I want to make patches, and cool shirts w/ pictures off the internet. I heard something about somehow printing out the picture on something and then ironing it onto whatever you like. Where? How Much? Can I use my regular computer ink? Any success stories? I wanna iron on some cool pics of everyone and put them randomly on some white sheets.
~Shannyn

I think what your looking for is iron-on transfer paper. You stick it in your printer just like paper and print your shit on it, then iron on.

I've been using Xerox's colour ink jet iron-on paper. I got 10 sheets for about 20 bucks. Just make sure you get the right kind for your printer, there are a few different kinds, like some for laser printers and the like. You can usually find this paper in the specialty paper section of an office supply store.

Yeah so that's what you need and a graphics program that lets you resize and flip images. Be SURE TO MIRROR your image before printing. You may want to do a few trial runs on paper with your images before taking the transfer paper plunge. Some pics that look fabulous onscreen look like shit on paper.

So yeah once you have the image, trim it up and iron on with lots of steady pressure for however long the instructions on your paper say and then you peel the paper off and voila!!

yeah also if you have leftover pieces of transfer paper left you can make images and messages out of markers (it's all ink....).

A few other caveats:

Most paper's instructions give you a glossy, plasticy image (think '70s concert T). Problem is, it cracks. (Though this can be a cool effect: insta-rentro!) Solutions are a) peel the paper off while it's still warm, which gives you a flat, though oh-so-slightly blurrier image b) stretch the T out before ironing on (using some books or weights or something. I tried putting one on a big piece of cardboard, but under the heat the cardboard started to buckle.

And no. 2: Most paper prints white as clear, so if you put your image on a yellow T, everyone looks jaundiced. To fix, either tint all your whites slightly grey in Photoshop or whatever or VERY CAREFULLY color in your small white spots with white-out and then iron on a bit longer.

Also beware T-shirt addiction. I'm SOOOOO hooked on making my own T's! I need an intervention!

i've recently starting doing this but i keep forgeting to reverse the images! doh!

i'll try that peeling off while still warm idea cause the ones i did came out with the cracks on them

hehe maybe you can join my support group HotGlueMama ;)

Ooooh, I love making my own iron ons. I would definately suggest ironing them on immediately after printing. So if your doing a bunch at once set up a little assembly line for yourself. I notice that Staples is selling iron-on paper that is only $10 for 20 sheets, much cheaper than everyone else's but I don't know how well it works.

Also, wash and dry anything you're going to affix an iron-on onto. This way the fabric will shrink up a little before hand.

I like to scan my favorite albums and make cool t-shirts, my favorite is from Heart's "Dreamboat Annie" album.

hey there....

another cool option: they have iron-on transfer paper for darker colored fabrics that works pretty well.

I love the idea of making your own sheets like this!

My friend used these iron on sheets to make all of her Christmas presents. She personalised pillowcases for everone, i.e. one for her little brother w/ Hogwart's coats of arms on one side, and "David's pillow" on the other. I was one of the lucky ones too; she made a beautiful pink and blue on with pics of a very-good-looking boy and one of my favourite songs on it.

What I'm wondering though is if you can use them in a photocopying machine. There's this place I know that uses one, but I don't know if they use some special brand or something.... :/