Airbrush Shirts

Putting a unique design on a piece of clothing via the airbrush has been around since the late 60's into the early 70's. Soon many people began to set up shops around the country that dealt exclusively with airbrush shirts. Now in modern times the industry of designing images on clothing has gone to a more digital print method but there are a few shops that use airbrush and are doing quite well.

Waning to get started to airbrush shirts? Here is my quick rundown of the key items you will need in order to move forward to create some of your own awesome shirts.

The airbrush you select is going to be the center piece and will help dictate the quality and style of your work. You will want to select an airbrush that is able to handle a thicker textile paint that is commonly used for spraying on clothing. Most airbrush shirts artist commonly use siphon feed airbrushes, as well. This feature really aids in the quick changing of one color to the next. Some of the more popular brands used by t-shirt artists are the Iwata Eclipse model HP-BSC, Paasche VLS double action airbrush, and the Badger Crescendo.

The compressor is another important part that you will need in order to airbrush shirts. When thinking about which compressor you will need to purchase please consider at what level of production you will be working. If you are going to be doing a large amount of airbrushing you will need a more commercial compressor, say one from a home supply store such as Lowes or Home Depot. If you will be more of a casual user then one of the airbrush manufacturer's compressors should suit your needs. The recommended air pressure to properly spray textile paint is about 40 - 60 psi. Some of the more popular brands include Paasche D3000R Compressor, Badger's Cyclone, and the Iwata Power Jet Air Compressor.

As I mentioned before, you will most likely be working with a textile paint. These paints will need to be heat set in order for them to be made permanent on your shirt or clothing. Most recommend using a heat set clear coat textile paint before and after you start. When you heat set the clear coat before you paint, you get a nice smooth surface to work on and when you clear coat after, it seals your design in. This technique is mainly used on more detailed designs. Createx and Badger both make good quality paints.

Ruben is a local writer with a focus on Airbrush Kits. Visit his website to learn more!