I also press my fabric before spraying as the warm fabric seems to absorb the starch more quickly. I have also found that when starching before cutting, I get precise cutting and more accurate seams. The flip side is that I must re-wash the unused portion of fabric before returning it to my stash, (silverfish) or estimate my needed yardage and only spray that portion of fabric. I buy the gallon of Staflo (use a fine misting sprayer), and there are mixing directions for how "heavy" you want your starch mixture to be! I LOVE the tip for spraying fabrics over the tub...saves the carpet from attracting dirt!