick. TPU will probably fare even better.
Creating your own t-shirt prints is just one of the hobbies that are better with a 3D printer.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
