THE BIRTH OF A SHIRT! Part Four: Printing Process
Here it is…the final step in the process – printing the shirts! Take a look inside to see how it’s done!
Click the image below to see the final installment to the Birth of a Design series on YouTube!
I just want to take a moment and say thanks to all of you who have kept up with this series and commented, emailed, and participated in it. The response has been great and I certainly appreciate all the support. I plan on providing more behind the scenes videos and posts in the future so you can get a better look at what goes on here at Fright-Rags. So thanks again and make sure to let me know what you think by commenting below or on the YouTube page!
- Ben


Brandon
on August 28th, 2008
That’s a pretty fascinating set up they’ve got there. Man, seeing that finished product come off the line got me super excited! I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
noah
on September 27th, 2008
Great overall series. It’s definitely cool to see how you make the shirts. Keep up the great work!
Mike Kenny
on October 15th, 2008
Hey guys, great series! Seeing how much hardwork and dedication you guys put into your shirts really makes the appreciation factor skyrocket. I’ve been supporting Fright-Rags for a while now and hands down, you guys are the best horror shirt makers in the business. Keep it up!
Cass
on October 15th, 2008
Kick-ass horror shirts is right!!
Dig that theme music too..
Ben Rules!
Cristina
on October 15th, 2008
Interesting to see how everything falls in place from beginning to end. Definitely keep up the videos and posts!
Willis
on October 15th, 2008
Wow Ben, I have to say that was fantastic. I love that you allowed us to see the whole process. So awesome, to me that was just amazing.
Paul
on October 15th, 2008
Ben,
I thought that the “how-to” presentation was a really awesome idea. I have always thought your ideas for shirts were really creative and cool. I mean,,where else would you see a shirt for “Tourist Trap” (which i own and several others ) ?? Just by looking at them you can tell the work that goes into them but this series gives a new appreciation for them. Plus you can tell with the shows you guys are fans and into horror. I think the designs and likeness’ are dead-on but to comment on one persons remarks that they didn’t look close I dont think they understand that they are a talented artist’s rendition and will have some creative freedom. And that is what makes some of them really stand out against other shirts! Watch “Slither” will ya? Take care, see you at MM!!! paul
lance
on October 16th, 2008
Great information Ben! Gives us an insight as to what goes into these fantastic shirts. Keep up the good work…
Deedee Messana
on October 17th, 2008
Ben – what a great concept and what great execution. Your behind-the scenes glimpse at the process was so enlightening and gives us a greater appreciation for all the creativity, hard work and dedication that goes into producing these unique and beautifully crafted shirts. It’s very rare to experience a “relationship” with a product, or for a manufacturer to care enough about the customer to expand the interaction from just “buyer” and “seller” to collaborator. We love being included! This is what makes Fright Rags so unique. Keep up the great work and I look forward to more series such as this.
Andrea Katz
on November 3rd, 2008
Thank you so much for sending me the link to this really great series and the blog. I have always wanted to learn how the photos from some of my favorite horror movies go from poster to t-shirt, so well. I have been a horror movie lover for many, many years and have looked for quality horror movie shirts for as many years, to no avail. When I found Fright Rags I couldn’t believe how lucky I got. You have immortalized some of the greatest cult classics, and many of my personal favorites, on shirts and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Keep up the great work!! I will always come back to Fright Rags for all my horror shirts because you can’t find them ANYWHERE else, believe me I have looked!!
Robin Williamson
on November 6th, 2008
Hey Ben,
I totally loved being able to watch how the shirts were made. I never imagined the pinwheel process to the paint application. I also never thought about how they can add the different colors without letting the first ones dry. But, that is what those lights are doing, right? So, the paint must dry pretty quickly under those lights? Or at least enough so that it doesn’t get messed up when the next color is applied? Then, that last run through the heat finishes them off? I guess it would certainly be pretty inconvenient if it was necessary to lay them all flat for several hours to dry! So cool!
Anthony cortez
on November 11th, 2008
I honestly just want to say I think this is one of the best horror movie clothing ideas ever, it’s so awesome that it’s done by horror movie buffs, what better way to satisfy a customer than to be one yourself right?
Thank you for doing this man, I shall wear my zombie vs shark shirt with pride
GLENN PYNN
on December 10th, 2008
I have to say,watching the shirts being made was great.i can see the work that goes into them.Can’t wait to see one up close.The hardest is to know which one to try first.
Great Printing Site
on December 27th, 2008
Great post. Thanks for sharing!I also have an online printing website to recommend. Check out at my website.737
Patrick
on January 29th, 2009
Thanks for taking the time to show us how great shirts are made. You guys rock.
