Fabric printing Tips and tricks

Geplaatst op door Esther Elzinga

A few tips and tricks.

Making your own projects with fabric you’ve printed yourself is so much fun. It’s the way to make something unique. Don’t be afraid when you can’t sew. You can use shirts, tea towels etc to print on as well.

  • simple designs work out perfectly on fabric.
  • wash your fabric (items) before printing.
  • make a test print on a little piece of fabric.
  • use high quality (block printing) fabric ink, for example Speedball fabric ink.
  • don’t use to much ink on your roller (if you can’t see the texture of your roller under the ink, you’re using too much ink)
  • don’t use pressure when you roll your block, this force the ink into the areas you don’t want to ink.
  • press the block down evenly, with your hands or baren
  • some brands of ink need to be heated (ironing), others can air dry for a few days. Don’t steam!!
  • don’t wash you printed fabrics on too high temperatures (hand wash or 30* is perfect)
  • clean rollers, blocks and plates gently after using. Let them air dry.