Printing on Fabric

WARNING
IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN SURFACE DESIGN, LOOK AWAY NOW.

HEY, I DIDN'T MEAN EVERYONE!

In an exchange of emails, my arty friend Shirl and I discussed printing on fabric and the possibility of using greaseproof paper to support your fabric before putting it through the printer.

Freezer paper is the preferred method, because it is quite rigid, so gives a good support to your fabric.  For example, I use it to make stencils which I iron adhere to the fabric when I am fabric painting or sun printing.

Freezer paper stencil to be used for sun printing.  Believe it or not, this is one of the leaves below!

Fabric painting and sun printing on the balcony with freezer paper stencils.  Lots of fun but soooo hard on the knees.

In the UK you can probably buy freezer paper through craft stores (especially in ones catering to quilters) or online.  It is called Reynolds Freezer Paper.  Also I looked at the box and it is plastic coated, not wax coated, sorry about that!

Another reason for not using a wax paper is that by heating it, you will melt the wax, which the fabric may absorb.  The wax will then act as a resist and you won't be able to print on it.

In any case, once you have printed onto the fabric, let it dry and peel off the backing.  In order to set the print, you need to iron it using the hottest setting your fabric can take.  Depending on whether your printer inks are dye or pigment based, your design will be semi permanent.  I advise you not to use this method on anything you want to wash.

If you want a washable design, you can buy A4 sheets of fabric, which are specially treated to absorb and keep the ink,  The sheets are paper backed for rigidity.  They are very easily obtained, often through shops that carry printer paper.  I have seen different types of cotton fabric, but I think you can also get silk.

If you are planning on sewing on top on the picture with anything other than a straight line,  I think you should avoid the adhesive backed fabric, which you can stick on objects after printing.  They hold onto the thread as you sew, causing thread breakage.

These sheets are great for printing photos onto and then sewing into a quilt.  I used them for my photo quilts Menopause and Ant Man for example.
Note that these fabrics are light sensitive, so should be kept out of direct sunlight.  There have been various tests done re brands and who has the best longevity or colour.  I think if you accept them as a temporary piece of art, you won't be upset if they do fade.

Here are some books that I recommend on printing pictures onto fabric.  Click on hyperlink for Amazon page.
Innovative Fabric Imagery for Quilts and More Photo Fun

Both books are by Cyndy Lyle Rymer and Lyn Koolish.  I took a class with Lynn at the Houston Quilt Show, and made my first photo quilt there.  They explain ideas around manipulating images on your computer with Adobe.

The Quilting Arts Book - by Patricia Bolton.

This is a compilation of articles from the magazine Quilting Arts.  This will give you some ideas about using freezer paper.

Imagery on Fabric - by Jean Ray Laury (who sadly died not too long ago).

This is a great book if you are interested in surface design.  My copy is many years old, so I guess the techniques are no longer cutting edge in terms of products, but it is still really great stuff, giving you an over view of many different methods.  Why not try your hand at printing with a fish?  See, you wouldn't have thought about that unless you had read her book.