Brian
on February 10th, 2009
I thought seeing the process of the shirts being made was very nice. I always love seeing how shit is made. My only problem with the final video was that music. It seriously reminded me of watching these god awful instruction videos in high school…lol. Next video, throw some good hardcore industrial music. Seriously though, I really enjoyed watching the process.
Joe S.
on February 16th, 2009
Ben, thanks for taking the time to show how us the process of making your t-shirts designs. Being an artist myself I always get off on seeing the art process come to life and become available for the public whether it’s final medium is a print or on a t-shirt. It being the subject of horror is always a bonus as well. We need more horror art out there. Not too many people know how involved these going-to-print processes are and it was nice of you to take the time to show all your fans. Keep those awesome designs coming, buddy.
Chris Tanski
on February 18th, 2009
Wow,I had no idea the process was so intricate. Very cool. Now I want to know, how you decide what designs to do and do you need the rights from the film to make the designs?
kevin
on March 2nd, 2009
Very cool seeing what you do to make th shirts.Looking forward to buying quite a few of them.
David
on March 5th, 2009
Hey Ben,
Thanx for the official sneak peak into the world of “Fright Rags”
A very cool idea and a great series to put forward.
Inspirational artwork.
Original, great illustration, coloring, texture and finally, finish.
Very interesting topic.
John
on March 18th, 2009
It’s really nice to see someone who is taking pride in the horror scene and putting fresh new stuff out for the fans.Keep up the gross fuckin work FRIGHT-RAGS.
eric woodard
on March 19th, 2009
ben,
this was a cool inside look at the intense and bold creative process that goes into designing one of your unique shirts…seeing this process makes the shirts even cooler….and really takes it beyond the shirt as an artist medium….keep up the great work…eric/scratch n spin records
Aaron Fields
on March 25th, 2009
Ben,
Thanks for shooting me the link. Really enjoyed the series. It was neat to see the printing process in action and to see just how much goes into these shirts. Keep up the great work!
Sarah D.
on May 13th, 2009
You are a very talented person surrounded by other very talented people. Thanks for sharing the whole process with us. It’s really made me dissect every design we have and love them even more. I’m really happy for all your well deserved success, although I greedily wish they were only for us:)
Rob G
on June 12th, 2009
Great design! and really interesting to see the process of how its all put together keep up the good work i will be watching! lol
Eric Shuf
on July 16th, 2009
Very cool Process, There is alot more to it than i thought. as you probably arlready know i just got the Fright Night T shirt and it’s as good as everybody says your shirts are. I got the Creepshow comic book cover shirt com’n and i have my eye on The Gate and BasketCase T-Shirts. Keep up the good work cuz i’m gonna order more
Eric Shuf
on July 16th, 2009
oh yea the sticker,magnet and card that come with the shirt are cool as hell.
Chuckles
on November 6th, 2009
Great work!
Jean-Paul
on December 3rd, 2009
Very informative. I’ll be sure to check more videos if you make them.
nick
on December 3rd, 2009
this whole time i had no idea that it was actual paint that goes onto the shirt, great stuff man, keep it up looking forword to the future designs.
Eddie
on January 12th, 2010
Fright Rags Rule!!!
John A
on February 2nd, 2010
Great four-part primer. Concise, easy to understand … an inviting window to the design process and the craft of screen printing.
Zombie vs Shark. Everybody wins. . .
ToeNailEater
on March 17th, 2010
It would be one thing if you were the one doing the printing, anyone can send a design to a shop, have it printed, and hang around like a tool video taping it. I have more respect for the folks that print their own shit. FAIL.
Ben
on March 17th, 2010
Sorry you feel that way. We work very closely with our printers to ensure the best quality of work. The purpose of the video was to show our customers how the shirts were printed, as I thought they would like to see the actual process.
ToeNailEater
on March 17th, 2010
No, the point was to make it look like this was your set up and that you actually printed your shirts. We can all see thru your bullshit. Just be honest.
You have some nice shirts though, I own a four myself but your new stuff is too cartoony for my taste and the digital printed one s (DTG or whatever) suck bad! That is a horrible process, the technology just ain’t there yet, they look like crap compared to the screens stuff, almost like they are ironed on or some stuff.
Love the old stuff better but thats just my opinion.
-Will
Ben
on March 17th, 2010
No, that wasn’t my point…but you obviously have your own view, so you can believe whatever you want. I have never been anything but honest, and I’ve never told anyone that I did the printing myself.
As for the DTG shirts, I will agree that they will never be as vibrant as screenprinting, but it does allow us to offer a variety of styles and has a unique quality all to it’s own. The shop that prints them for us uses the industry standard Kornit to print them, so the quality is as good as it gets in terms of where DTG is at today. However, I understand that they are not for everyone.