"Fear My Dad Jokes Pun-Fu Master" Shirt
Instruction
In this project, we'll guide you through creating a custom t-shirt featuring the "Fear My Dad Jokes Pun-Fu Master" design. Using a D1 Pro laser cutter and the xTools screen printer, you can achieve a professional and personalized result.
The first step to making this project is to open xTools Creative Space and Modify some settings.
- Change “Process on Flat Surface” to “Screen Preparation." This allows you to set the origin.
- Calibrate Origin, this will move the laser head to the corner of the screen and show you the engravable surface on the workspace, if the head is not in the top right of the screen use the adjustment tools on your screen.
- Change the Easy Set settings to 100% power and 135 speed. These are not the suggested settings, but I have found that these work better If you are not making this on a D1 Pro use xTools suggested settings.
- Make sure to shut off Air Assist if you own one, I used one the first time and it did not engrave properly. I'm not sure if this was just the wrong settings or the air blowing the dislodged particles into the screen.
There are several ways to align the design on the shirt correctly. I personally use an inexpensive projector to project the design onto the shirt, marking the position with small pieces of white sticker paper from Amazon, and measuring the size. If you don't have these tools, you can estimate the design size and measure one dimension with a ruler. Resizing the design is important because shirt dimensions vary, and resizing ensures the best look. Once you've determined the design size, fold the shirt in half and mark the center with two pieces of tape or sticker paper to make alignment easier later.
Once you've completed the first two steps, it's time to engrave the design. Ensure the origin is aligned and the design is scaled and positioned correctly on the green engravable area on your screen. Before starting, make sure the design is flipped horizontally and oriented correctly for your shirt. Then, begin engraving. The time required will vary depending on the size of your shirt; mine took just over an hour.
While the D1 Pro is engraving, I recommend watching this YouTube video on how to screen print with the xTools Screen Printer if you haven't before, since the next part can be a bit technical.
1. Remove the engraved screen from the laser cutter and secure it into the screen printer.
2. Place the sticky mat on the wooden plate and insert your shirt onto the plate. Using the sticky mat is essential as we are printing white ink and will need to apply 2-3 layers for the white to appear vibrant.
3. Align the shirt using the three knobs at the bottom of the plate, ensuring it lines up with the center tape marker.
4. Flood the design at a 45-degree angle, then add more ink at the bottom of the design.
5. Lower the screen and pull the squeegee to deposit ink. Lift the screen and dry the ink using a hair dryer on hot, a heat gun, or a heat press. The ink should be tacky but not dry. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the white ink is vibrant.
6. Remove the shirt and allow it to dry. You can tell when the ink is dry because it will not be tacky or sticky. If you are letting it air dry without anything heating element then it could take up to 24 hours.