How to remove screen print from cotton shirt

Do you have a cotton shirt that you’d like to wear, but since it has a noticeable brand logo in front, you’d want to figure out how to remove it?

Since you’re already in a DIY kick, you also remember you have an old logo shirt you’re fond of but the print is starting to crack.

It may give your shirt a little character, but it’s just not your cup of tea. So since the fabric is still in pretty good shape, you figured to give it a makeover instead.

But considering that you haven’t done a DIY like this before, you wonder: how do you remove screen printing from a cotton shirt?

Good thing this article will teach you how to properly remove screen prints from cotton and other materials. So if you’re ready to jazz up your shirts, read more below.

What is screen printing?

If you’re not familiar with screen printing, it’s a technique for transferring a stenciled ink design through a mesh screen. You can use this method to print on various materials, including fabric, paper, wood, or glass.

Because of how durable and vivid the prints tend to turn out, screen printing is a popular method for creating custom shirts. 

Whether it’s a hobby or a business, the method is versatile enough that you can choose to do it by hand or through a machine. But because of the process, you can only use 1-2 colors at a time to press a design.

But once you get the hang of the process, you get to be as creative as you want when customizing your own shirts.

Can screen print be removed?

As much as you want the design on your favorite shirt to last, screen printing ink will eventually dissolve through the wear and tear of regular use.

So instead of saying goodbye to your beloved garment, you could give it a second chance by erasing the screen print design.

It may seem impossible to think since the ink is well-adhered to the fabric, but there are effective methods that won’t ruin the cloth.

Some may take a bit of elbow grease to do, so you’ll have to practice patience to get all of the screen print design off.

How to remove screen print from cotton shirt

Whether you’re DIY-ing an old shirt or a screen printer yourself, knowing a few tricks for removing screen print from a cotton shirt may come in handy for your future projects. 

So if you want to know how to erase the ink without ruining your shirt, follow the steps below:

How to remove a print from a shirt with acetone

If you like to wear nail polish, then you’re probably already familiar with acetone.

Aside from dissolving nail polish, acetone can also remove the ink from screen printing; that’s why it’s one of the most popular methods.

But before you start removing, make sure you’re working in a well-ventilated area since acetone tends to have a strong smell.

To start, you’ll need to pour a small amount of acetone directly on the print you want to remove. Give the acetone a few minutes to absorb into the shirt, then stretch the printed area to loosen the ink.

At this stage, you can pick off any cracked print from your shirt. But if there’s any residue left, you can use a brush to scrub off any remaining ink.

This method will take a while, so take your time and pour as much acetone as you need. Just remember not to scrub too hard to avoid ruining the material of your shirt. 

How to remove screen print with wax paper

If you don’t have acetone at home, another method for removing screen print on a cotton shirt is by using heat and wax paper.

To start, grab your clothing iron and plug it in to start heating it up.

Then, cut a sheet of wax paper of the same size as the design on your shirt and lay it on top.

Once your iron is hot, run it over your wax paper, making sure you’re going over the screen print.  The heat will loosen up the ink from your shirt, transferring it onto the wax paper. Just remember not to run your iron onto areas where the ink has stuck to the wax paper to avoid transferring it back to your shirt.

You can then scratch off any leftover ink with your fingernails or brush to get rid of the print completely.

If you can’t find any wax paper at home, a paper bag or blank paper will also work great for this method.

How do you remove lettering from a shirt?

Did you find a shirt that should work well for your DIY project, but the problem is there are a bunch of lettering you want to get rid of?

If the lettering is small, you can use a spot-removing fluid to quickly erase any prints.

But the downside is that you’ll also have to purchase a spot-removal gun to use it.

If you’re not familiar, a spot-remover gun uses a high-pressure spray to clean out any rogue ink mistakes when screen printing.

Since professional shirt companies use these, the tool can be expensive. But it’s a good investment if you plan on screen printing shirts in bulk.

But if you only want to erase the lettering on one shirt, the acetone method should work well. But on fresh inks, you could also try spraying a laundry stain remover like Shout Triple-Acting.

How do you remove a printed logo from clothes?

If you have an old cotton shirt with a faded logo that you’re itching to recycle, the iron and wax paper method will work great on getting the print off.

But if you want to get fancy, a plastisol ink remover will erase a screen print design in a flash.

You just need to pour a bit of plastisol remover on a cloth and apply it all over the design you want to get rid of.

Let the solution sit for a few minutes, then grab a brush and scrub away the ink.

Since the plastisol remover is a harsh chemical, you’ll need to wear gloves when working to avoid any of the product getting on your skin. Make sure you’re in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling any of the chemical fumes.

How to remove screen print from polyester

Since polyester shirts contain synthetic materials, they’re more sensitive to chemicals and heat compared to cotton shirts.

So if you want to remove a screen print design, you’ll need to use a different method to avoid ruining the material.

First, you’ll have to wet your polyester shirt with warm water, then pour liquid detergent over the design.

Grab a brush and start scrubbing until the ink starts to flake off. Make sure not to apply too much pressure so you won’t ruin the fabric.

If none of the ink removes, wash away the liquid detergent and let your shirt air dry. Then apply a bit of acetone to a small portion of the design to see how the polyester fabric will react.

If your shirt appears fine, you can then cautiously pour more acetone to erase the rest of the print.

How to remove screen printing from nylon

If you spot a good nylon shirt at a thrift store, but it has a few printed designs you’d want to get rid of, a bottle of WD-40 will do the trick.

It may seem like an unlikely solvent to remove screen printing ink, but since WD-40 contains mineral oil, it will dissolve it with a bit of scrubbing.

All you need to do is to spray WD-40 all over the design you want to remove and rub it gently with a cloth.

Once the design is gone, don’t forget to wash your nylon shirt to get rid of the strong chemical smell. 

How to remove screen printing from plastic

If you have a plastic container that has screen printing you want to erase, acetone will be the quickest and most effective solution you can apply.

You just need to pour some acetone on a cotton ball and rub it on the design you want to remove.

If you see some ink residue on the surface, you can grab another cotton ball with rubbing alcohol to wipe off any excess.

Be careful when using this method on shiny plastic surfaces, as acetone and alcohol may remove the gloss. So make sure to do a spot test first before moving on with the process.