Printing Photos on Fabric

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Printing on Fabric

Would you like to personalize your quilts by adding a printed label or a photo? Do you like to make your own fabric foundations, such as Inklingo? Do you need just a little bit more of that long out of print fabric? It's easy to make it yourself using your home computer and ink jet printer. A laser printer cannot be used with the techniques shown on these pages because it gets too hot.

We recommend Epson printers because they use archival ink. Most Hewlett-Packard inkjet printers will work, but be aware that HP has currently released some new printers which can only achieve a 50% permanency rate. This new ink is placed in cartridge no. 10 and 11. If your printer uses cartridges 10 or 11, use a different printer for printing on fabric. For more information on choosing a printer, click here.

First, you need to load the item that is going to be printed on fabric (i.e. the picture, label or foundation block) into your computer. The foundation block can be drawn in a graphic program, and the label can be typed in a word processing program, but a photo or piece of fabric must be scanned in. If you don't have a scanner, ask your local photo shop for assistance. Now all you need is the fabric (choose 200 thread count pima cotton or PFD muslin) adhered to a stabilizing foundation so it won't jam in your printer.

There are several ways to stabilize this fabric. You could iron it to the shiny side of a piece of freezer paper. Use a hot (1200 watt) iron on the hardest surface you can find. A cutting board works well. Freezer paper is that wonderful stuff you can find in your grocers storage aisle or at a butcher shop. One side is paper and the other has a light coating of wax which melts when you iron it. It does tend to curl, so try to cut it into 8 ½" x 11 ½" sheets ahead of time. Flatten them under your cutting board for a few days, or press them to a pressing sheet .

Freezer Paper Sheets
Quilters have been using freezer paper for years for designing your own stencils, making appliques, photo transfer backing, painting and myriad of other uses. Now available in a pre-cut 8 1/2" x 11" size perfect for computer printing paper. These reusable sheets are specially coated for better adhesiveness to fabrics and to prevent rolling and curling. Works with very low heat. Order Freezer Paper Sheets for 7.50. Be sure to pick the "pattern" shipping option.

Pay extra attention to the side that is going through the printer first - you want that side to be extra solidly adhered to the freezer paper. Be sure to remove any stray lint, strings or threads. To avoid paper jams as the paper/fabric combination is being fed through the printer, try cutting off a small corner on both the right and left sides at the end that is going through the printer first. Actually taping the fabric to the freezer on the edge that will be fed through the printer works well, too.

Instead of freezer paper you could use Palette paper, available from your local art supply store, NASCO Art Supplies or Dick Blick's art supplies site. Choose Canson, Bienfang or Strathmore Paper Palette palette papers. ProArt Acrylic Media Palette is made differently and won't work for this project. Avery 8 ½" x 11 labels work too, if you can get the fabric to stick without bubbles. It stays sticky through up to 10 applications.

Cut your stabilized fabric sheets to just shy of 8 ½" x 11" so stray threads don't get caught in the printer. Under your printer properties, set your printer to accept heavy paper, increase the amount of ink flow if you can, and set it for manual feed. (Do not use the photo ink, which is meant for paper. Use regular ink, or the new HP Vivera ink if you have an HP.) Feed the sheets one at a time. If your quilt is going to be washed, you should treat the fabric with Bubble Jet Set and Bubble Jet Rinse first. Let your project dry, put it in your quilt and BRAG! For more information on making your own photo transfer fabric, click here.

PLEASE NOTE: There is a $1.50 per order surcharge on shipping for chemicals due to the packaging required by the Post Office.

Don't want to make your own? Several companies make fabric sheets already adhered to freezer paper. Printed Treasures, high quality fabric sheets for use with inkjet printers. You will get brilliant images with crisp detail and superior washability. 200 thread count, 100% pima cotton. 5 sheets per package. Click here to order for $17.99

Electric Quilt has just come out with a new product similar to Printed Treasures but with 6 sheets in a $16.95 package. You can print sharp, photo-quality images right from your computer to be used in your next quilt, quilt labels, pillows, scrapbooks, purses, clothing, and more! Click here to order for $16.95

Electric Quilt also makes a version using lawn, a luxuriously silky cotton fabric with a thread count so fine that fabric texture will not be noticeable. First you scan in photos, flowers, love letters, or whatever. Then print, let dry, peel off the plastic backing and soak in cool water for 10 minutes. When the fabric dries, sew! The warm white fabric makes photo- complexions glow. You'll be amazed at how beautiful your photographs look. Use for those special wedding, anniversary and other memory heirloom projects that deserve the best! Complete instructions included. Washable and dry cleanable. 240 thread count, 100% cotton lawn, 6 sheets per package. Click here to order for $18.95